COMMENTS FROM FRANCE ON THE PROJECT "FORMULATION OF A STRATEGIC
ACTION PROGRAMME FOR INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT OF WATER RESOURCES
AND THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SAN JUAN RIVER BASIN AND ITS
COASTAL ZONE" SUBMITTED TO MAY 2000

PDF B funds were used to carry out an initial transboundary diagnostic study and to identify
the main causes of the region's environmental problems.

The project comprises seven components. The two major components are (i) formulation of a
strategic action plan and (ii) establishment of a regional information system.

Although the project document indicates that the lack of integrated management at the
national level is a major problem for both countries, it provides scant information on the
situation in these countries. Transboundary management will prove an elusive goal unless
serious attention is paid to management at the national level. We therefore believe that the
project should create synergies with national water resource management policies.

Accordingly, the document should provide information regarding:

· National arrangements for managing water resources, and the role of national technical
units in implementing these arrangements; and
· Efforts carried out at the national level (projects of other donors, government policies) to
improve the management of water resources.
RESPONSE TO THE FRENCH COMMENTS ON THE PROJECT "FORMULATION OF A
STRATEGIC ACTION PROGRAMME FOR INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT OF WATER
RESOURCES AND THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SAN JUAN RIVER
BASIN AND ITS COASTAL ZONE" SUBMITTED AT THE MAY 2000 COUNCIL.
The comments of the France are in general supportive of the Formulation of a Strategic
Action Plan for the Integrated Management of the San Juan River and its Coastal Zone. The
project design was carefully crafted to strengthen intergovernmental cooperation within the
Basin, at all levels, and facilitate participation of citizens at the grass roots level through
appropriate demonstration projects and participatory opportunities.
This new phase of the project, whose purpose is to prepare a SAP for the sustainable
development of the SJRB, will continue to be executed by the governments of Costa Rica and
Nicaragua, through MINAE 1 and MARENA respectively. A series of well-defined activities will
have to be implemented in each country and throughout the San Juan River Basin. The
coordination of these activities will be carried out by the two technical units in the national
executing ministries. Recognizing the importance of the incorporation of SAP findings and
recommendations into national policies, a Consultative Committee (paragraph 48 2 of the
project brief as originally submitted) is proposed during the formulation of the SAP. This
committee allows for the participation and coordination within the countries of relevant
stakeholders, including those engaged in on-going projects. The below attached
Organizational Chart is outlining the institutional arrangements for the project.
In Nicaragua for example, the Law of Creation, Competence and Procedures of the President
(Poder Ejecutivo), approved in March of 1998 by the National Assembly, establishes a
National Commission on Water Resources as the inter-sectorial consultative and coordinating
body for the integrated planning and management of water resources. This commission is
coordinated by the Ministry of Finance, Industry and Commerce. MARENA along with other
institutions with responsibilities over water resources is a member of the Commission.

1 MINAE: Ministry of Environment and Energy MARENA : Ministry of Environment and Natural resources.
2 Para 48: "A Consultative Committee will be set up in each country. It will include national institutions involved in the
management of the SJRB, private organizations taking part in the project and academic institutions. Its role will be to
promote the active participation of the institutions and to advise on the orientations of the project. It will be co-chaired
by the national directors and will also serve as a mechanism for the coordination of national actions".

MARENA, is also responsible for the execution of the UNEP/GEF San Juan project, and,
consequently project results will serve for the design and implementation of institutional
arrangements for the management of water resources at a national level.
The Nicaraguan Government underlined the need for the establishment of a water authority.
The UNEP/GEF San Juan project includes demonstration projects, within the Nicaraguan
national territory, to test the feasibility of a Basin Committee at a local (municipal) level
i.e.Morrito municipality. These experiences will serve as the institutional basis for the
formulation of the Strategic Action Program for the San Juan Basin. The Technical Unit of the
project is responsible for sharing the experience gained with the National Commission on
Water Resources, through a series of inter-institutional workshops.
To ensure that national water resources management efforts are fully taken into consideration
and integral part of the SAP formulation process, representatives of the various governmental
entities as well as representatives of donor programmes currently having water related
activities in the Basin are invited to participate in the project Steering Committee meetings
which will provide the main platform for ensuring adequate synergies among all water
activities taking place in the basin. These entities will also be invited at all of the six binational
workshops and 12 national workshops planned to be organized over the duration of the
project in order to promote exchange of information between all stakeholders.

Annexure 1: Organizational Chart
BANCO MUNDIAL
y PNUD
MINAE
DONANTES, BANCOS y ORG.
MARENA
COOP.
CANCILLERIAS
PNUMA
MUNICIPIOS
UDSMA
SG/OEA
CONSEJO DIRECTOR
UNIDAD TÉCNICA DEL PROYECTO
COMITE CONSULTIVO COSTA
COMITE CONSULTIVO
n
RICA
Director Nac.
n Director Nac.
NICARAGUA
SOC. CIVIL, ACADEMIA,
Costa Rica
Nicaragua
SOC. CIVIL, ACADEMIA,
n
GOB. LOCAL e INST.
Coord. Técnico
n Coord. Técnico
GOB. LOCAL e INST.
GUBERNAMENTALES
Costa Rica
Nicaragua
GUBERNAMENTALES
n Consultores para la Cuenca
TALLERES DE
ESTUDIOS
PROYECTOS
PARTICIPACION
ESPECIFICOS
DEMOSTRATIVOS
PUBLICA
PLAN ESTRATEGICO DE ACCION PARA LA GESTION INTEGRADA DE LOS RECURSOS
HIDRICOS Y EL DESARROLLO SOSTENIBLE DE LA CRSJ

Annexure 2: List of Steering Committee members
OBSERVERS
01
Finnish International Development Agency (FINNIDA)
02
Agencia Española de Cooperación Técnica
03
World Bank Agency for International Development
04
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
05
United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
06
Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA)
07
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
08
German Bank for Development
09
Banco Centroamericano de Integración Económica (BCIE)
10
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
11
CARE International
12
Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE)
13
Comisión Centroamericana de Ambiente y Desarrollo (CCAD)
14
Embassy of Finland in Nicaragua
15
Embassy of Norway in Nicaragua
16
Nordic Fund (NDF)
17
Technical Cooperation Service of the Netherlands
18
Sistema de la Integración Centroamericana (SICA)
19
European Union

FULL MEMBERS
01
Minister of Environment and Energy (MINAE) of Costa Rica
02
Minister of Environment and the Natural Resources (MARENA) of Nicaragua
03
Representative of the Association of Municipalities Defenders of the Great Lake
Nicaragua
04
Representative of the Association of Border Municipalities in Costa Rica
05
Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica
06
Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nicaragua
07
Representative of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)
08
Director of the Unit for Sustainable Development and Environment of the General
Secretariat of the Organization of American States (USDE/OAS)
ASSOCIATES
01
World Bank
02
United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
03
German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ)
04
Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA)
05
Comité Regional de Recursos Hidráulicos (CRRH)
06
Embassy of the United States in Costa Rica, Environmental Hub for Central America
and the Caribbean
07
World Bank Project "Biological Corridor of the Atlantic"
08
GEF/UNDP Project "Mesoamerican Biological Corridor"

UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME
PROJECT DOCUMENT
SECTION 1 - PROJECT IDENTIFICATION
1.1
Title of Sub-Programme:
Sub-programme 2: Environmental Assessment and Early
Warning
1.2
Title of 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
1.3
Project Number:
GF/8400-00-
1.4
Geographical Scope:
Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)
1.5
Implementing Organization:
General Secretariat of the Organization of the American States

(GS/OAS)
1.6
Duration of the Project:
Three years
Commencing:
December 2000
Completion:
November 2003
1.7
Cost of Project:
(Expressed in US $)
_______________________________________________________________________________
______
US$
%
_______________________________________________________________________________
______
Cost to the Environment Fund (in kind)1:
175,000
3.5
Cost to Trust Fund (GEF) 2:
3,929,820
73
Cost to Counterpart Contribution (countries)3:
984,990
18.5
Cost to the Implementing Organization (in kind)4 :
175,000
3.5
Cost to the CRRH3 :
100,000
1.5
_______________________________________________________________________________
_____
Total Cost of the Project:
5,364,810
100
_______________________________________________________________________________
_____
Signatures:
For the General Secretariat of
For the Environment Fund of UNEP
the Organization of the American
States (GS/OAS):
_________________________________
__________________________________
César Gaviria
Edmundo Ortega
Secretary General
Chief, Budget and Fund Management Unit,
UNON
Date:
___________________________
Date: ____________________________

1.
UNEP's contribution is provided under project FP/1000-00-01 as institutional support to this project covering staff time,
and communication costs. It includes US$ 25,000 already disbursed under the PDF-B phase
2
GEF funds cover; (1) US$ 3,233,220 for project per se, (2) US$283,000 of PDF-B funds already disbursed under project
GF/1100-98-17, and (3) US$413,600 of project support costs for the OAS.
Funds not administered by UNEP corresponding to the contribution of the Cemtral American Committee for Water Resources.
4
Funds not administered by UNEP corresponding to GS/OAS institutional support to this project. It also includes US$ 25,000
already disbursed under the PDF-B phase.
1

