Honduras is situated in Central America, bordering Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua. Its interior is fairly mountainous, with narrow coastal plains along its long Caribbean shoreline to the north and the Pacific shoreline to the south.
The diverse nature of the Honduran landscape and climate has gifted the country with a variety of marine, terrestrial and freshwater environments, which in turn have created ideal conditions for biodiversity to thrive.
The country’s forests are home to many iconic species, from brightly coloured tree frogs and parrots, to sloths, tapirs, primates (such as capuchins and howler monkeys) and a variety of cat species including ocelot, puma and jaguar. Many of its species – especially its reptiles and amphibians – are endemic, which means they are found nowhere else on Earth.
Its seas also teem with life. The breathtaking whale shark can be found here, along with an assortment of dolphins, whales, manatees, sea turtles and a great many fish species.
However, this astonishing biodiversity is under severe threat. Rapid deforestation not only threatens the plant and animal species found there, but is also causing knock-on impacts for the country’s freshwater and marine habitats. Offshore, overfishing and harmful fishing practices are driving declines in Honduras’ rich marine biodiversity.
Weak environmental legislation and associated problems such as unsustainable development, pollution and illegal hunting also pose serious threats.
Size (land & water):
112,090 km²
Population (2016 est.):
8,893,259
GDP per capita (2016 est.):
US$5,300
Honduras is located in Central America. It is bordered by Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
Almost 50%
of the 117 Honduran amphibian endemic species are threatened, endangered, or already extinct.
Columbus
named the country Honduras – which means ‘depths’ – in reference to its deep coastal waters.
The focus of Fauna & Flora International (FFI) in Honduras is on the marine realm, where we are working with partners and coastal communities at three protected areas: Cuero-y-Salado Wildlife Reserve, Bay Islands Marine National Park and Cayos Cochinos Marine National Monument.
These three protected areas lie within the globally important Mesoamerican Reef and contain a rich tapestry of interconnected coastal wetlands, mangrove forests and coral reefs that support an impressive array of species including critically endangered hawksbill turtles, Utila spiny-tailed iguanas and the endangered Antillean manatee.
Together with our partners we are working to improve conservation across this 8,000 km2 area by supporting community-led sustainable marine management within each of the protected areas, while also improving links between the different communities and empowering marginalised groups such as women and young people. Underpinning this, we are also carrying out research to strengthen the evidence of the benefits of marine conservation for people and for biodiversity.
"FFI is weaving together community, terrestrial and marine systems in the Honduras Seascape project by protecting species, improving local surveillance and solving chronic livelihood challenges together with fisheries communities. Ambitious, yet achievable, this project is crucial for the enduring resiliency of marine resources in the globally important Mesoamerican Reef."
Safeguarding our seas
We live on a blue planet. About 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered in water, and a whopping 97% of this is found in our seas and oceans. Yet there is much still to discover about this watery realm.
Humans are inextricably linked to the environmental landscape within which our daily lives unfold. We depend completely on nature for a stable climate, clean air and water, and food.
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