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SAP Formulation interim Report In January of 2001, the Ministries of Environment of Costa Rica and Nicaragua, with the technical assistance of UNEP and GS/OAS as the implementing and international executing agencies of the Project, respectively, began the execution of a three-year-phase project for the formulation of the SAP. As of December 31, 2003, basic studies and demonstration
projects have been completed, and the drafting of the SAP is under way. In
order to ensure the consolidation of the coordinated approach to the joint
management of the San Juan River Basin and Its Coastal Zone, as well as to
complete the formulation of the SAP and secure funds for its
implementation, a one-year extension of the project has been requested by
the governments and approved at the last meeting of the Steering
Committee. The important progress made so far and the commitments of the
countries suggest a good probability of success. (1) A joint binational vision as of what the two countries want for the Basin. A vision for social and economic development founded in the principles of conservation and rationale use of water and land, strengthening the use of the Basin as the planning and management unit, within an ecosystem approach that takes into consideration the structure and functions of the ecosystems present at the Basin and its Coastal Zone; (2) A binational management unit established for the completion of the formulation of the SAP, in preparation for its execution. The new binational management unit represents the first concrete effort towards a joint management of the Project and the implementation of the SAP; (3) A sound public participation process, which evolved from rounds of consultations during the PDF-Block B phase for the drafting of the TDA to a direct involvement in the formulation and execution of the demonstration projects and basic studies; (4) Strategic alliances within the national territories and across the international border created through the demonstration projects and basic studies implemented during the SAP-Formulation phase; and (5) The Information base to support the decision-making processes with regard to water resources management in the Basin. The GIS of the Project was consolidated, cataloguing the existing data, completing metadata, and integrating new data as it was produced for the SAP. Studies on water quality, erosion-sedimentation processes, aquatic habitats, sedimentation plume, transboundary migrations, water users and gender, and others, were completed providing valuable information that allows for a more precise characterization of the transboundary environmental issues in the Basin. In addition, a dynamic Web site and an Institutional Mapping Tool (IMT) were developed in partnership with IW:LEARN as part of the Information System of PROCUENCA-SAN JUAN. Finally, and although the SAP Financing Plan has not been completed, yet, the governments of Costa Rica and Nicaragua are supporting it at the highest level. The PROCUENCA-SAN JUAN SAP is part of a broader border development strategy that the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica and Nicaragua are implementing under the direct leadership of the Presidents, and in close collaboration with the Ministries of Planning. Full support to negotiation round-tables is expected from the Presidents and the Ministries of Finance and Planning. The SAP: An eco-management vision, Tourism and Rural
Development Based on the findings of the TDA, and additional information gathered through the basic studies, the proposed short-term SAP includes the following priority areas of action: (1) initiating and continuing a well-coordinated bilateral management program for the SJRB, consolidating the binational institutional arrangements for joint and coordinated action; (2) strengthening and broadening the institutional capacity and functionality of the participating institutions, at the local, national, and binational levels; (3) promoting and mobilizing broad-based public participation and involvement in Basin decision-making with regard to the sustainable management of water resources that takes into consideration, among other factors, providing opportunities for the participation of men and women, boys and girls, in water resources management; (4) implementing an environmental education program, pursuant to the SAP, that includes formal, informal, and non-formal means of providing local communities with the necessary tools and knowledge for better managing their water and land through awareness and empowerment in resource management; (5) implementing specific, feasible, sustainable development actions (eco-management), providing sustainable resource utilization and production practices that include the active involvement of local communities, and actions and measures within critical areas to address the most pressing environmental issues in the priority areas of tourism and rural development by attacking their root causes; (6) implementing ecosystem restoration and
rehabilitation measures in critical areas of the SJRB to manage land and
water resources (eco-management), enhance conservation of natural
resources, promote sound landscape management practices through public and
private participation in conservation, and create and maintain eco-tourism
opportunities; and The Binational Institutional Arrangements As the SAP formulation phase comes to an end, the governments of Costa Rica and Nicaragua have taken an important step towards the consolidation of a coordinated approach to the joint management of the SJRB by establishing a new organizational structure for the execution of the Project. In support of the management of transboundary natural resources, the governments of Costa Rica and Nicaragua have recently signed an Accord setting forth the base upon which this cooperation is to be built. In addition, and consistent with the principles set forth in the Accord, the governments have agreed a new structure for the future joint execution of the SAP. The governments of Costa Rica and Nicaragua have agreed to establish a Binational Executive Committee for Inter-institutional Coordination allowing for a permanent integration of the SJRB project into national and institutional policies. The Binational Executive Committee for the SJRB includes a representation of key national institutions responsible for policy in the SJRB. Among these institutions are the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, through their respective offices