Consejo Nacional de Áreas Protegidas (CONAP)

What Consejo Nacional de Áreas Protegidas (CONAP) does

CONAP (Consejo Nacional de Áreas Protegidas) is the Guatemalan government agency established in 1989 by Legislative Decree 4-89 and operating under the direct authority of the Presidencia de la República de Guatemala, charged as the maximum governing and coordinating body of the Guatemalan System of Protected Areas (SIGAP). It is responsible for the establishment, regulation, and oversight of approximately 338 protected areas spanning national parks, biosphere reserves, biotopes, multiple-use areas, and private reserves, covering the entire national territory including maritime coasts and airspace. Its substantive mandate includes conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, wildlife and forest regulation, environmental assessment, environmental education, climate change adaptation, and the development of sustainable tourism within protected areas. CONAP also serves as Guatemala's national authority for international biodiversity conventions including CBD, CITES, RAMSAR, and UNESCO MAB.

The agency's core products and underlying technology center on the SIGAP platform architecture, comprising the SNIB (Sistema Nacional de Información sobre la Diversidad Biológica) biodiversity information system, the SIGAP Geoportal (built on ArcGIS), the citizen-science portal iNaturalistGT, the fire and heat-point monitoring dashboard, the EduCONAP education platform, the Sistema de Monitoreo for management effectiveness tracking, the Tourism Portal for visitor services, the CITES consultation system, the Ventanilla Única single-window administrative portal, and the MGAF financial administration module. A dedicated Dirección de Análisis Geoespacial houses GIS and geospatial-analysis capability, while a Dirección de Tecnologías de la Información oversees institutional systems.

CONAP does not operate a commercial revenue model. It is funded through annual appropriations from the Guatemalan national treasury and through technical and financial cooperation from international agencies and development banks including USAID and KfW, channeled in part through the FONACON conservation trust. Its approximately 175 staff are organized across a headquarters in Guatemala City, 10 regional directorates covering the country's principal departments, and 16 substantive, administrative, technical-support, and internal-control units. Its "customers" are the general population of Guatemala, government ministries and municipal authorities (MARN, MAGA, INGUAT, IDAEH, ANAM), and indigenous and local communities living in and around protected areas.

Name

Consejo Nacional de Áreas Protegidas (CONAP)

Legal name

Consejo Nacional de Áreas Protegidas (CONAP)

Website

https://conap.gob.gt

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

CONAP is the Guatemalan government agency established in 1989 that governs and coordinates the national System of Protected Areas (SIGAP), managing approximately 338 protected areas, delivering biodiversity data through the SNIB and SIGAP Geoportal, and serving the country's general public, government institutions, and indigenous communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Guatemala City

HQ country

Guatemala

HQ region

Latin America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. State Budget Allocation: As a government institution under the Office of the President of Guatemala, CONAP receives annual budget allocations from the national treasury for its operations, conservation programs, and protected area management.
2. International Cooperation Funds: Technical and financial cooperation from international agencies, development banks, and foreign governments for conservation projects and institutional strengthening.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CONAP is the Guatemalan government authority that directs and coordinates the Guatemalan System of Protected Areas (SIGAP). It establishes, manages, and regulates approximately 338 protected areas; oversees biodiversity conservation, forest and wildlife management; implements international conventions (CBD, CITES, RAMSAR); and processes permits, environmental impact assessments, and licenses through national headquarters and 10 regional directorates.

Product overview

CONAP operates a unified platform architecture centered on the Sistema Guatemalteco de Áreas Protegidas (SIGAP), which serves as the core system for managing Guatemala's protected areas network. The product portfolio consists of the central SIGAP platform complemented by specialized modules including the SNIB biodiversity information system, SIGAP Geoportal for geospatial visualization, iNaturalistGT citizen science portal, EduCONAP educational platform, Sistema de Monitoreo for management effectiveness tracking, and the Tourism Portal for visitor services. Supporting administrative modules include the MGAF financial module, Ventanilla Única single-window service portal, and CITES consultation system. These interconnected systems work together to provide comprehensive coverage of protected areas management, biodiversity conservation, environmental education, and regulatory compliance functions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SIGAP (Sistema Guatemalteco de Áreas Protegidas) The core platform for managing Guatemala's protected areas system, responsible for establishing, organizing, and developing protected areas throughout the national territory, including coordination of conservation policies and international biodiversity agreements.
• Sistema Nacional de Información sobre la Diversidad Biológica (SNIB) National information system for tracking and disseminating biological diversity data, serving as Guatemala's primary repository for biodiversity information under the Convention on Biological Diversity.
• SIGAP Geoportal Geographic information system portal providing interactive mapping, spatial analysis, and visualization of protected areas boundaries and related geospatial data for the Guatemalan protected areas network.
• Portal de Ciencia Ciudadana iNaturalistGT Citizen science platform enabling public participation in biodiversity monitoring through species observation recording, contributing to national biological diversity data collection.
• EduCONAP Educational platform for environmental education and capacity building in conservation and sustainable development, providing training materials and resources for protected areas management.
• Sistema de Monitoreo del SIGAP Monitoring system for tracking and evaluating protected areas management effectiveness, including governance monitoring for the Maya Biosphere Reserve and other protected zones.
• Portal de Turismo en Áreas Protegidas Tourism portal providing information on visitor services, activities, regulations, and sustainable tourism opportunities within Guatemala's protected areas system.
• Ventanilla Única Single-window service portal for streamlined administrative procedures and citizen services related to protected areas management and biodiversity permits.
• Consulta de CITES CITES consultation system enabling verification of species listings and permit requirements for international wildlife trade compliance.
• National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (ENDB 2026-2050) Updated national biodiversity strategy and action plan guiding Guatemala's biodiversity policy implementation through 2050, developed through a participatory national process.

