Large interior wetlands are also found in the Peten Peninsula of Guatemala and around Nicaragua's Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua. Wetlands are a vital part of the Central American landscape and a growing factor in regional economic development. Wetlands cover more than 40,000 km2, an area equivalent to 3 times the size of Belize. The Gulf of Fonseca supports the largest mangrove wetlands on the Pacific coast. The livelihood of more than 5,000 families is threatened by the expansion of shrimp farming which is destroying the mangrove habitat that many fish and crustacean species require.
Wetlands help indigenous cultures meet their needs for food and shelter.
Today, more than 50,000 families depend on wetlands for their livelihood. However, the growing human population and the increasing demand for resources, threatens the ecological integrity of wetlands and the well-being of people and wildlife who depend on them. The diversity of wetland habitats provides an impressive range of useful products. Throughout Central America, over 90 per cent of the rural population depend on fuelwood for cooking. In the densely populated areas where fuelwood is scarce, wetlands are often the only remaining source.