Box 1: Identifiers of project brief as approved by the GEF
1.
IDENTIFIERS
PROJECT NUMBER
Project number not yet assigned (GF/8400-00-#)
PROJECT NAME
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
DURATION
3 years
IMPLEMENTING AGENCY
UNEP
EXECUTING AGENCY
GS/OAS
MARENA - Ministerio de Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources)
MINAE - Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía (Ministry of Environment and Energy)
REQUESTING COUNTRIES
Costa Rica and Nicaragua
ELIGIBILITY
Eligible under paragraph 9(b) of the Instrument
GEF FOCAL AREA
International waters
GEF Programming Framework: Operational Program Number 8, Water Body-based
2. SUMMARY
The San Juan River Basin and its coastal zone5, encompassing the subbasins of Lake Nicaragua and the San Juan River, extends through southeastern
Nicaragua and northeastern Costa Rica to the Caribbean Sea linking ecosystems that are particularly valuable for their biodiversity and economic potential.
The Strategic Action Programme formulated under this project will contribute to the conservation of natural ecosystems and to social and economic
development in order to satisfy present and future demands minimizing water conflicts. The major components of the SAP formulation include: i) the
strengthening of a basin-wide information system that provides the mechanisms for gathering and dissemination of data adequate to the needs of decision-
making for the integrated management of the basin; ii) the creation of a well-coordinated bilateral planning process for the SJRB; iii) the implementation of a
public participation process; iv) the strengthening of public institutions and private organizations; and v) the formulation and implementation of environmental
education activities. Its execution is expected to bring both local and global benefits, such as conservation of the water cycle, the preservation of major water
bodies and of the region's biodiversity, and the protection of extensive carbon sinks. This proposal is based on the conclusions and recommendations of the
Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) carried out under the PDF-B.
3. COSTS AND FINANCING (MILLION US $)
GEF
Project
US$ 3,233,220
Administrative costs
US$ 413,600
PDF Block B
US$ 283,000
Sub-Total GEF
US$ 3,929,820
__________________________________________________________________________
CO-FINANCING
UNEP
US$ 175,000
OAS
US$ 175,000
CRRH
US$ 100,000
Governments of Costa Rica and Nicaragua
US$ 984,990
Sub-Total GEF
US$ 1,434,990
__________________________________________________________________________
TOTAL COST OF THE PROJECT
US$5,364,810
__________________________________________________________________________
4. ASSOCIATED FINANCING
GEF/ UNDP (Mesoamerican Corridor)
US$ 320,000
DANIDA (Mesoamerican Corridor)
US$ 180,000
GTZ (Mesoamerican Corridor)
US$ 80,000
World Bank (Atlantic Biological Corridor)
US$ 350,000
5. FOCAL OPERATIONAL POINTS ENDORSEMENT
Costa Rica: Ms. Guaria Vargas, Executive Director,FUNDECOOPERACIÓN,
Date: 07/02/00
Nicaragua: Mr. García A. Cantarero D, Adviser to the Minister and Project Coordinator for PROTIERRA, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources
(MARENA), Date: 25/10/99
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. IA CONTACT:
Mr Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Co-ordinator, UNEP/GEF Co-ordination Office, UNEP, Nairobi, Tel: 254 2 624153; Fax: 254 2 520825; Email:
ahmed.djoghlaf@unep.org
SECTION 2 - BACKGROUND AND PROJECT CONTRIBUTION TO OVERALL

5 Hereinafter SJRB.
2

SUB-PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION
BACKGROUND
1. The San Juan River Basin project area covers some 38,500 km2 in the basin itself, plus its
associated coastal zone on the Caribbean Sea. Of the land area, 64% is in southern Nicaragua
and 36% in northern Costa Rica. The planning area covers the subbasins of Lake Nicaragua and
of the San Juan River, plus four smaller but nevertheless significant subbasins with natural links
to this system--the Indio and Maiz river basins in Nicaragua and the Colorado and Tortuguero
river basins in Costa Rica (see Annex VI, Project Area Map).
2. The waters of the Lake Nicaragua-San Juan River watershed flow through at least eight distinct
terrestrial ecosystems: i) dry tropical forest to the east, north, and west of Lake Nicaragua; ii)
cloud forest in the high areas of the Central Volcanic Cordillera of Costa Rica; iii) moist tropical
forest to the south and southwest of Lake Nicaragua and in the eastern foothills; iv) very moist
tropical forest in the San Juan Valley and on the coastal plains; v) gallery forest along river
banks; vi) wetlands to the south of Lake Nicaragua and at the confluences of the Colorado and
Tortuguero rivers with the San Juan; vii) second-growth forest, meadows, and agricultural land in
extensive areas of the basin; and viii) coastal forest and mangrove swamps on the Caribbean
coast. The Indio and Maiz river basins are basically covered by moist and very moist tropical
forest.
3. Because of this range of ecosystems and associated habitats, the SJRB has a wealth of
biodiversity. Its location in the natural biological corridor running the length of Central America has
made it a meeting ground for species from the subarctic areas of North America and others from
the subtropics of South America. To a great extent, its natural history is unique. The low
population density in many parts of the SJRB has kept it relatively pristine, although there is little
information on the potential future impact of human migration trends and the spread of
agriculture in the basin.
4. Regional studies now being carried out by the Central American Committee on Water Resources,
with international cooperation, lead to the conclusion that the fresh water in the San Juan Basin
is the only source capable of meeting the foreseeable development needs of the semiarid Pacific
slope of Central America, the region's most populated area. Thus, there is every likelihood that
this system will come under increasing pressure of human exploitation. In addition, because the
SJRB is also a common westward passageway for anticyclones from the Atlantic to the Pacific,
the threat of hurricanes and tropical storms, on top of the threats posed by volcanic activity and
seismic pressures that already make this fresh water supply specially vulnerable, further
exacerbates the human pressures likely to be experienced within this hydrologic system.
5. Although not included in the project area, Lake Managua at times has been temporarily
connected with the SJRB and thus will be taken into consideration during the formulation of the
SAP for the basin. For example, the torrential rainfall associated with Hurricane Mitch in October
1998 caused Lake Managua to overflow its banks, flooding the surrounding areas and sending
water into Lake Nicaragua. To prevent such flooding in the future, the Government of Nicaragua
now intends to regulate the waters of Lake Managua, which will make transfers to Lake
Nicaragua more frequent. Various studies, in particular those undertaken by the Inter-American
Development Bank (IDB) and the German Technical Cooperation Agency (GTZ), have shown that
Lake Managua is extremely polluted. Thus Lake Nicaragua faces the threat of an influx of heavy
metals, agrochemical waste associated with pesticides and fertilizers, and industrial and urban
effluents, all of which would diminish the quality of its waters. With this in mind, the SJRB project
will work in close coordination with any initiatives or plans to regulate the level of Lake Managua.
Close co-operation with the UNEP/GEF project "Reducing Pesticide Runoff to the Caribbean"
executed by the office of the Regional Seas Programme for the Caribbean (CAR-RCU) is
anticipated.
6. Currently, the two countries lack adequate technical and institutional capacity to collect
comprehensive data on the SJRB and to implement the efficient policies for watershed planning
and integrated management that are needed to protect and rehabilitate water resources and
ecosystems. Paucity of resources, poor transportation infrastructure, the lack of attention to
women in natural resource management, and weak local institutions are common on both sides
of the border. Given this situation, the governments of Costa Rica and Nicaragua have proposed
3

a joint approach to best manage this complex hydrologic system, within the constraints imposed
by demography and geography.
CONTEXT
7. National and Regional programming context. Support for a regional approach in the
management of the SJRB was forthcoming as early as the XIII Summit of Central American
Presidents, held in Panama in December of 1992. The Central American Action Plan for the
Development of Border Zones, in which the San Juan River Basin was named as a priority area
led to the 1994 request, by the governments of Costa Rica and Nicaragua to UNEP and the
OAS, to undertake a diagnostic study on the state of the SJRB environment. That study was
carried out during 1995-1996 by MINAE and MARENA, and published in 1997 as the "Diagnostic
Study of the San Juan River Basin and Guidelines for an Action Plan". The proposed SAP
formulation program reflects the prioritized view of the countries. Policy and programmatic
limitation imposed by the GEF as well as community- and country-level priorities, govern the
emphases placed on the various activities included in the SAP formulation program.
8. The execution of the SJRB project also contributed to the implementation of the priorities set
under the Central American Alliance for Sustainable Development, agreed by the Central
American Presidents in October 1994. These priorities include a variety of economic goals, such
as development of border areas, conservation of natural resources, and protection of biodiversity;
and specifically reference strengthening the Meso-American biological corridor, achieving
sustainable use of water resources, and protecting the integrity of drainage basins. The Joint
Declaration of the XXX Meeting of Central American Vice-Presidents, agreed in Managua on May
7, 1999, further noted the "desire to continue supporting the sustainable development of all
border areas in the region." The currently proposed project to develop a Strategic Action Program
(SAP) for the SJRB will further contribute to this regional initiative, as well as to the development
of an Action Plan for Integrated Water Resources Management on the Central American Isthmus,
being prepared by the Central American Commission of Environment and Development (CCAD)
and the Secretariat of the Central American Integration System (SICA) -- in response to the
devastation caused by Hurricane Mitch. This latter plan aims to build national and regional
capacities in the field of integrated water resources management on a foundation of watershed
planning, a stronger legal framework, and better institutional and organizational capabilities. The
present project would allow Nicaragua and Costa Rica to proceed with a vanguard action in the
region and to gain experience and technical capabilities that could later be shared with the other
countries of the isthmus in the framework of the Plan.
9. To this end, both countries have given great importance to assuring that local governments
become aware of the need to work together on environmental problems and to use natural
resources in a sustainable fashion. In Nicaragua, municipal associations have been created to
promote the protection of the San Juan River and Lake Nicaragua. In Costa Rica, municipalities
in the basin have come together to form an association. Recently a federation of border
municipalities from both countries was set up to pursue various goals, including environmental
management. It should be said, however, that these organizations are still young and weak, and
have not yet clearly delineated their work by basins and subbasins.
10. Finally, while the SJRB project calls for the identification of strategies for the resolution of
environmental problems shared by the two countries, all jurisdictional aspects related to the
management of the coastal zone and nearshore marine area are beyond the scope of this
project and will be addressed in other ways by the basin governments.
11. GEF Programming Context. Both countries are eligible for GEF assistance under paragraph 9b
of the Instrument for the Restructured GEF. This Project conforms with the GEF Operational
Strategy and Operational Programs, in particular the Water-body based Operational Program #8 .
It will illustrate how freshwater basin and coastal management can be integrated to resolve
transboundary issues and will also serve as a demonstration project for the implementation of the
Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based
Activities (GPA) in Latin America.
12. GPA Programming Context. The goal of the GPA (adopted by 109 governments at the
Washington Conference in November 1995) is to prevent degradation of the marine environment
from land-based activities by assisting States in preventing and reducing major threats to the
health, productivity and biodiversity of the marine environment resulting from human activities on
4

