Trees, Water & People (TWP), is an American nonprofit organization (Fort Collins, Colorado) that develops and manages continuing reforestation, watershed protection, renewable energy, appropriate technology and environmental education programs in Latin America and the American West.

TWP, founded in 1998, believes that natural resources are best protected when local people play an active role in their care and management, and preserving local trees, wetlands and watersheds is essential to the world’s social, economic and environmental health.

In Central America, more than 80% of the people cook their meals over open fires. This fire and smoke causes problems with deforestation, releases large amounts of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases, burn risks, and medical problems such as respiratory infections and eye diseases.

TWP has helped develop several types of fuel-efficient stoves that use up to 70% less wood than traditional open fire stoves. TWP and local partners have built more than 20,000 fuel-efficient stoves in Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala. The stoves are also being supplied to Mexico, Brazil, Bolivia and Haiti.

The stoves can be manufactured locally. TWP stoves include a chimney that vents toxic smoke to the outside of the home.

In Guatemala, a typical fuel-efficient stove from TWP gives an average family a cost savings of $10.50/month. With 70% of Guatemalans earning less than $2 per day, the savings is very important to the average family.

TWP has created community reforestation projects in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. Since 1998, TWP has helped grow and plant almost 1,500,000 trees in Central America. The programs help local people protect their water supplies, replant degraded forests, increase their incomes and learn agroforestry techniques to preserve their soil.

Local entrepreners are also trained to operate sustainable tree nurseries.

Additional information on donation or volunteer opportunities and other program details can be found on their website.