Of all the world's countries, Honduras is one of those most susceptible to natural disaster. Hurricane Mitch in 1998 and the damage to broad areas of the country in 2005 and 2006 greatly undermined development progress. Intensive deforestation and over-exploitation have led to the drastic shrinking of forested areas and severe soil degradation. According to estimates by the state forestry authority, the annual rate of deforestation is at 2 percent today, that is, 80,000 to 100,000 hectares a year. Over the past 30 years this has meant a loss of 35 percent of Honduran forests. The reasons for this depletion are the country's high birth rate (2.4 percent), the unequal distribution of land, and lack of clarity concerning land ownership and land use rights. In addition, powerful political and economic special interests contribute to the destruction of natural resources through illegal felling of timber and environmental pollution.

Experience in this sector differs according to the level of intervention. The value of pioneering efforts on the micro level and in the implementation of activities has come to be recognised by the Government and other donors. These efforts have been particularly successful in the areas of sustainable co-management of protected areas, community forest management, conflict resolution strategies and participation, and sustainable water catchment area management; they have resulted in significant increases in income derived from agriculture and forest management. Furthermore, the guaranteeing of ownership rights to the local population in the Río Plátano region has led to sustainable farming and forest management and increases in income, despite the imposition of strict adherence to regulations governing protected areas.

Although considerable efforts have been made, ensuring the participation of women has proved difficult. Major sensitisation efforts on all levels are called for if awareness of the importance of the active integration of women is to be increased. Again, despite intensive advisory services, it has not proved possible to effect institutional and legal reforms within the forest and nature protection sector, so that the realisation of such reforms remains a challenge.

German Development Cooperation is active in policy consulting and donor coordination and in implementation on the ground in three regions within the country. In the biosphere Rio Platano, Financial Cooperation and Technical Cooperation are involved in a joint effort for the preservation and sustainable use of the "heartland" of the Central American bio-corridor. There is also close coordination and cooperation with the DED on the micro level concerning direct advisory services for target group organisations.

The GTZ programme PRORENA focuses on the complex framework conditions in this sector. Process-supportive policy advisory services take up good governance and mechanisms for reaching agreement among the various actors. Additional important issues are: decentralisation and support for municipalities in playing a more effective role in environmental protection and conservation of natural resources, disaster risk management, local economic development, and the testing and application of approaches for sustainable resource management.