land and in coastal areas. Thus, the GPA is designed to be a source of conceptual and practical
guidance to assist States in taking action, individually or jointly within their respective policies,
priorities and resources, that will lead to the prevention, reduction, control and/or elimination of
degradation of the marine environment, as well as to its recovery from the impacts of land-based
activities.
13. Implementing Agency Programming Context. The proposed actions are consistent with the
UNEP Environmentally Sound Management of Inland Waters (EMINWA) integrated watershed
management planning process and related, regional seas programme. The proposed actions are
also consistent with UNEP's role under the GPA/LBA.
PRESENT AND EMERGING ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
14. The GEF Operational Strategy lists four major areas of concern relating to international waters: i)
degradation of the quality of water resources; ii) physical habitat degradation of coastal and near-
shore marine areas, lakes and watercourses; iii) the introduction of exotic species that disrupt
aquatic and land ecosystems and iv) excessive and/or inappropriate exploitation of resources
due to inadequate management and control measures. All these problems were identified in the
SJRB during the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA), which was carried out with PDF Block
B funds. The analysis was carried out with the active participation of key stakeholders, and
based upon an earlier study, carried out jointly by UNEP and the OAS, that pointed to a number
of current and emerging problems that threaten the sustainability of development in the San
Juan River Basin and ultimately the quality of life of the people who live there. These
transboundary environmental problems often have common roots (see Annex IV) and manifest
themselves both individually and collectively. They are closely interrelated, but in the interest of
seeking solutions they have been broken down as follows:
(a) The accelerating degradation of transboundary ecosystems. In the traditional uses of the
main ecosystems of the area, human activities have exerted pressures on the environment
and resulted in conflicts among the various groups involved, with negative consequences for
the quality of water resources. These consequences include inadequate urban, industrial,
and agroindustrial wastewater treatment systems; migratory agriculture, extensive grazing and
the consequent extension of the agricultural frontier; widespread cutting of trees for timber,
unregulated ecotourism, non-conservationist farming practices, the introduction of aggressive
exotic species such as Tilapia mossambica; and uncontrolled fires in the drier forests and of
grassland. An emerging problem is the growing use of small and very small hydropower plants
to tap the considerable hydroelectric potential of the region.
(b) Overexploitation of valuable natural resources. The problems here are related to poor
land use, especially the farming of hillside areas and wetlands, the construction of poorly
designed roads, unregulated fishing, and excessive exploitation of valuable moist tropical
forest species and the destruction of plant cover in fragile areas, causing erosion and land
degradation. The result is a loss of potential income from agriculture, fishing and tourism, a
threat to biodiversity and the natural productivity of the ecosystem, and a change in coastal
and inland waterway dynamics. There are signs that three marine and freshwater species are
being over exploited: Carcharhinus leucas, locally called "bull shark" or "freshwater shark"
because of its unique behavior of migrating between the Caribbean Sea and Lake
Nicaragua; Macrobrachium carminus or freshwater shrimp; and Panalirus argus or spiny
lobster.
(c) Soil degradation and increasing sedimentation. Part of the sedimentation of the San Juan
River and its coastal zone is produced as a result of natural processes, according to historic
documents.6 Nevertheless, road construction, the advancing agricultural frontier, and hillside
farming without adequate soil-conservation techniques exacerbate sedimentation problems,
as well the emerging problems arising from open-pit mining and the extraction of construction
materials.

6. SQUIER (Ephraim George), Nicaragua, it's People, Scenery, Monuments and the Proposed Inter
Oceanic Canal. New York, D. Appleton and Co., 1852, Vol. 2, p. 221.
Report to the Commission composed by captains and second officers of the vessels Diadem, Valorous and
César to Captain Charles Frederick, chief of the Britain fleet in San Juan del Norte, dated on February 1 of
1859. Public Record Office, London. Microfilm FO-53, rollo 17, #43, p. 7.
5

(d) Pollution of water bodies. The main causes of water pollution are the indiscriminate use of
pesticides and fertilizers, especially where intensive farming practices are used, and urban,
industrial, and agroindustrial waste discharges. The water bodies being affected in Nicaragua
are Lake Nicaragua, the San Juan River and its coastal zone, the wetlands to the south of
Lake Nicaragua. In Costa Rica the Caño Negro wetlands, the Colorado River, and the
Tortuguero canals are suffering the consequences of degraded water quality. Sporadic die-
offs of aquatic fauna and flora give evidence of such degradation, as do small-scale and
occasional studies of water quality that have been carried out in some parts of the SJRB.
(e) High vulnerability to natural hazards. This is apparent in the devastating impact of
hurricanes and tropical storms on the region's ill-housed populations, on its infrastructure, and
on crops grown in areas where the forest has been cleared and the soil is fragile--areas
exposed to landslides caused by hurricanes, tropical storms, and seismic or volcanic activity.
Natural hazards can have a drastic -- and dramatic -- effect on the watercourses of the
region.
15. The principal root causes of these major environmental problems are set forth in the Annex E and
summarized below as follows:
(a) Inadequate Planning and Management. Although MINAE and MARENA are both trying to
promote integrated watershed management using the legal mechanisms provided within each
country through their own environmental legislation, there is no watershed planning and
administration capacity in place. There have been no mechanisms for coordinating
management and control across the international border and, thus, no ongoing institutional
approach to water resources management in the SJRB. The lack of comprehensive up-to-
date data on the SJRBhow it is structured, how it works, what its socioeconomic dynamics
are, how information is managed at the local levelmakes it impossible to proceed with the
minimum certainty needed.
(b) Weak institutions. Although both countries have quite comprehensive legislation on
environmental management and the sustainable use of natural resources that could be
implemented locally, a paucity of financial and human resources on the local level and the
poverty in which most of the population lives makes compliance difficult.
(c) Insufficient human and institutional capacity. Natural resource management is inefficient
and it will not be possible to strengthen environmental command-and-control mechanisms
without first creating local economic foundations and training people.
(d) Limited stakeholder participation. There is currently limited participation by stakeholders in
sustainable development due to centralization of decision-making, which the governments
are currently trying to change. This situation, added to reductions in the size of government,
has hampered local action. This project recognizes the need to promote and strengthen civil
society organizations, increase the participation of women, and involve more people in
decision-making on the sustainable development of the SJRB. The initial steps toward
enhancing stakeholder participation have been already taken during the execution of the
Block B program and through other actions of MINAE and MARENA. These steps now need
to be reinforced and further developed through programs to educate people about
sustainable development and adopting sustainable production practices and lifestyles within
a comprehensive watershed management approach that does not yet exist.
(e) Extreme poverty. Extreme poverty, combined with high population growth, low incomes and
a subsistence economy, poor sanitation conditions, and a relative imbalance in employment
and income-generating opportunities between the two countries, characterizes the current
level of economic development in the SJRB. Uncontrolled migration exacerbates the
situation, by exceeding the capacity of existing institutions to meet all the sanitation, health,
and educational needs created. The economic conditions force the inhabitants to move to
the mountainsides and practice slash-and-burn agriculture just to survive. These reactions
contribute to the environmental degradation being experienced in the SJRB, but can be
addressed, in part, through building institutional capacities and creating economic
instruments, neither now existing, to address such problems.
2.2
Project Contribution to overall Sub-Programme implementation:
6

