Centro del Agua del Trópico Húmedo para América Latina y el Caribe

What Centro del Agua del Trópico Húmedo para América Latina y el Caribe does

CATHALAC (Centro del Agua del Trópico Húmedo para América Latina y el Caribe) is an international non-profit scientific organization founded in 1992 and headquartered in Panama City, Panama. The organization focuses on applied research, technology transfer, and capacity building for water resources management, climate change adaptation, and environmental management across Latin America and the Caribbean. Its flagship product is SERVIR (Sistema Regional de Visualización y Monitoreo), a visualization and monitoring platform that integrates satellite and geospatial data to support decision-making across nine social-benefit areas — disasters, ecosystems, biodiversity, weather, water, climate, health, agriculture, and energy. The platform is built on dedicated infrastructure including a GOES GRB satellite reception system ingesting approximately 2TB of daily data from GOES16, a high-performance computing cluster, a custom SERVIR.net application stack running on AWS, and a WRF-ARW numerical weather prediction system configured for Central America and Panama at multiple spatial resolutions (27km, 9km, 3km). Supporting products include the EDUCAT online education platform, the Boletín Climático de Panamá monthly climate bulletin, a regional basin portal (Portal de Cuencas), and consulting services applying ISO 14064-1 for carbon footprint quantification.

The organization's business model is grant- and contract-driven rather than commercially transactional. CATHALAC operates as a technical implementing agency, securing project mandates from multilateral development banks (World Bank, IDB), bilateral aid agencies (USAID, IDRC Canada), regional organizations (European Commission, SENACYT Panama), and multilateral frameworks (UN-SPIDER, CTCN, GEO), and has accumulated approximately $99.4 million in managed project funds across multiple donors. Revenue is generated through three streams: international development project funding and fund-management administrative fees, technical assistance and consulting contracts with government ministries, and capacity-building program fees via EDUCAT. Customers are primarily national governments (Ministries of Environment, Health, Agriculture, and national meteorological services), regional integration bodies (SICA, CEPREDENAC, CRRH, CCAD), and international organizations (NASA, UN agencies, development banks) across Central America, the Caribbean, and selected South American countries including Colombia. Distribution is direct, with no commercial reseller or channel structure — projects are delivered through mandates, bilateral agreements, and donor financing mechanisms secured via regional summits and multilateral negotiations.

Name

Centro del Agua del Trópico Húmedo para América Latina y el Caribe

Legal name

Centro del Agua del Trópico Húmedo para América Latina y el Caribe (CATHALAC)

Website

https://cathalac.int

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

CATHALAC is an international non-profit scientific organization headquartered in Panama that delivers water-resource research, climate change adaptation, and environmental management services to governments and regional institutions across Latin America and the Caribbean, anchored by the SERVIR satellite-data platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental and Water Resources Research Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Space Research and Technology (92711)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Data Measurement & IoT/Telemetry Enablement (Energy/Meter/Asset Data Ingest) (EUABAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

ESG/Sustainability Reporting & Disclosure Platforms (EUABAEAB)

Keywords

• Water resources research
• Climate change adaptation
• Satellite data processing
• Disaster risk management
• Environmental consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Panama City

HQ country

Panama

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. International Development Project Funding: CATHALAC manages and executes international development projects funded by multilateral development banks (IDB, World Bank), bilateral agencies (USAID, IDRC Canada), and regional organizations (EU, SENACYT). Revenue comes as project grants and administrative fees for fund management.
2. Technical Assistance and Consulting Services: Provides specialized technical consulting services to government ministries and regional institutions on water resources, climate change adaptation, and environmental management. Revenue generated through project execution contracts.
3. Capacity Building and Training: EDUCAT platform offers courses and diploma programs on environmental topics, GIS, climate modeling, and water management. Revenue from training program fees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CATHALAC is an international non-profit scientific organization that conducts applied research and delivers technical services in water resources management, climate change adaptation, and environmental monitoring for governments and institutions across Latin America and the Caribbean. Its core offerings center on the SERVIR satellite visualization and monitoring platform, numerical weather prediction through the WRF-ARW model, GOES satellite data reception, and capacity-building training programs through EDUCAT. The organization also provides specialized consulting such as carbon footprint quantification under ISO 14064-1 standards.

Product overview

CATHALAC operates a platform-based architecture centered on SERVIR, a comprehensive geospatial and satellite data integration platform that provides visualization, monitoring, and decision-support tools. This core platform is supplemented by specialized modules including climate bulletins (monthly analytical reports on climate anomalies), WRF numerical weather forecasting systems, and GOES satellite data reception infrastructure. Additional services encompass educational programs through EDUCAT, carbon footprint consulting, and regional basin information portals. The organization serves governments, researchers, and the public across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SERVIR: Sistema Regional de Visualización y Monitoreo - A regional platform integrating satellite and geospatial data to improve scientific knowledge and decision-making for governments, researchers, and the public.
• EDUCAT
• SERVIR.net
• WRF

