ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of Central American Commission for Environment and Development's (CCAD) role in strengthening environmental governance in Central America. It explains a historical review of the relationships between conflict, environmental security, and peace in Central America; and a description of the creation and structure of CCAD. The chapter explores a consideration of CCAD's role and achievements in environmental governance; and a reflection on the future of environmental governance in Central America. The civil wars in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua were driven primarily by economic inequality and the lack of legitimate political recourse, but in many cases natural resource and environmental security dimensions underpinned the economic and political dynamics. Given Central America's reliance on natural resources, environmental deterioration presents a real threat to regional security. In Guatemala, civil war and poverty caused further environmental damage, particularly in the Peten Basin, which contains the largest remaining forest habitat in Central America.