16. GEF Programming Context. Both countries are eligible for GEF assistance under paragraph 9b
of the Instrument for the Restructured GEF. This Project conforms with the GEF Operational
Strategy and Operational Programs, in particular the Water-body based Operational Program #8 .
It will illustrate how freshwater basin and coastal management can be integrated to resolve
transboundary issues and will also serve as a demonstration project for the implementation of the
Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based
Activities (GPA) in Latin America.
17. UNEP programming Context. The proposed actions are consistent with the UNEP
Environmentally Sound Management of Inland Waters (EMINWA) integrated watershed
management planning process and related, regional seas programme. The proposed actions are
also consistent with UNEP's role under the GPA/LBA.
18. GPA Programming Context. The goal of the GPA (adopted by 109 governments at the
Washington Conference in November 1995) is to prevent degradation of the marine environment
from land-based activities by assisting States in preventing and reducing major threats to the
health, productivity and biodiversity of the marine environment resulting from human activities on
land and in coastal areas. Thus, the GPA is designed to be a source of conceptual and practical
guidance to assist States in taking action, individually or jointly within their respective policies,
priorities and resources, that will lead to the prevention, reduction, control and/or elimination of
degradation of the marine environment, as well as to its recovery from the impacts of land-based
activities.
SECTION 3 - NEEDS AND RESULTS
3.1
Needs:
Urgent need for improved management of the SJRB to mitigate the unsustainable and poorly
regulated economic activities damaging the basin and its coastal zone through the formulation of a
Strategic Action Programme for the Basin that would address priority environmental issues and
encourages community-based land management as well as strengthens relevant institutions in order
to satisfy present and future demands minimizing water conflicts.
3.2
Results:
Key results will include:
· Improved environmental functioning of SJRB through preservation and protection of the river
system and its coastal zone, by implementation of strategic activities addressing the root causes
of the current degradation;
· Improved individual capacities for economically sustainable development, and environmental
protection, conservation and management through sustainable economic development in SJRB;
· Improved public awareness, stakeholder participation, and organizational development
· Reduced conflict over transboundary waters.
3.3
Assumptions to achieve results:
It is assumed that the Governments of Costa Rica and Nicaragua will provide support for the parallel
local actions that will complement and facilitate project development objectives.
SECTION 4 - OUTPUTS, ACTIVITIES, WORKPLAN AND
TIMETABLE, BUDGET, FOLLOW-UP
7

4.1
Project activities and outputs:

19. The purpose of this project is the 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. The ultimate objective of the SAP is to ensure the availability of the
goods and services provided by water resources for conserving natural ecosystems and social
and economic development in order to satisfy present and future demands as agreed by all
parties involved. In this way conflicts related to the use of the goods and services generated by
SJRB ecosystems will be minimized through a coordinated program of action conducted jointly by
the two countries. The major components of the SAP formulation include: i) the strengthening of
a basin-wide information system that provides the mechanisms for gathering and dissemination of
data adequate to the needs of decision-making for the integrated management of the basin; ii)
the creation of a well-coordinated bilateral planning process for the SJRB; iii) the implementation
of a gender oriented public participation process; iv) the strengthening of public institutions and
private organizations; and v) the formulation and implementation of environmental education
activities.
20. Coordination between the two countries is an important mechanism that can help to improve the
quality of life of the inhabitants and protect the ecosystem. This cooperation will support the
coordination of research and transboundary management. It will permit the interaction of
government institutions and NGOs, strengthening both and making possible a more integrated
and thus more sustainable development.
21. The SAP will create a framework for future action and a timetable of activities for the protection
and use of the numerous goods and services offered by the water resources and ecosystems of
the SJRB. It will thus promote the sustainable development of the region. The SAP will lay out a
series of measures to reduce and/or eliminate current and emerging problems affecting the
conservation and development of the SJRB. It will enhance the transboundary and global
benefits obtained when development is both integrated and participatory, and when
environmental education, technology transfer, and institutional strengthening are key elements of
a program.
22. The SAP will address priority transboundary needs and focus on long-term solutions to the
current and emerging problems facing the SJRB. Furthermore, it will propose a series of projects
based on experience gathered from demonstrations of new technologies, taking into account
their real costs and the capacity of the institutions and organizations involved to execute them.
COMPONENTS AND EXPECTED RESULTS
23. To achieve the foregoing objectives, the SAP will be developed on the basis of the seven
components identified below--the specific activities comprising these components being set forth
in the detailed work program appended hereto as Annex VIII.
24. Component 1: Formulation of the SAP. Development of the SAP is the core task to be
completed by the Technical Units in close consultation with UNEP and the GS/OAS pursuant to
the implementation arrangements set forth in paragraph 45 and following. The outcome of the
SAP can not be determined a priori, however, strategic actions were anticipated based upon the
findings of the information previously gathered during the PDF-B phase of the program and that
derived from the TDA. Components 2 through 7 will provide the knowledge base upon which the
SAP will be formulated. Thus, the Technical Units will (1) assemble the results of the work of
components 2 through 7--the cost assessments and feasibility studies conducted at specific
locations within the SJRB over the 36-month project period--, (2) collate and integrate these
outputs with the information previously assembled during the PDF-B phase of the program using
as well information deriving from the TDA, and (3) synthesize a strategic program of action to
implement specific management measures within the San Juan River Basin following the
completion of this project. Integrated management entails the coordinated management of land
and water resources at the local or community level within the context of the cumulative impacts
and effects of those actions on the basin as a whole, including the coastal zone.
25. Specific detailed Terms of Reference will be prepared by the Technical Units in close consultation
with UNEP and GS/OAS, during the first quarter of the project period. This component element is
anticipated to be initiated according to the timetable presented in Table 1 of Section 4.3 below.
A detailed preliminary workprogram is presented in Annex VIII of this document. The total cost of
8

drafting the SAP will be US$1,314,140 of which US$702,000 is the cost to GEF, and
US$612,140 is the co-financing.
26. Component 2: SJRB information system. The objective of this Component is to enhance the
capabilities of existing infrastructure in the decision-making process at all levels of government,
and to encourage technical cooperation at the national level, by contributing and disseminating
information among stakeholders, while, in the first instance, specifically facilitate data acquisition
and sharing through an improved system. The PDF-B activities identified specific and serious
gaps in the availability of information needed to quantify, assess, and address priority
transboundary problems and issues of concern (comprised both scientific data and institutional
capacity including human capacity to collect, analyze and interpret such data) necessary to
formulate an SAP. Acquisition of data is vital to the successful preparation of an effective SAP.
Creation of the institutional and human capacities to obtain and use these data is also critical to
the long-term success of the SAP. Thus, as part of the SAP formulation, studies will be
conducted to measure the region's vulnerability to erosion, sedimentation and its effects on the
dynamics of the river system and the coastal zone, and natural disasters. One key area is lack of
comprehensive knowledge of physical information across the entire basin on rainfall and runoff,
water quality, and erosion and sedimentation. Recognizing the difficulty in extrapolation from
short time-series, the study will initially evaluate alternative strategies for data collection in order to
optimize the amount and minimize the cost of useful and reliable data that are available for SAP
formulation. An outcome will be a quantitative evaluation of the region's vulnerability to erosion,
sedimentation and its effects on the dynamics of the river system and the coastal zone and
linkage to natural disasters, and on water quality so that appropriate measures for point and non-
point source mitigation can be identified in the SAP. Another major gap is information on the
physical, chemical and biological characteristics of Lake Nicaragua and how these will respond to
increases in human impacts. Because one aspect of the SAP will focus on future management of
Lake Nicaragua, there will be a targeted set of activities focusing on physico-chemical data that
will be essential for formulating those specific actions that will be recommended in the SAP that
pertain to lake basin carrying capacity and eutrophication, contamination, and ecological
functions. Critical areas within the SJRB will be identified and ecosystem deterioration will be
described on the basis of agreed-upon objectives for water and land use and basic data on
aquatic biodiversity, specially, but not exclusively, in the coastal zone. Other specific studies will
include socioeconomic research, particularly on migration patterns, eco-tourism, and job creation,
and also research into the natural history and the distribution, structure, and functions of the
major ecosystems within the SJRB, in order to elucidate and compile the types of information
required in these various sectoral activities. As part of these activities, attention will be given to
cost-effective and sustainable methods for capturing, storing, analyzing and disseminating the
data from these various activities within the framework of an environmental information system(s).
This will include existing components such as GIS, plus other functionalities within a systems and
communications architecture that will be sustainable beyond this project. The design of the
information system will include mechanisms for institutionalizing it after the SAP is completed.
27. The execution of these activities will be undertaken by the relevant national institutions and
organizations such as MARENA, MINAE, SINAC, INETER, and academic institutions and
research centers. The coordination and supervision will be ensured by the Technical Units at
MINAE and MARENA. Specific detailed Terms of Reference will be prepared by the Technical
Coordinators in close consultation with UNEP and GS/OAS, during the first quarter of the project
period. This component is anticipated to be initiated according to the timetable presented in
Table 1 of Section 4.3 below. A preliminary detailed workprogram is presented in Annex VIII of
this document. The total cost of this component will be US$ 1,395,570 of which US$ 1,083,000
is the cost to the GEF and US$$ 212,570 is co-funding.
28. Each of the following Component of the SAP formulation, relates to specific data or experiential
needs necessary to identify, quantify and refine strategic actions necessary to sustainably
manage the San Juan River Basin. The activities within the Components relate directly to
recommendations contained within the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA), supported by
stakeholder initiatives. Together with existing information, gathered during the PDF-B phase, this
information will allow formulation of an SAP consistent with current scientific and technical
principals for integrated watershed management.
29. Component 3: Strategic actions with stakeholder involvement. Strategic planning and
management will depend on integrating basic research with a series of activities and investment
projects carried out within the identified geographic and subject areas to be targeted for
9

