Melinka NAJERA

After my graduation in Spain and Belgium as a forestry engineer with a master in tropical forestry and development, I moved to the Central America region in 2011. During my career, I have gained experience in different topics related to sustainable management and conservation in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, as technical expert, consultant and as IUCN staff.

My work in the regional IUCN office of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean has been focused in project management and technical support in topics of governance, connectivity, restoration and protected areas. I have accompanied Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) processes for REDD + strategies design with indigenous peoples and local communities; sustainable community forestry management; implementation of the methodology with strong participatory approach, ROAM (Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology), developed by WRI and IUCN; and development of national restoration strategies for several countries in the Central American region to improve connectivity and ecosystem good and services restoration. All process strengthening territorial governance. 

As a regional project coordinator, I am leading the implementation of a regional process to strengthen coordination among protected and conserved area institutions in the Central American region, enhance and implement restoration actions in the territories, and reinforce local and regional governance, including the strengthening of Central American integration.