Ministry of Environment
Ministry of Environment
United Nations Environment
Unit for Sustainable Development
and Energy
and Natural Resources
Government of Costa Rica
Government of Nicaragua

Global Environment Facility
Programme
and Environment / OAS

A Newsletter of the project Formulation of a Strategic Action Program for the Integrated Management of Water Resources and the
Sustainable Development of the San Juan River Basin and its Coastal Zone.

Vol 1 ­ Number 4­ 2002
Special Edition -
July, 2002




Welcome to the Special
The support and importance of the
Multidisciplinary team for the
PROCUENCA-SAN JUAN expressed by
Edition of PROCUENCA-
formulation of the SAP
Minister Rodríguez was echoed by the
SAN JUAN TODAY!
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica,

3rd Meeting of the
through its representative on the Steering
T he SAP for the San Juan River Basin
Committee, Sergio Ugalde, who
is
Steering Committee
a planning tool designed to ensure
transmitted the unlimited support of the
the availability of the goods and services

Ministry and of the Government of Costa
that water resources provide for the
his edition presents a summary of the
Rica to PROCUENCA-SAN JUAN. He
conservation of ecosystems and for the
T outcomes of the 3rd Meeting of the
added that his Ministry is interested in
social and economic development in order
Steering Committee, which took place on
having the project be part of a greater
to meet current and future demands as
June 17, 2002, in San José, Costa Rica.
effort by the governments of Costa Rica
agreed upon by all the parties involved.

and Nicaragua in the border zone, for the
Further, the coordinated program executed
The Meeting
social and economic development of the
jointly by the governments of Costa Rica
region.
and Nicaragua, with the participation of
local governments, non-governmental

e governments of Costa Rica and
organizations, the private sector, and

T hNicaragua reiterated their commitment
The Steering Committee decided to
organized groups of civil society, will serve
to encourage the sustainable development
establish working and communication
to orient and coordinate investments in the
of the San Juan River Basin and adopt
mechanisms between MINAE and the
Basin.
measures to confront the environmental
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica,

deterioration of one of the region's most
and between MARENA and the Ministry of
important natural reserves.
Foreign Affairs of Nicaragua, in order to
ensure that PROCUENCA-SAN JUAN is

properly integrated into the relationship
Both countries showed their support for
policies of the countries, and advance
and commitment to the execution of the
steadily towards the formulation of a
project "at the highest level." Mr. Carlos
proposal for the binational management of
Manuel Rodríguez, Minister of
the San Juan River Basin.
Environment and Energy of Costa Rica,
emphasized the need to conduct specific

technical actions to ensure the sustainable

development of the San Juan River Basin,

Production systems developed through the
by introducing the municipal scheme as
Demonstrative Project "Revolving Fund for the
part of the process of decentralizing
development of agroforestry in the Municipality of
environmental management, which will
Cárdenes, Nicaragua"
make it possible to reverse the process of
To begin preparing the proposals for
environmental deterioration quickly.
programs and projects that will make up

For his part, Mr. Jorge Salazar Cardenal,

the SAP and initiate a consultation process
with MINAE and MARENA, to assure that
Minister of Environment and Natural

Participants in the 3rd Meeting of the Steering
the proposed actions fit into the strategies
Resources of Nicaragua, reiterated "firm
Committee. In the center in the head table, from left
and management of the ministries, and
support of the project" and a commitment
to right, the Ministers of Environment of Nicaragua
into the national and sectoral development
to achieve binational management of the
and Costa Rica, Jorge Salazar Cárdenes, and Carlos
policies and plans, the Steering Committee
river basin.
Manuel Rodríguez Echandi.
approved the formation of a


multidisciplinary team that will begin to
work in August.