development. Historically, such projects have lacked effective stakeholder involvement as a
result of the institutional and human resource issues identified above. As an integral part of the
process of formulating the SAP for the SJRB, a series of demonstration activities illustrative of
ways and means for promoting sustainable agriculture production and the conservation
restoration of land and water ecosystems will be conducted, providing both an assessment of
cost and feasibility, and specific examples to local communities of alternative means of production
and land and water resource management. Economic mechanisms contributing to the
sustainable management of natural resources and to meeting the demand of the inhabitants for
improved living conditions, and to solve the conflicts that can arise over plans and decisions
affecting resource use will be specifically identified and developed. The cost to the GEF of
conducting four demonstration projects in various economic sectors to establish effective
mechanisms for the inclusion of stakeholders and sectoral concerns in the environmental
management of the SJRB, and including specific public and stakeholder participation
opportunities in defined areas within the SJRB (see Component 4, below), will be US$337,000.
This component will facilitate interaction between the GEF-funded activities and those of on-
going development projects, totaling approximately US$25 million of which approximately 75%
are being funded by other agencies.
30. The execution of these activities will be undertaken by the relevant national institutions and
organizations such as MARENA, MINAE, SINAC, municipal organizations and NGOs such as
Productores Unidos para el Desarollo. The coordination and supervision will be ensured by the
Technical Units at MINAE and MARENA. Specific detailed Terms of Reference will be prepared
by the Technical Coordinators in close consultation with UNEP and GS/OAS, during the first
quarter of the project period. This component is anticipated to be initiated according to the
timetable presented in Table 1 of Section 4.3 below. A preliminary detailed workprogram is
presented in Annex VIII of this document. The total cost of this activity will be US$ 401,070 of
which US$ 337,000 is the cost to the GEF and US$64,070 represents the co-funding.
31. Component 4: Public Participation. This component will foster and support the participation of
all stakeholders, including the general public, in the development and implementation of the
activities carried out under the SJRB project, and complement the activities proposed under
Component 3 (above). Success is dependent on identifying and motivating stakeholders and
giving them an opportunity to participate, including, where necessary, through financial
contributions. National and binational workshops will be organized to give stakeholders the
opportunity to become involved, to engage their commitment and facilitate SAP implementation.
The project team will strive to assure gender balance in these activities. To establish a broad
base of participation and learn the capacity of organizations to carry out actions, the four
demonstration projects in various natural areas within the SJRB are envisioned. These activities
are to be more broadly-based and inclusive of the general public and public-at-large than those
to be conducted under Component 3 (above), and will contribute to inclusion of public inputs
beyond those considered from an economic perspective.
32. The execution of these activities will be undertaken by the relevant national institutions and
organizations such as MARENA, and MINAE, municipal organizations such as ASCOMAFOR and
NGOs such as Fundación del Rio. The coordination and supervision will be ensured by the
Technical Units at MINAE and MARENA. Specific detailed Terms of Reference will be prepared
by the Technical Coordinators in close consultation with UNEP and GS/OAS, during the first
quarter of the project period. This component is anticipated to be initiated according to the
timetable presented in Table 1 of section 4.3 below. A preliminary detailed workprogram is
presented in Annex VIII of this document. The total cost of this component is US$594,070 of
which US$484,500 is the cost to the GEF and US$109,570 is co-funding.
33. Component 5: Local, national and bi-national level institutional arrangements. This
component is designed to correct problems identified in the TDA regarding the shortcomings in
institutions working at the local and national levels, and to encourage enhancement of binational
coordination between institutions within the SJRB as well as to ensure that the prescribed actions
of the SAP are incorporated into national policies. Technical meetings bringing together MINAE
and MARENA personnel and cooperative research efforts between universities and other
institutions of both countries will be promoted. Current institutional arrangements and the role
they play in the management of the San Juan River Basin will be reviewed. This component is
complementary to component 6.
10

34. The execution of these activities will be undertaken by the relevant national institutions and
organizations such as MARENA, and MINAE, and academic institutions and research centers.
The coordination and supervision will be ensured by the Technical Units at MINAE and MARENA.
Specific detailed Terms of Reference will be prepared by the Technical Coordinators in close
consultation with UNEP and GS/OAS, during the first quarter of the project period. This
component is anticipated to be initiated according to the timetable presented in Table 1 of
Section 4.3 below. A preliminary detailed workprogram is presented in Annex VIII of this
document. The cost total cost of developing an enhanced level of coordination among
institutions at all levels within the SJRB will be US$174,080 of which the cost to the GEF is
US$158,720 and US$15,360 represents the co-funding.
35. Component 6: Capacity building and institutional strengthening. This component will foster the
formation of basin councils in critical subbasins and encourage the participation of such councils
within the municipal sustainable development councils existing within the SJRB. The Federation
of Local Border Governments will be strengthened through specific activities with clearly defined
goals in order to promote the strengthening and further development of coordination mechanisms
at the local level. A proposal to strengthen institutions will be drafted with measures for: i) building
sustainable development planning and management capacities; ii) improving infrastructure; iii)
equipping institutions; and iv) designing mechanisms to increase the incomes of local and
regional institutions. These activities will be supported by two demonstration projects establishing
costs and feasibility of achieving integrated management as well as assessment of specific
paradigms to be developed at specific sites within the SJRB.
36. The execution of these activities will be undertaken by the relevant national institutions and
organizations such as MARENA, and MINAE, and municipal organizations such as AMURS. The
coordination and supervision will be ensured by the Technical Units at MINAE and MARENA.
Specific detailed Terms of Reference will be prepared by the Technical Coordinators in close
consultation with UNEP and GS/OAS, during the first quarter of the project period. This
component is anticipated to be initiated according to the timetable presented in Table 1 of
Section 4.3 below. A preliminary detailed workprogram is presented in Annex VIII of this
document. The total cost of this component will be US$253,710 of which US$214,000 is the cost
to the GEF, and US$39,710 represents co-funding.
37. Component 7: Education and training in conservation and the sustainable use of natural
resources. This component has been designed to provide the building blocks of an education
and training Program that will make the inhabitants of the SJRB more aware of the important role
that water resources play in society, in the economy, and in nature. It will be especially geared to
students and young people, who generally are more willing to change their habits and production
practices, and who have been shown to be effective conduits by which such habits and practices
can be transferred into individual households to the benefit of entire communities. Best
sustainable production practices will be identified. The information will be disseminated in both
countries and knowledge will be furthered through training for various kinds of local organizations
working in the fields of development and environmental conservation. Workshops, seminars, and
technical meetings will be held in conjunction with the preparation of the SAP. Materials for
environmental education will be collected, designed, and implemented in three demonstration
projects, which will be evaluated to aid in the design of the implementation Program. These
programs will be used to define costs and feasibility of specific educational measures in the
management of the SJRB. The cost to the GEF of this component will be US$254,000.
38. The execution of these activities will be undertaken by the relevant national institutions and
organizations such as MARENA, and MINAE, municipal organizations and NGOs. The
coordination and supervision will be ensured by the Technical Units at MINAE and MARENA.
Specific detailed Terms of Reference will be prepared by the Technical Coordinators in close
consultation with UNEP and GS/OAS, during the first quarter of the project period. This
component is anticipated to be initiated according to the timetable presented in Table 1 of
Section 4.3 below. A preliminary detailed workprogram is presented in Annex VIII of this
document. The total cost of this component is US$320,570 of which the cost to the GEF will be
US$254,000 and US$66,570 represents co-funding.
39. The result of these actions will be the formulation of a SAP that will set forth strategic actions for
the sustainable development of the SJRB, including domestic and transboundary investment
projects, and result in a request for GEF financing to implement activities important to the global
environment, and other investment needed to be covered by funds from other agencies or from
11

domestic sources. The actions will be organized according to the basins and subbasins of the
SJRB. A public participation program developed during the PDF-B process will enable
stakeholders to take part in activities and decisions regarding the planning and implementation of
an active and continuous policy, programs, and projects for the integrated management of the
SJRB, with emphasis on the involvement of women and young people. Mechanisms for
coordinated participatory action at the basin and sub-basin level will be incorporated by means of
basin councils or similar organizations.
40. A minimum of thirty copies of each of the above mentioned published outputs i.e. ten copies
for the GS/OAS, ten copies for UNEP and ten copies for distribution by UNEP to the GEF
Secretariat will have to be produced in English. It is assumed that the countries will keep a
sufficient number of copies of the above mentioned outputs in Spanish language.