Products and services

• SERVIR Regional Visualization and Monitoring System

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,000+ persons trained through capacity building programs
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCATHALAC serves as implementing agency and operational base for the SERVIR Regional Visualization and Monitoring System, developed in partnership with NASA since 2004. NASA provides satellite data, technical guidance, and access to Earth observation systems. SERVIR integrates satellite and geospatial data for improved scientific knowledge and decision-making across nine social benefit areas.
• UN-OOSA / ONU-SPIDERcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2010, CATHALAC has served as the Regional Support Office for ONU-SPIDER (United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs Programme on Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response). The program facilitates the use of satellite technology for disaster management and emergency response across Latin America and the Caribbean.
• GEO (Group on Earth Observations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCATHALAC has been a participating organization in GEO since 2007. GEO coordinates efforts on Earth observation systems worldwide to reduce disasters and improve decision-making in health, energy, water, climate, ecosystems, agriculture, and biodiversity. SERVIR is a regional model of the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).
• CTCN (Climate Technology Centre & Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCATHALAC is a member of the Climate Technology Centre & Network for technical assistance and services related to climate mitigation and adaptation in countries implementing the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
• International Charter on Space and Major DisasterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCATHALAC serves as Regional Project Manager for the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters. Receives, analyzes, and processes satellite products provided by the Charter mechanism. Results are delivered rapidly to authorities of affected countries to support decision-making.
• Mesoamerica ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCATHALAC implements the Mesoamerican Coordination System for Territorial Information for Natural Disaster Risk Reduction, as mandated at the Presidential Summit of the Tuxtla Dialogue and Concertation Mechanism (June 2008). Provides geospatial information from various national and regional sources.
• MasMovilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMasMovil is listed as a strategic partner on CATHALAC's website. Nature of partnership is not detailed in available sources.
• CAFTA-DR (Free Trade Agreement)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCATHALAC is responsible for implementing the Environmental Information System strategy under the Free Trade Agreement between Central America, Dominican Republic, and the United States. Strengthens mechanisms for public participation in Environmental Impact Assessment processes.
• SIAM (Mesoamerican Environmental Information System)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCATHALAC serves as the Regional Node of SIAM, which is the depository of environmental knowledge for the Mesoamerican region and center of a regional network composed of national environmental information systems (SINIA) of each country.
• CLACSO (Latin American Council of Social Sciences)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCATHALAC is an Associated Center of CLACSO, facilitating academic cooperation and research partnerships across Latin American social science institutions.
• UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNEP collaborated with CATHALAC on developing an interactive online mapping platform for the Greater Caribbean region's environmental information. CATHALAC serves as a UNEP Resource Center.
• US Southern Command Humanitarian Assistance ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCATHALAC hosts the EOC Web System developed by the US Southern Command Humanitarian Assistance Program. The system enables Central American national civil protection agencies to coordinate disaster response efforts.
• White Waters to Blue Waters (WW2BW) AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCATHALAC is a member of the WW2BW Alliance Steering Committee, sponsored by the US Department of State. The alliance brings together governments, international organizations, financial institutions, NGOs, universities, and businesses to stimulate cooperation in integrated watershed and marine ecosystem management.
• Government of CubacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded by IDRC Canada, CATHALAC implements a project in Cuba to build drought resilience through seasonal precipitation forecasting, integrated climate information systems, and gender equity strategies in two localities: Matanzas and Ciego de Ávila.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• UNEP-WCMC: UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre delivers biodiversity and ecosystem data platforms globally. Overlaps with CATHALAC's SERVIR-style environmental monitoring and reporting work, but at global scale and with a different governance structure.
• ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts): Global numerical weather prediction and climate modeling center providing operational forecasts, reanalysis, and modeling services. Overlaps with CATHALAC's WRF modeling capability but at much larger scale and with global reach.
• WRI (World Resources Institute): Global research organization operating platforms like Global Forest Watch and Climate Watch for environmental monitoring and disclosure. Overlaps with CATHALAC's satellite-based monitoring and ESG-style reporting, but operates at a much larger global scale.
• NASA SERVIR Global Program: NASA-led network of regional hubs integrating Earth observation into decision-making; CATHALAC itself hosts the Mesoamerica hub. Highly comparable as a peer and partner, but operates globally with multiple regional nodes.

Emerging players

• MapBiomas: Collaborative network producing annual land cover and land use maps for Latin American countries using satellite data. Comparable in technical scope (satellite-based environmental monitoring) and regional focus, but narrower product scope.

Direct peers

• CATIE (Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza): Regional applied research and graduate education center headquartered in Costa Rica, operating across Latin America and the Caribbean with a focus on agriculture, natural resources, and environment. Directly comparable as a non-profit scientific hub with a similar funding model and stakeholder base.
• IRI (International Research Institute for Climate and Society) at Columbia University: Operates at the intersection of climate science and decision support for vulnerable regions, with applied research, climate forecasting, and capacity building. Highly comparable in mission, technical stack, and donor-funded operating model.
• CIAT (International Center for Tropical Agriculture): CGIAR research center delivering applied science on agriculture, land use, and climate in the tropics, with strong Latin America presence. Comparable applied-research non-profit model, donor dependence, and regional delivery footprint.
• CIMH (Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology): Caribbean-focused WMO-recognized institution delivering climate, hydrology, and meteorological services to Caribbean governments. Closely comparable to CATHALAC's climate services, SERVIR-style data delivery, and capacity-building work, though narrower in geographic scope.

Others

• CAF (Development Bank of Latin America) - Climate Change Division: Multilateral lender funding climate adaptation and environmental projects across LAC. Overlaps with CATHALAC as a regional climate ecosystem participant; while not a direct competitor, it is a key funder and counterpart whose priorities shape CATHALAC's pipeline.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CATHALAC
• Facebookfacebook.com/cathalac
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/linkedin-cathalac

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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