of cooperation, which ensures cohesive action and the integration of the SJRB Project at the highest levels of the states’ decision-making bodies. Further, this new organizational structure creates a single Binational Executive Secretariat responsible for implementing the decisions of the Binational Executive Committee. This new unified Executive Secretariat ensures a Basin-wide approach and a comprehensive planning and management process. In addition to the National Consultative Committees that have been operating since the beginning of the SAP Formulation phase as inter-ministerial committees, Executing Units are being established with the participation of key ministries and governmental institutions in each country. These Units will be responsible for the execution of the specific programs and projects of the SAP. These programs and projects to be implemented by the Executing Units will be established based on the priorities set forth in the SAP and, through the auspices of the Binational Executive Committee, will be integrated into the programs and policies of the national and local governments. In addition, the Executing Units will liaise with NGOs, universities and research institutions, producer cooperatives, root-grass organizations, and other civil society organizations to ensure implementation of the SAP to the greatest extent practicable at the community level. These arrangements will ensure a broad-based participation and active involvement of the multiple stakeholders in the SJRB. The institutional and management framework established by PROCUENCA-SAN JUAN allowed the governments of Costa Rica and Nicaragua to leverage cooperation for the execution of priority actions. For instance, the Government of the US, through its Environmental Hub for Central America and the Caribbean, provided matching funds in support of the introduction of sustainable agricultural practices in the Frio River Basin. The Frio River Basin is a priority transboundary basin, as it is one of the main contributors of sediments, carrying a load that is deposited where Lake Nicaragua drains its waters into the San Juan River. In addition to natural erosion processes, the advance of the agricultural frontier, in an area where economy depends mainly on the primary sector, demands solutions that increase productivity and income opportunities, while preserve the natural resources for future generations. The project involved about 600 small and medium size farmers, who were the direct beneficiaries. Indirectly, it is estimated that a total of 24,000 farmers were benefit. Another relevant activity was the Dialogue on Water and Climate (DWC) undertaken with funding provided by the Government of the Netherlands under the sponsorship of the International Secretariat of the Dialogue on Water and Climate (IS/DWC) of the Third World Water Forum. During the second half of 2002, the Ministries of Environment of the governments of Costa Rica and Nicaragua initiated activities in the San Juan River Basin to identify and describe the coping practices and strategies of the government institutions, communities and households of this area when confronted with the negative aspects of climate variability. The San Juan DWC was one of 18 global projects sponsored by the IS/DWC at the basin, national and regional levels. The San Juan was chosen as a basin level case because of the PROCUENCA-SAN JUAN project experience in this transboundary river basin and the already established multi-stakeholder dialogue. The Dialogue resulted in a characterization of the Basin, in terms of the climate variability and its consequent vulnerability of the social and economic infrastructure. In addition, an inventory of coping practices and strategies and recommendations for action to be included in the Strategic Action Program were produced. Specific outputs are: a 20’ video available in DVD and VHS, and a multimedia with a synthesis of the Dialogue, which includes the characterization, and the inventory of coping practices and strategies. Public Participation-Involvement The TDA preparation and SAP formulation phases have been characterized by an increasing level of public participation and involvement. During the PDF-Block B phase, when the TDA was drafted, public participation occurred mainly through public participation workshops and consultations. A series of workshops and face-to-face consultations enabled the multidisciplinary project team to collect the stakeholders’ thoughts, ideas, and perceptions on water-related issues in the Basin for inclusion in the TDA. These initial findings were presented to the stakeholders as the basis for a dialogue on the main water-related issues, their root causes, and identification of the causal chain linking the stakeholders’ concerns to the regulatory, social, and natural environment of the Basin. These presentations moved through a series of iterations to integrate stakeholders’ perceptions and knowledge into the TDA, and, in turn, to provide the stakeholders with scientific data and analytical results to assist them in refining their discussions. As the TDA was drafted, stakeholders were asked to prepare and submit proposals for demonstration projects and basic studies to be executed during the subsequent formulation of the SAP. Members of the multidisciplinary team assisted the stakeholders with formulation of these proposals to ensure their value in supporting the SAP. Public participation workshops and consultations are also being used in support of the process leading to the formulation of the SAP. Public participation workshops allow for the exchange of information, experiences, and ideas among the various stakeholders. They also help to track and evaluate the progress of the different project components and to gather recommendations for inclusion in the SAP. During the SAP-formulation phase alone, 4 binational and 10 national workshops (5 in each country) were held with an average attendance of 60 participants. In addition, 3 technical workshops/seminars were held with the participation of experts and scientists from the universities and institutions responsible for the execution of the basic studies and from all over Central America, and in collaboration with key regional organizations, such as the Regional Committee on Water Resources (CRRH). Several workshops, festivals and meetings were held as part of the execution of the demonstration projects and basic studies. For instance, about 200 people participated in the diagnostic on gender, through over 61 events, including