4.2.
Risk and Sustainability
41. In order to formulate a SAP for the sustainable development of the SJRB by bringing the people
of Costa Rica and Nicaragua together in a participatory and coordinated fashion, several
assumptions with certain inherent risks have been made. They are described below.
42. Since there is no bilateral legal and institutional framework for the well-ordered management of
the SJRB or for common administrative actions to be taken on its behalf, the governments of
Costa Rica and Nicaragua have each studied this request for financing in accordance with their
internal procedures and will each submit it to UNEP/GEF for consideration. This is the same
procedure they followed previously in applying for and receiving PDF Block B funds.
43. The governments have decided to use this project as an instrument of cooperation and mutual
understanding for the benefit of their natural ecosystems, the environment and sustainable
development of both countries, of Central America, and of the international community as a
whole. The just completed phase is testimony to this desire. Thus, while all issues related to
jurisdictional concerns remain to be resolved outside of the context of this project, a satisfactory
resolution is presupposed.
44. Further, it is assumed that work already done in the SJRB has led to the correct identification of
problems. In this regard, the TDA is and will continue to be of great significance, and will have to
be continually updated.
45. It has also been assumed that the governments, local organizations, and universities want to
cooperate and coordinate activities in the SJRB. Since these proposals were formulated with the
widespread participation of all interested groups, including both national governments, it would
seem that this assumption is grounded in reality. Nevertheless, a constant effort by the Technical
Units will be necessary to assure coordination on the part of the institutions and organizations of
both countries.
46. Another major assumption is that financing and other resources are available. If the previous
assumptions regarding the attitude of the stakeholders, including both governments, are valid,
the assumptions regarding the real availability of financing and other resources become all the
more well founded.
47. To a large extent, the success of the SJRB project will depend on the timetable, or more
precisely, on the performance of each component at the right time. To assure that this is the
case, each country will name a technical coordinator to work directly under the executing agency.
Moreover, the SAP will be given great flexibility, as occurred in the preparatory stage.
48. The national governments have pledged their support to actions proposed to be implemented
with the incremental financial assistance of the GEF by allocating to this project important state
and national financial resources. Further, it is believed that local level initiatives can form a model
upon which country level initiatives can be built over time hence the adoption of a "bottom-up"
approach in most of the project activities. It is anticipated that these "bottom-up" approach with
the active participation of key stakeholders will enhance the likelihood of SAP findings inclusion
into national policies. The risk however that these local level initiatives are not adopted at the
country level is the principal risk facing this project and has been identified as such hereabove.
Finally, the SJRB project is being used as a pilot project for the formulation and implementation of
a Strategic Action Plan for the Central American Isthmus. This regional SAP seeks the
12

implementation of regional policies for the integrated management of water resources in the
Central American Isthmus. It will therefore, endorse SJRB SAP findings at a regional level,
increasing further the probability of incorporating them into national policies.
13

4.3
Workplan and Timetable:
TABLE 1: PRELIMINARY DRAFT WORKPLAN AND TIME TABLE (to be further refined and endorsed at the inaugural Steering Committee Meeting).
COMPONENT/ ACTIVITY
2001
2002
2003
J
F
M A M J
J
A
S
O N D
J
F
M A M
J
J
A
S O N D
J
F M A M
J
J
A
S O N D
COMPONENT #1
COMPONENT #2
Studies
Hydrometeorological and Water Quality Monitoring
in the SJRB
Hydrographic survey of Lake Nicaragua and the San
Juan River
Determination of the plume of sedimentation in the
coastal area
Information for the sustainable management of
critical aquatic habitats
Study of the coastal and marine resources of the
Tortuguero Conservation Area and the Indio-Maiz
Reserve
Zoning to reduce vulnerability to natural hazards
A study of transborder migration and new settlements
Information System (see activity h)
GIS Workshops. 4 workshops over two years (see
activity h)
COMPONENT #3
Demonstration Projects
Conflict management for the La Virgen hydroelectric
project
Fund for the development of agroforestry activities in
Cárdenas Municipality
Sustainable use and rehabilitation of the Rio Frio sub-
basin
Restoration and management of the banks of the
Sarapiqui and Sucio rivers
COMPONENT #4
Demonstration Projects
Conservation of the Las Camelias Wildlife Refuge
Community organization and education for the control
of fires
Reclamation of the Tepenaguasapa river sub-basin
Ara ambigua and Dipterix panamensis habitat
recovery
Workshops
14

COMPONENT/ ACTIVITY
2001
2002
2003
J
F
M A M J
J
A
S
O N D
J
F
M A M
J
J
A
S O N D
J
F M A M
J
J
A
S O N D
6 Bi-national Workshops, 2 per year over 3 years
12 National Workshops, 2 per year per country over
3 years
COMPONENT #5
7 Meetings of the Steering Committee. Three in Costa
Rica and three Nicaragua, and one 1 in Washington,
D.C.
12 Meetings of the Consultative Committees. Two in
each country per year over 3 years
COMPONENT #6
Demonstration Projects
Support for local environmental management
Reclamation of the Oyate River Sub-basin
COMPONENT #7
Demonstration Projects
Environmental education in the municipality of San
Carlos
Environmental education in San Carlos Canton
Students for a clean Oro River
15

6/11/01 - San_Juan3.doc
4.4
Budget:
49. The total baseline of the project is estimated at US$ 24.43 million and the alternative scenario is
estimated at US$29.86 million. The incremental cost is estimated at US$5.43 million of which
18%, or US$0.98 million is the estimated financial and in-kind contribution of local and national
stakeholders. In addition to the US$283,000 grant from the PDF Block B, already disbursed, GEF
is requested to finance US$3.92 million.
50. The budget as approved by the GEF is presented in Table 2 here below. A detailed budget
broken down by workelements is presented in Annex VIII. The budget in UNEP format is
presented in Annex IX of this document.

TABLE 2: PROJECT FINANCING AS APPROVED BY HE GEF
(in thousand of US dollars)
Component/
Base
Alternative
Incremental
Co-financing
GEF
Associated
Other Costs
Line7
Scenario8
Cost9
Financing
Gov.
UNEP
OAS
CRRH
Component #1
900.00
2,214.14
1,314.14
312.14
150.00
150.00
0.00
702.00
0.00
Component #2
2,363.68
3,759.25
1,395.57
212.57
0.00
0.00
100.00
1,083.00
228.07
Component #3
4,754.44
5,155.51
401.07
64.07
0.00
0.00
0.00
337.00
73.12
Component #4
8,629.32
9,223.39
594.07
109.57
0.00
0.00
0.00
484.50
127.51
Component #5
1,331.23
1,505.31
174.08
15.36
0.00
0.00
0.00
158.72
183.60
Component #6
4,022.28
4,275.99
253.71
39.71
0.00
0.00
0.00
214.00
155.93
Component #7
2,424.17
2,744.74
320.57
66.57
0.00
0.00
0.00
254.00
160.79
Administrative
Costs
0.00
413.60
413.60
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
413.60
0.00
PDF Block B
0.00
498.00
498.00
165.00
25.00
25.00
0.00
283.00
0.00
Totals
24,425.12
29,789.93
5,364.81
984.99
175.00
175.00
100.00
3,929.82
929.02
4.5
Cash Advance Requirements:
An initial cash advance will be made upon signature of the project document by both parties and
will cover expenditures expected to be incurred by the GS/OAS during the first six months from
the UNEP contribution (i.e. GEF Funds provided by UNEP on behalf of the GEF) (see format in
Annex XIV). Subsequent advances are to be made quarterly, subject to:
(I)
Confirmation by the GS/OAS, at least two weeks before the payment is due, that the
expected rate of expenditure and actual cash position necessitate the payment,
including a reasonable amount to cover "lead time" for the next remittance; and
(ii)
The presentation of:
(1)
a satisfactory financial report showing expenditures incurred for the past quarter,
under each project (see format in Annex XIV).
4.6
Follow-up:
Prioritized project designs necessary for the next activity implementation phases will be submitted to the
GEF, UNEP and any other donors for their consideration.
SECTION 5 - INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK
51. This phase of the project, whose purpose is to prepare a SAP for the sustainable development of
the SJRB, will continue to be executed by the governments of Costa Rica and Nicaragua,
through MINAE and MARENA respectively. A series of well-defined activities will have to be
implemented in each country and throughout the SJRB. The coordination of these activities will
be carried out by the two technical units in the national executing ministries. UNEP and OAS will
support Project Execution. OAS, due to its historic involvement in the basin, its partnership with
UNEP in similar projects within the region, and its role in implementing activities under related
projects, will act as Executing Agency and manager of the funds provided to the project by UNEP
on behalf of GEF, consistent with UNEP financial reporting requirements.
52. The technical units charged with drafting the SAP will each have a national director, appointed by
the executing ministry, and a technical coordinator to be contracted with project funds by the

7 For this analysis, the "Business-as-Usual" scenario has been used as Baseline. Past expenditure for project
preparation is not considered baseline.
8 The Alternative Scenario is equal to the Baseline plus the Incremental Cost.
9 The total Incremental Cost includes the costs to the GEF and Co-financing.
18

