Strategic
Action Program

Progress Reports
PDF-Block
B Phase Final Report

SAP
Formulation Interim Report

Diagnostic
Study

TDA
Analysis

Dialogue
on Water and Climate

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.
The chief achievements
and success indicators are:

(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
The governments of Costa Rica and Nicaragua have agreed an
eco-management vision for the San Juan River Basin and its Coastal Zone
(SJRB) that entails the use of the Basin and its hydrographic sub-systems
as planning and management units, and that takes into consideration the
structure and functioning of the ecosystems of the Basin. This
eco-management approach is founded on the conservation of the ecosystems
of the Basin for the development of its human inhabitants. Furthermore,
the governments of Costa Rica and Nicaragua have agreed to implement a
Strategic Action Program that promotes sustainable tourism and rural
development, as integrating/catalytic elements for the development of the
human inhabitants of the Basin and the conservation of its ecosystems and
their biodiversity. This catalytic action will provide for more active and
effective multi-stakeholder involvement in the planning, monitoring, and
management of the water resources of the Basin.

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
(7) operationalizing a basin-wide information
system that provides the mechanisms for gathering and disseminating
knowledge adequate to meet the needs of decision-makers and stakeholders
in the integrated management of the Basin.

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.
During
the first quarter of 2004, supporting documents and publication material,
such as posters, brochures, videos, publication of the Gender Diagnostic
and other relevant studies will be prepared and made available for wide
distribution. This activity includes drafting of final reports and
executive summaries of all basic studies and demonstration projects, and
drafting of a Synthesis Document integrating the results and findings of
the basic studies. Also, the update of the TDA, based on the information
gathered and analyzed through the basic studies, will be undertaken during
the first quarter of 2004.

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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