Quantifiable outcome

• 338 protected areas integrated into the national system (SIGAP)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FONACON (Fideicomiso para la Conservación de la Naturaleza)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrust fund for nature conservation that coordinates with CONAP for project formulation and funding of conservation activities in protected areas.
• CECON-USAC (Centro de Estudios Conservacionistas, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing research and technical support for conservation; represented on the CONAP governing council.
• MARN (Ministerio de Ambiente y Recursos Naturales)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinistry of Environment and Natural Resources; represented on the CONAP governing council as a member entity.
• MAGA (Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganadería y Alimentación)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinistry of Agriculture; represented on the CONAP governing council as a member entity.
• INGUAT (Instituto Guatemalteco de Turismo)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGuatemalan Tourism Institute; represented on the CONAP governing council as a member entity, coordinating sustainable tourism in protected areas.
• ANAM (Asociación Nacional de Municipalidades)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Association of Municipalities; represented on the CONAP governing council, supporting local government coordination.
• IDAEH (Instituto de Antropología e Historia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitute of Anthropology and History; represented on the CONAP governing council, integrating cultural heritage protection with conservation.
• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational convention that Guatemala ratified; guides national biodiversity policy implementation through CONAP.
• CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational treaty regulating wildlife trade; CONAP serves as the national authority for CITES implementation in Guatemala.
• RAMSAR ConventioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConvention on wetlands; Guatemala has multiple RAMSAR sites within SIGAP managed by CONAP.
• UNESCO MAB (Man and the Biosphere Programme)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational biosphere reserve network; Guatemala participates through CONAP with multiple biosphere reserves.
• INAB (Instituto Nacional de Bosques)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Forest Institute; coordinates with CONAP on forest management, particularly outside protected areas.
• CUNZAC (Centro Universitario de Zacapa, USAC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional university center collaborating with CONAP on research and science initiatives.
• DIGI (Dirección General de Investigación, USAC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeneral Directorate of Research of the University of San Carlos; collaborates on scientific research projects.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature): Global authority on protected area categorization (IUCN management categories used by SIGAP), species red list, and conservation policy guidance. Not a direct operator but the standard-setting and advisory counterpart that shapes CONAP's frameworks.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF): Major international conservation NGO active in Guatemala and Central America, partnering with CONAP on biodiversity conservation, sustainable forestry, and protected area initiatives under the same CBD/CITES/RAMSAR framework.
• Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS): Global conservation organization working across Latin America on protected area management, wildlife trade (CITES), and biodiversity monitoring - frequently co-implementing projects with national agencies analogous to CONAP.
• The Nature Conservancy (TNC): International conservation NGO that frequently partners with CONAP-style agencies on protected area management, debt-for-nature swaps, and conservation financing in Central America. Comparable area of operation rather than governance model.

Broad incumbents

• Parks Australia (Director of National Parks): Australian federal agency managing Commonwealth reserves and collaborating with state counterparts on biodiversity outcomes. Similar statutory role as national-level protected area authority, but operating in a different geography and at a much larger scale.
• US National Park Service (NPS): The U.S. federal agency managing national parks and implementing wildlife and natural resource policy. Comparable core function (protected area management, biodiversity conservation, public engagement), but vastly larger budget and scope, making it a broad incumbent benchmark rather than a direct regional competitor.

Direct peers

• Costa Rica - SINAC (Sistema Nacional de Áreas de Conservación): Costa Rica's national system of conservation areas, the closest functional equivalent to SIGAP. SINAC manages national parks, biological reserves, and wildlife refuges under a decentralized regional model and is also a signatory-implementer of CBD, CITES, and RAMSAR in Central America.
• Mexico - CONANP (Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas): Mexico's national commission for protected natural areas, directly analogous to CONAP: a federal entity that manages the national system of protected areas, implements international biodiversity conventions, and coordinates regional directorates for conservation. Same statutory mandate and operating model in a neighboring Central American/Caribbean context.
• Colombia - Parques Nacionales Naturales: Colombia's national parks agency, administratively linked to the Ministry of Environment. Manages 59+ protected areas, implements CBD/RAMSAR/CITES commitments, and operates regional directorates - directly parallel to CONAP's structure and functions.
• Brazil - ICMBio (Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade): Brazilian federal institute responsible for managing federal protected areas (national parks, biological reserves, ecological stations). Comparable in mandate (protected area governance, biodiversity monitoring, international treaty implementation) and in operating under a parent ministry rather than as an independent agency.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CONAPgt
• Facebookfacebook.com/conapgt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/conapgt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Consejo Nacional de Áreas Protegidas (CONAP)