USDE/OAS in consultation with the governments and UNEP for the full 36 months of the project.
The posts of technical coordinators have been budgeted at US$3,500/month each, for a total of
US$252,000. The costs of communications, travel, copying, operations, and clerical services
have been budgeted at US$450,000 putting the total cost to the GEF of drafting the SAP at
US$702,000.
53. A Steering Committee will be established for the project, composed of the ministers of MINAE and
MARENA, a representative of each country's Foreign Ministry, representatives of associations of
municipalities, the Director of USDE/OAS, the Director of the Division of Environmental
Information Assessment and Early Warning of UNEP, and the project's two national directors.
Observers, in an ex-officio capacity, will include the other two GEF implementing agencies (World
Bank and UNDP), the technical coordinators, and other cooperation agencies willing to be part of
the SAP. This board will be the highest organ of the project and will meet at least twice a year. It
is charged with approving the work plans of the technical units, the terms of reference of the
demonstration projects, and any advisory opinions that OAS/USDE may present in concert with
the national directors and the technical coordinators. Also, any significant change to programs
and budgets must be approved at this level.
54. A Consultative Committee will be set up in each country. It will include national institutions
involved in the management of the SJRB, private organizations taking part in the project and
academic institutions. Its role will be to promote the active participation of the institutions and to
advise on the orientations of the project. It will be co-chaired by the national directors and will
also serve as a mechanism for the coordination of national actions.
55. Binational coordination will be promoted at various levels and through the exchange of
information of the demonstration projects. To make progress on the studies and the preparation
of the SAP, six binational workshops (two each a year) are being planned. At US$17,250, the
total cost will be US$103,500. Twelve national workshops will also be organized, two a year in
each country. At US$5,000 each, the total cost will be US$60,000. For all this it will be necessary
to contract 27 months of international consulting services at US$10,000/month, for a total of
US$270,000, and 159 months of national consulting services at US$2,000/month for a total of
US$318,000.
56. Seven meetings of the Steering Committee are being planned for the three-year period. Six will
be in Costa Rica and Nicaragua at a cost of US$44,720. The final meeting at the end of the
period, will take place in Washington, D.C., and travel costs have been calculated at US$10,000.
It is anticipated that the last couple of Steering Committee meetings will be preceded by donor
roundtables to ensure donors buy-in and financial support for the SAP.
57. Successful implementation of the project will depend on the active participation of stakeholders in
the Basin. To assure this, the proposal has specific elements for participation. Thus, the
programs on public participation and education and training are of fundamental importance.
58. More than 100 institutions, government agencies, and civil society organizations took part in
preparing this proposal, contributing their experience and hands-on knowledge to identify the
elements needed to formulate, validate and identify the strategy for the formulation of the a SAP.
In addition, more than 40 technical proposals, pilot project proposals, and recommendations for
action were received. Studies carried out by consultants and technical reports and other
government documentation from both countries were also important sources. Information was
thus gleaned to complement the Diagnostic Study of the San Juan River Basin and Guidelines
for a Plan of Action and to discover any gaps in knowledge and understanding of current and
emerging transboundary environmental problems.
59. In addition to the public participation, fourteen consultants worked on this proposal: four from
Costa Rica, five from Nicaragua, and five from other countries. The proposal is consistent with the
environmental policies of Costa Rica and Nicaragua, and both MINAE and MARENA were
regularly consulted. Two meetings with the cooperating agencies were organized, to open the
doors of the project even wider and to make it a catalyst for generating other sources of financing
for activities identified as priorities for the sustainable development of the SJRB. They proved
very useful in learning about current and planned activities and in seeking mechanisms for
coordination.
60. Under the supervision of UNEP, the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States
(GS/OAS), will be responsible for the overall management of the project through their Unit for
19

Sustainable Development and Environment (USDE). The GS/OAS will assign a Project Manager
who will be responsible for the timely execution of the project activities, for co-ordinating the
inputs of technical Units in Costa Rica and Nicaragua and the various consultants hired under the
project, and will liaise with UNEP (The Division of Environmental Information, Assessment and
Early Warning (DEIAEW) and the GEF Coordination Office - see below) on all matters regarding
the project. At the end of the project, the Project Manager will be responsible, in cooperation
with UNEP/DEIAEW and UNEP/GEF Coordination Office for preparing prioritized project designs
necessary to implement high priority strategic actions formulated under the SAP, to be submitted
to the GEF Council for consideration. For the implementation of the activities the GS/OAS will
work through co-executing arrangements with the Technical Units in Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
61. UNEP through DEIAEW, and as the GEF Implementing Agency of this project, will be responsible
for overall project supervision to ensure consistency with GEF and UNEP policies and
procedures, and will provide guidance on linkages with related UNEP and GEF funded activities.
UNEP also has the responsibility for regular liaison with the GS/OAS on substantive and
administrative matters; assisting the Technical Units in Costa Rica and Nicaragua upon request;
and participating in meetings and workshops as appropriate. The UNEP/GEF Coordination Office
will provide assistance and advice to the GS/OAS and UNEP/DEIAEW in project management
(e.g. revisions of workplan and budgets) and policy guidance in relation to GEF procedures,
requirements and schedules.
62. The GS/OAS will be responsible for timely production of financial and progress reports to UNEP
as mentioned in section 4 and 6.
63. All the proposed activities will be managed at the country level on a day-to-day basis by the
Technical Units in Costa Rica and Nicaragua in consultation with the UNEP and GS/OAS.
64. The UNEP/GEF Coordination Office in close collaboration with UNEP/DEIAEW will be responsible
for clearance and transmission of financial and progress reports to the Global Environment
Facility. The DEIAEW of UNEP in close collaboration with UNEP/GEF Coordination Office retains
responsibility for review and approval of the substantive and technical reports produced in
accordance with the schedule of work. The DEIAEW of UNEP will also be responsible in
collaboration with the GS/OAS for the production of the GEF Quarterly Operational Reports and
their submission to the UNEP/GEF Coordination Office (see format in Annex XV).
65. All correspondence on substantive and technical matters of the project should be addressed
to:
(1) In GS/OAS:
Mr. R. Meganck
Director - Unit of Sustainable Development and Environment
With Copy to:
Mr. Jorge Rucks
Chief, Geographical group II - Unit of Sustainable Development and Environment
1889 F Street, NW, Room 340
Washington, DC 20006 United Sates of America
Tel: + 1-202-458-3556
FAX: + 1-202-458-3560
Email: rmeganck@aos.org
Email: jrucks@oas.org
(2) In the Technical Units
Costa Rica
Nicaragua
Mr. Jorge Bonilla Cervantes
Mr. Juan Jose Romero
Director Nacional
Director Nacional
20

Minsterio de Ambiente y Energia (MINAE)
Minsterio del Ambiente y Recursos Naturales
(MARENA)
Sabanilla de Montes de Oca, San Jose
Km 12 1/2 Carretera Norte, Managua
Costa Rica
Nicaragua
Tel: +506-253-8556
Tel: +505-263-2598
FAX: +506-253-8556
FAX: +505-233-1110
Email: sanjuan@sol.racsa.co.cr,
Email: snipmare@tmx.com.ni
(3) In UNEP:
Mr. Edmundo Ortega
Chief
Budget and Fund management Unit
UNON
P.O. Box 67578
Nairobi - Kenya
Tel: + 254-2-623637/ FAX: + 254-2-623755
With copy to
Ms. Immaculate Njeru
GEF Fund and Administrative Officer
GEF Coordination Office
P.O. Box 30552
Nairobi - Kenya
Tel: + 254-2-623595
FAX: + 254-2 623126/624041
SECTION 6: MONITORING AND REPORTING
6.1. MONITORING AND EVALUATION:
66. The administrative, technical and financial reporting framework will be provided by UNEP through
the GS/OAS and Steering Committee using standard UNEP reporting protocols. Utilizing key
process and status indicators will be an intrinsic part of the project. These indicators will be
implemented through the establishment and integration of monitoring tools into project
components, as agreed by the Steering Committee. A monitoring and evaluation plan,
consistent with GEF criteria, will be prepared by the GS/OAS and, MINAE and MARENA, and
approved by the Steering Committee and UNEP. The objective of this monitoring is to contribute
to improving, and, if needed, adapting management of work program activities as well as creating
the basis for project evaluation. UNEP supervision will be exercised through the GS/OAS and by
participation in the regular meetings of the Steering Committee, the first and second meetings of
the Steering Committee wherein the work plan and terms of reference for project staff and
consultants will be discussed and agreed. A project implementation review would be undertaken
jointly by the Government and UNEP two years after the end of the project.
67. During the conduct of the project, UNEP in cooperation with GS/OAS will undertake one evaluation
mission to diagnose possible problems and suggest the necessary corrective measures. It will
evaluate the efficiency of the project management, including delivery of inputs and activities in
terms of quality, quantity and timeliness.
68. Upon completion of the project, UNEP/DEIAEW and UNEP/GEF Coordination Office will undertake
a desk evaluation to measure the degree to which the objectives have been achieved and
highlighting for the GEF in particular, lessons learned in the preparation of a project of national
scope. The evaluation should also seek to reflect the views and feedback from the country
involved in the achievement of the project goals. This final desk evaluation will be undertaken
according to UNEP approved Monitoring and Evaluation procedures.
22