workshops, meetings and interviews. However, public participation during the SAP formulation phase advanced to a level of more direct involvement. Demonstration projects and baseline studies were carried out by universities, research institutes, NGOs, local governments, and governmental institutions. These organizations, in turn, have signed letters of agreement and established other legal-administrative instruments with collaborating institutions and beneficiary organizations. About 221 institutions were registered as being directly involved in the execution of these activities, of which 97 were governmental, 29 non-governmental, 22 international organizations, 14 academic/research institutions, 3 cooperatives, 14 grass-root organizations, 14 private companies, 20 local governments and 8 media organizations. About 340 individuals, including government officials, scientists, water experts, consultants, and member of the community have been directly involved in the execution of the Project. Forty legal-administrative instruments have been signed, establishing the basis for the institutional arrangements for the execution of the SAP, and strategic alliances within the national territories and across the international border: 24 memorandums of understanding, 12 letters of understanding, and 4 cooperation agreements. Transference of the responsibility for establishing such relationships between institutions, organizations, and communities to the local institutions is allowing for a more effective “ownership” of the process and empower the participating stakeholders in the management of the water resources of the SJRB. The established collaboration thus creates the basis for the institutional arrangements required to implement the SAP, and ensures the active and effective involvement of local stakeholders in the implementation process. In addition, these institutions can help to organize grass-root groups and other beneficiaries as they work within local communities. The Information System The basis for a Basin-wide Information System for supporting the decision-making with regard to water resources management in the SJRB is in place. The Project maintains a Geographic Information System (GIS), which includes a catalogue with the existing information and tools to maintain the databases and geographic coverages, process and analyze data, prepare reports, maps and distribution material. The Project GIS operates at the two Technical Units, located at the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) of Costa Rica and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARENA) of Nicaragua. Throughout the execution of the Project, and since the creation of the Technical Units in 1995, the GIS has collected socio-economic, physical and biotic data, including geographic units (maps and coverages of administrative units, conservation areas, ecosystems, and hydrographic units) and tabular information (statistic and quantitative and qualitative information that characterizes the geographic units). In some cases, this information is provided at the country level, as the source of information is the ministries and institutions within the national territories. But, some information also exists at the Basin level. Each Technical Unit maintains the information at the national level and that information that has been merged for the whole Basin. During the SAP-Formulation phase, some studies were carried out by universities and research institutions. In addition, some specific studies, such as a gender diagnostic were performed with the support of experts from different fields who worked under contract. All these studies have generated valuable information that will be integrated in the GIS for a comprehensive analysis that feeds back into the TDA developed during the PDF-Block B phase. Other relevant information produced by key stakeholders, including the participating universities and governmental institutions, needs to be integrated into the PROCUENCA-SAN JUAN Information System. In order to do that, references to the various databases need to be included in the Project Information System. Very recently, a new and dynamic Web site of the Project has been designed and implemented. This Web page constitutes the Electronic Information and Communication Tool of the Project providing: (i) referential information to participating organizations; (ii) personal contacts for participating organizations, experts and specialists, as well as members of the community who actively participate in the Project; (iii) referential information on on-going and planned activities in the Project area, those executed under the GEF Project as well as other relevant activities undertaken by the ministries of environment and other relevant institutions, including events and training and educational activities; (iv) information on institutional arrangements, agreements, memorandums and letters of understanding, and other administrative-legal instruments that are being utilized for the execution of the various activities; and (v) referential information on documents, technical reports, publications and other relevant documents. Also, the Web page contains a Virtual Library where all relevant documents are stored and accessible. The referential information on organizations, individuals, documents, projects and events makes the Web site an entrance point to the information of the San Juan River Basin and its Coastal Zone. Although, this information is not always stored in the PROCUENCA-SAN JUAN server, direct access is provided through the referential databases. The road ahead During 2004, efforts will focus in the completion of the
SAP and formalization of the Binational Institutional Arrangements for its
execution. In addition, the Binational Executive Secretariat will work on
the formulation and negotiation of proposals for priority intervention, as
to fast track and secure funding for baseline investment projects included
in the SAP. Proposals will build on successful activities developed
through the demonstration projects, as to provide continuity. Other peripheral and enabling activities include: (1) Implementation of a communication and information strategy, within the national, local and international communities; (2) Strengthening of strategic alliances built during the SAP-Formulation phase, within the national territories and across the international border; and (3) Strengthening of local governments and the Binational Executive Secretariat.
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