On September 20 to 22, 2023, the "Second Symposium of the Petén Itzá Lake Watershed: Present and Future" was held in the city of Santa Elena de la Cruz, Flores, Petén, with the purpose of generating an intersectoral dialogue of scientific information with different conservation organizations, citizens, environmental enthusiasts and organized civil society.
Within the framework of this symposium, the activities began with the "Water Fair" held on September 20. The event was inaugurated with "A splash in the lake", a symbolic activity in which people of all ages took a swimming tour to motivate and promote the lake's water conservation.
On this day, cultural and academic presentations were also developed, providing guest schools with the opportunity to learn about the urgency of generating positive changes to preserve the quality of the water of Lake Petén Itzá and care for the fauna and flora that inhabit these areas.
The "Second Symposium of the Petén Itzá Lake Watershed" was held over the following two days. During these sessions, a scientific dialogue was generated through two keynote lectures, 24 presentations and a forum-panel where topics such as integrated water treatment; solid and liquid waste management; the impact of tourism activities and options for their sustainability; conservation projects for the ecosystem of Lake Petén Itzá, among others, were discussed.
The event was led by the Organizing Committee, integrated by the Association of Municipalities of Lake Petén Itzá (MANMUNI PETÉN ITZÁ, for its Spanish acronym); the Authority for the Management and Sustainable Development of the Lake Petén Itzá Watershed (AMPI, for its Spanish acronym); the Foundation for the Integral Development of Man and his Environment (CALMECAC, for its Spanish acronym); the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF Mesoamerica); the Environmental Justice Forum of Petén; the Municipal Water and Sewage Company of Flores, Santa Elena and San Benito, Petén (EMAPET, for its Spanish acronym); the Balam Association; and Citizens for the Lake.
As part of WWF Mesoamerica's participation, Irene Zamora, Junior Program Officer, gave a presentation entitled "Cities at the forefront in the fight against climate change: WWF's Cities Challenge" in which she highlighted the actions being promoted by the organization so that cities become an active part of the changes against environmental degradation.
The activities concluded with a statement in which the organizers and participants of the event pledged to support strong actions in favor of the conservation of the Petén Itzá lake watershed through identified priorities: integrated solid waste management programs throughout the watershed; restoration and recovery of forests and maintenance of native forests; single-use plastics ban; expansion of wastewater collection and treatment coverage; improvement of territorial planning and control of the sustainable growth of tourism activities.
Within the framework of this symposium, the activities began with the "Water Fair" held on September 20. The event was inaugurated with "A splash in the lake", a symbolic activity in which people of all ages took a swimming tour to motivate and promote the lake's water conservation.
On this day, cultural and academic presentations were also developed, providing guest schools with the opportunity to learn about the urgency of generating positive changes to preserve the quality of the water of Lake Petén Itzá and care for the fauna and flora that inhabit these areas.
The "Second Symposium of the Petén Itzá Lake Watershed" was held over the following two days. During these sessions, a scientific dialogue was generated through two keynote lectures, 24 presentations and a forum-panel where topics such as integrated water treatment; solid and liquid waste management; the impact of tourism activities and options for their sustainability; conservation projects for the ecosystem of Lake Petén Itzá, among others, were discussed.
The event was led by the Organizing Committee, integrated by the Association of Municipalities of Lake Petén Itzá (MANMUNI PETÉN ITZÁ, for its Spanish acronym); the Authority for the Management and Sustainable Development of the Lake Petén Itzá Watershed (AMPI, for its Spanish acronym); the Foundation for the Integral Development of Man and his Environment (CALMECAC, for its Spanish acronym); the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF Mesoamerica); the Environmental Justice Forum of Petén; the Municipal Water and Sewage Company of Flores, Santa Elena and San Benito, Petén (EMAPET, for its Spanish acronym); the Balam Association; and Citizens for the Lake.
As part of WWF Mesoamerica's participation, Irene Zamora, Junior Program Officer, gave a presentation entitled "Cities at the forefront in the fight against climate change: WWF's Cities Challenge" in which she highlighted the actions being promoted by the organization so that cities become an active part of the changes against environmental degradation.
The activities concluded with a statement in which the organizers and participants of the event pledged to support strong actions in favor of the conservation of the Petén Itzá lake watershed through identified priorities: integrated solid waste management programs throughout the watershed; restoration and recovery of forests and maintenance of native forests; single-use plastics ban; expansion of wastewater collection and treatment coverage; improvement of territorial planning and control of the sustainable growth of tourism activities.