69. A post facto in depth evaluation will be conducted, under the supervision of UNEP the GEF
Monitoring and Evaluation Unit two years after the project has been completed, to evaluate the
environmental impacts and long term effects of the project, and to make recommendations for
future action, identify the conditions for successful replication if appropriate and draw generic
lessons. This evaluation of the overall performance of the project will be undertaken within the
framework of the Monitoring and Evaluation programme of the GEF Secretariat and by an external
and independent consultant.
70. STAP Review. (Annex III) This project proposal was reviewed by Dr Ed Ongley, Emeritus
Scientist, National Water Research Institute, Environment Canada, an International Waters
Expert included in the STAP Roster of Experts. Comments made by Dr. Ed Ongley have been
addressed in details in Annex C. The Information System and the SAP formulation components
(Para 20 through 25) as well as paragraph 7 of the detailed workprogramme (Annex VIII) have
also been altered to address specific concerns of Dr. Ed Ongley.
71. Dissemination Incorporated into the SAP formulation are specific work program components (see
Components 4&7) which explicitly aim to promote and disseminate the experiences obtained
through the SAP formulation process to the SJRB Stakeholders, and to communities within the
SJRB through a program of public information and education. Work program activities encourage
and facilitate technology transfer and information dissemination through programs of public
participation, stakeholder involvement, and professional and community-based education and
information dissemination. States and municipal governmental organizations, NGOs and citizen
involvement in project execution will also contribute to the dissemination of information on specific
technologies and techniques that contribute to the sustainable environmental management and
economic development of the watershed. Finally, the publication of the SAP for the SJRB will
communicate to all concerned organizations, agencies and citizens, the comprehensive strategic
approach for the management of this critical drainage basin. Copies of this management
program will be widely disseminated within the planning project area.
6.2. QUARTERLY OPERATIONAL REPORTS:
72. As at 31 January 2001, 30 April 2001, 31 July 2001, 31 October 2001, 31 January 2002, 30
April 2002, 31 July 2002, 31 October 2002, 31 January 2003, 30 April 2003, 31 July 2003, and
31 October 2003, GS/OAS shall submit to UNEP/DEIAEW with a copy to UNEP/GEF
Coordination Unit, using the format given in Annex X and XI, quarterly/half-yearly operational
reports on the progress in project execution, scheduled to be submitted by GS/OAS within 15
days of the end of the reporting period.
6.3. TERMINAL REPORT:
73. Within 60 days of project completion, the GS/OAS shall submit to the Chief Fund Programme
Management Branch with copies to UNEP/DEIAEW and UNEP/GEF Coordination Office a project
terminal report, using the format given in Annex XII.
6.4. SUBSTANTIVE REPORTS:
74. As per section 4 above, copies of the substantive and technical reports produced in accordance
with the schedule of work will be submitted to UNEP/DEIAEW for technical review with copies to
UNEP/GEF Coordination Office and to the Chief, Fund Programme Management Branch.
6.5. FINANCIAL REPORTS:
6.5.1
PROJECT EXPENDITURE ACCOUNTS
(i)
Details of expenditures will be reported, every three months (as at 31 January 2001, 30
April 2001, 31 July 2001, 31 October 2001, 31 January 2002, 30 April 2002, 31 July
2002, 31 October 2002, 31 January 2003, 30 April 2003, 31 July 2003, and 31 October
2003) on an activity by activity basis, in line with project budget codes as set out in the
project document using the format given in Annex XIII. All expenditure accounts will be
dispatched to UNEP within 15 days of the end quarter to which they refer, certified by a
duly authorized official of the GS/OAS.
23

(ii)
In addition, UNEP requires that the end of year expenditure account should be reported
as part of an annual independent audit of the External Auditors of the GS/OAS.
(iii)
Within 60 days of the completion of the project, the GS/OAS will supply UNEP with a
final statement of account in the format as for the three-month statements. The General
Secretariat confirms that the financial records of this programme will be an integral part
of the financial records of the General Secretariat, which are subject to an independent
audit by the board of External Auditors of the GS/OAS, and agrees to furnish copies of
these audit reports to UNEP along with such other related information as may be
requested by UNEP with respect to any questions arising from the audit report.
(iv)
Any portion of cash advances remaining unspent or uncommitted by the GS/OAS on
completion of the project will be reimbursed to UNEP within one month of the
presentation of the final statement of accounts. In the event that there is any delay in
such disbursement, the GS/OAS will be financially responsible for any adverse
movement in the exchange rates.
6.5.2
CASH ADVANCE ACCOUNTS
75. A statement of advances of cash provided by UNEP should be submitted in the format shown in
Annex XIV.
SECTION 7: TERMS AND CONDITIONS
7.1.
NON-EXPENDABLE EQUIPMENT
76. The GS/OAS will maintain records of non-expendable equipment (items costing $1500 or more as
well as items of attraction such as pocket calculators) purchased with UNEP funds, and will submit
an inventory of all such equipment to UNEP, indicating description, cost, date of purchase, and
present condition of each item attached to the 2nd and 4th quarter reports (see Annex XVI for
the inventory format). Upon completion of project activities, GS/OAS will attach to the terminal
report a final inventory of all non-expendable equipment purchased under this project. All such
equipment shall remain the property of UNEP until its disposal is authorized by UNEP, in
consultation with the GS/OAS. The GS/OAS shall be responsible for any loss of or damage,
ordinary wear and tear excepted, caused by GS/OAS to equipment purchased with UNEP funds.
The proceeds from the sale of equipment duly authorized by UNEP upon completion of project
activities shall be credited to the accounts of UNEP, or the appropriate Trust Fund or Counterpart
Contribution.
7.2
RESPONSIBILITY FOR COST OVERRUNS
77. Any cost overrun (expenditure in excess of the amount budged in each budget sub-line) shall be
met by the organization responsible for authorizing the expenditure, unless written agreement
has been received by letter or cable, in advance, from UNEP. In cases where UNEP has
indicated its agreement to a cost overrun in budget subline, either to transfer funds from one sub-
line to another, or to increase the total cost to UNEP, a revision to the project document
amending the budget will be issued by UNEP.
7.3.
CLAIMS BY THIRD PARTIES AGAINST UNEP
78. The GS/OAS shall be responsible for dealing with any claims which may be brought by third
parties against UNEP and its staff, in relation to work executed by GS/OAS under this Agreement
and UNEP shall not be liable to GS/OAS in relation to those claims unless those claims were
caused by the negligence or other conduct of UNEP or UNEP's staff. Nothing in this Agreement
may be construed as a waiver of the immunities from suit, legal process, execution, of either
UNEP or GS/OAS.
7.4.
DISPUTES RESOLUTION PROVISION
79. Any controversy or claim arising out of, or in accordance with this Agreement or any breach
thereof, shall, unless it is settled by direct negotiations, be settled in accordance with the
UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules as at present in force.
24

80. The parties shall be bound by any arbitration award rendered as a result of such arbitration as
the final adjudication of any such controversy or claim.
7.5.
MODIFICATION
81. This Agreement may be modified or otherwise amended by the written agreement of the Parties,
signed by their duly authorized representatives, dated, and attached hereto.
7.6.
TERMINATION
82. Either party may terminate this Agreement with sixty days' advanced written notice to the other. In
the event of such termination, each party shall provide the corresponding funding in accordance
with its obligations herein to cover any
83. Project costs up until the termination date, including, but not limited to, the costs of complying
with third-party commitments made pursuant to the project that may run beyond the termination
date and which cannot be revoked without incurring liability.
7.7.
OAS CONTRIBUTION
84. The GS/OAS contribution under this project document is subject to the approval and non
modification of the corresponding appropriation in the GS/OAS programme budget by the
competent organs of the OAS.
25

LIST OF ANNEXES
Annex I.
Incremental Cost
Annex II.
Logical Framework Matrix
Annex III.
STAP Roster Technical Review and response
Annex IV.
Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis, including Root Cause Analysis
Annex V.
Public Involvement Plan Summary
Annex VI.
Map of the SJRB and Surrounding Area
Annex VII.
Definition of Terms
Annex VIII.
Proposed Work Program and Descriptions of Specific Studies and Demonstration
Projects
Annex IX.
Budget in UNEP format
Annex X:
Format for quarterly reports
Annex XI:
Format for half-yearly reports
Annex XII:
Format for terminal report
Annex XIII:
Format for Project Expenditure accounts
Annex XIV:
Format for cash advance statements
Annex XV:
Format for GEF Quarterly Operation Reports
Annex XVI:
Format for Equipment Inventory
27

LIST OF ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS
AECI
Spanish International Cooperation Agency
AMURS
Asociación de Municipios del Río San Juan (Association of
Municipalities of the San Juan River)
ASCOMAFOR
Asociación para la Conservación y Manejo de Areas Forestales
(Association for the Conservation and Management of Forest
Areas)
CATIE
Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza
(Research and Training Center for Tropical Agriculture)
CCAD
Comisión Centroamericana de Ambiente y Desarrollo (Central
American Commission of Environment and Development)
CRRH
Comité Regional de Recursos Hídricos (Central American
Committee on Water Resources)
DANIDA
Danish International Development Agency
EU
European Union
FINNIDA
Finnish International Development Agency
GEF
Global Environment Facility
GTZ
German Agency for Technical Cooperation
IDA
International Development Agency (World Bank)
IDB
Inter-American Development Bank
IDR
Instituto Nicaraguense de Desarrollo Rural (Nicaraguan Institute
for Rural Development)
INETER
Instituto Nicaraguense de Estudios Territoriales (Nicaraguan
Institute for Territorial Studies)
INIFOM
Instituto Nicaraguense de Fomento Municipal (Nicaraguan
Institute of Municipal Promotion)
KFW
German Development Bank
MARENA
Ministerio de Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (Ministry of
Environment and Natural Resources)
MARENAP
Protected Areas and Natural Resources Management Project of
MARENA
MINAE
Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía (Ministry of Environment and
Energy)
NDF
Nordic Fund
NGO
Non Governmental Organizations
OAS
Organization of American States
PANIF
Nicaragua-Finland Environmental Program
PDF
Project Preparation and Development Facility
PROTIERRA
Reforma de Políticas de Recursos Naturales (Natural Resources
Policy Reform)
SAP
Strategic Action Program
SDC
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
SIAPAZ
Sistema Integrado de Areas Protegidas para la Paz (Protected
Areas Integrated System for Peace)
SICA
Sistema de la Integración Centroamericana (Central American
Integration System)
SIDA
Swedish International Development Agency
SINAC
Sistema Nacional de Areas de Conservación (Conservation Areas
National System)
SJRB
San Juan River Basin and its Coastal Zone
TDA
Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis
UN
United Nations
UNEP
United Nations Environment Programme
USAID
United States Agency for International Development
USDE
Unit for Sustainable Development and Environment
WB
World Bank
29