Four communities in the Río Plátano biosphere reserve, which connects the eastern Honduran departments of Olancho, La Mosquitia and El Paraíso, are promoting renewable energy projects to develop their communities. “In about three years we hope to generate close to 165 kilowatts of energy that would benefit about 1,000 people,” Rudy Rubí, representing three Olancho communities, told Tierramérica after presenting the initiative Jul. 16 to a meeting on international cooperation in Tegucigalpa.

“We will make use of the watersheds, through small hydroelectric dams, utilizing forest-friendly technologies,” he said.

The initiative, backed by the Small Donor Program of the United Nations and the Global Environment Facility, also seeks to protect 13,000 hectares of forest in this Honduran biosphere reserve.