Under the Technical Coordination and
This is one of the areas in which
It will also be useful for coordinating the
National Directors' Office in each country,
PROCUENCA-SAN JUAN and MBC
activities of all the studies and exchanging
the technical team will be headed by a
coincide, where joint work will permit
information.
principal specialist in water resources
mutual benefit and the optimization of the

management, who will be joined during the
objectives that both projects pursue. The
first six months by a principal specialist in
national liaisons of Costa Rica and
legislation and institutional arrangements
Nicaragua of the MBC, present at the
and a specialist in information systems.
Steering Committee meeting, indicated
Also on the team are local specialists in
that there are many areas of coincidence
institutional arrangements and the senior
with PROCUENCA-SAN JUAN, and that it
specialist in gender, who have already
is necessary to work together in actions of
been working with this project.
mutual benefit to optimize the use of the

human and financial resources of both
Cataloguing Workshop


projects. PROCUENCA-SAN JUAN can be
a pilot area for improving the management

T

he Steering Commit ee decided to
of protected areas, and of joint training
The participation of CRRH in this event will
hold a workshop on cataloguing in
activities. The MBC and PROCUENCA-
also facilitate the incorporation of the
col aboration with the Mesoamerican
SAN JUAN must work in coordination to
findings into the regional strategies and
Biological Corridor (MBC). The event will
communicate and disseminate their
move towards the identification of working
be divided in two sessions. The first, the
actions. Another point of coincidence is the
elements and standards for the
cataloguing workshop per se, with wide
strengthening of local capacities, through
hydrometeorologic, economic, social, and
participation by technicians and experts,
work with the Federation of Municipalities
environmental monitoring of transboundary
will seek to identify information about
and the Confederation of Border Mayors.
basins in the Central American isthmus.
updated use and cover maps that may


have been generated recently by MINAE,
The cataloguing workshop is scheduled for
MARENA, other governmental and non-
August 13 and 14, in Managua.

governmental institutions, universities, etc.



Validation Workshop
National Executing Agencies:
T

he Steering Commit ee has decided
·
Ministry of Environment and Energy of
that the First Workshop on Validation
Costa Rica (MINAE)
f
o Studies on Water Pol ution, Critical
National Director: Jorge Bonilla

Aquatic Habitats, and Coastal and Marine
Cervantes

Resources will be held in November of this
Technical Coordinator: Juan José
The second session will be limited to
year. Through this activity, the Committee
Castro Chamberlain
experts in charge of the basic studies for
seeks to promote the integration of
·
Ministry of Environment and Natural
PROCUENCA-SAN JUAN, MBC experts,
PROCUENCA-SAN JUAN into the actions
Resources of Nicaragua (MARENA)
and the specialists of the Technical Units.
that the Regional Committee on Water
National Director: Juan José Romero
The purpose of this session is to identify
Resources (CRRH) has been executing
Martínez
products to be developed and their
with the Consultative Group on Water.
Technical Coordinator: Javier López
technical specifications, which will

Medina
complement the studies on water
The purpose of the workshop will be to

resources, by recognizing areas and
present the preliminary results of the
Funding Source: Global Environment
sources of degradation (pollution and
studies to the scientific community of the
Facility (GEF)
erosion- sedimentation). At the same time,
Implementing Agency: United Nations
Central American isthmus, in order to
products to be developed will be identified
Environment Programme (UNEP)
share the results with other transboundary
by PROCUENCA-SAN JUAN together with
International Executing Agency: GS/OAS,
basins on the isthmus, validate and
Unit for Sustainable Development and
the MBC, in order to bring about a better
supplement the results, and prepare
Environment (USDE).
integration between these two projects and
recommendations for the formulation of

maximize the use of the GEF human and
the SAP.

financial resources.





Edited and printed by the Technical Units in Costa Rica and Nicaragua
For more information visit the project's website at http://www.oas.org/usde/sanjuan/sanjuan.htm or contact the Technical Units:
In Costa Rica, MINAE
Sabana Sur, Avda. 10, 75 mts Sur del Almacén Yamuni, 3er Piso Edificio CNP, San José Costa Rica. E-mail: procuenca_sanjuan@racsa.co.cr, Tel.: (506) 258-7971, Fax.: (506)257-1839
In Nicaragua: MARENA
Km. 12 1/2 Carretera Norte, Managua, Nicaragua. E-mail: procuenca-sanjuan@tmx.com.ni, Tel.: (505) 263-2598, Telefax: (505) 233-1110

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