UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME{PRIVATE }
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY
CONCEPT DOCUMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE WATER RESOURCES
MANAGEMENT IN THE LA PLATA RIVER BASIN
Countries:
Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Paraguay, and Uruguay
Eligibility: The five participant countries are eligible for
financing by the GEF pursuant to paragraph 9b of
the Instrument.
GEF Focal Area:
International Waters OP # 9
(Cross-cutting Areas:
Land Degradation, Climate Change, and
Biodiversity)
Project
Title:
A Framework for Sustainable Water Resources
Management in the la Plata Basin, with Respect
to the Hydrological Effects of Climatic
Variability and Change.
Requesting
Agency: UNEP
Executing Agency:
General Secretariat of the Organization of
American States (GS/OAS)
Local Executing Agency:
Intergovernmental Co-ordinating Committee (CIC)
for the la Plata Basin, in co-operation with the
following national institutions:
Argentina: Ministerio de Infraestructura y Vivienda,
Subsecretaria de Recursos Hidricos de la Nacion;
Bolivia: Viceministerio del Medio Ambiente y
Recursos Naturales, Direccion General de Clasificacion
de Tierras y Cuencas;
Brasil: Ministério do Meio Ambiente, Secretaria de
Recursos Hídricos;
Paraguay: Secretaría del Ambiente (SEAM), Dirección
General de Proteccion y Conservacion de Recursos
Hídricos;
Uruguay: Ministerio de Transportes y Obras
Públicas (MTOP), Dirección Nacional de
Hidrografia (DNH).
Project
Cost:
To be further defined during the PDF-B:
estimated to be US$ 12.725 to 15.725 million
of GEF Grant including PDF-A (US$25,000
awarded) and PDF- B grants (US$700,000)
1
Financing Plan
Full details of baseline and co-financing will be
(tentative and indicative):
determined during the PDF-B process:
GEF - US$12-15 million
Countries - US$ 5-6 million
FONPLATA-US$
8-11
million
Other* - US$ 5-6 million
Project Duration:
To be further defined during the PDF-B;
(tentative)
estimated to be 6 years comprised as follows:
PDF-A phase (6 months--already completed),
PDF-B phase (18 months), and
FP phase (4-5 years)
Preparation Costs:
US $ 1,558,800 for 18 months with US$700,000
of GEF Grant (see Section G)
Work Program submission: January 2005 Inter-Sessional or
May 2005 Council Work Program
* Other = inter alia UNEP, OAS, WMO, AAAS, etc, as per negotiations
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page number
Project
identifiers
1-2
A. Background and Rationale for GEF Funding
4-8
Basin
Description 4-5
Environmental
Issues
and
Concerns
5
Context
5-6
Global Significance and Project Rationale
6-7
Co-ordination Amongst Ongoing Projects and Programmes
7-8
B. Regional Development and GEF Programming Context
8-12
Regional Priorities, Actions & Programs
8
International
Context
9
C. Project Objectives, Design & Approach
9-21
Long-term
Objective
9
Short-term and intermediate objectives
9-10
Project Expected Components, Outcomes and Activities
10-20
Project
Design
20-21
D.
Incremental
Cost
Analysis
21-23
Baseline
Situation
21-22
GEF
Alternative
Scenario
22-23
E. Implementation Arrangements, Stakeholder Participation &
Sustainability
23-27
Implementation
Arrangements
25-26
Stakeholder
Participation
26
Sustainability
26-27
Replicability
27
F.
Monitoring
and
Evaluation
27-28
G.
Project
Development
Strategy
28-31
Results and Outputs of the PDF-B
30-31
Financing
Plan
31
H. Information on Project Proponents
32
I. Information on the Proposed Executing Agency
32-33
J. Linkages with IA Programmes and Activities
33
K.
List
of
Annexes
34
L. Acronyms
34
ANNEXES
I. Profiles of GEF International Waters projects in the la Plata Basin
1-2
II. Characteristics of the la Plata Basin
1-9
III. Preliminary Program of Action of the CIC
1-4
3
A. BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE FOR GEF FUNDING
Basin Description
The la Plata River is one of the great rivers of the world. Draining approximately one-
fifth of the South American continent, extending over some 3.1 million km2, and
conveying waters from central portions of the continent to the south-western Atlantic
Ocean, the la Plata River system rivals the better-known Amazon River system in terms
of its biological and habitat diversity, and far exceeds that system in its economic
importance to southern and central South America. The la Plata Basin includes almost
all the southern part of Brasil, the south-eastern part of Bolivia, a large part of Uruguay,
the whole of Paraguay, and an extensive part of northern Argentina. It accounts for 17
percent of the surface area of the South American continent. The Basin is comprised of
three large river systems; namely, the Paraná River, the Paraguay River, and the
Uruguay River. Each of these waterways has unique characteristics that reflect the
source waters of the rivers as well as the human influences that define their flow
patterns and environmental status. In addition, water that infiltrates into the groundwater
system from within the Basin provides recharge for the Guarani Aquifer, one of the
largest continental groundwater reservoirs in the world. Map 1 shows the location of the
la Plata River Basin and its component drainage systems, additional details of which
appear in Annex II.
In a recently published review, the World Resources Institute named the la Plata River
system as being among those watersheds of the world having the highest numbers of
endemic fishes (in the Paraguay River sub-basin), the highest numbers of endemic birds
(the Parana River sub-basin), and the highest numbers of major dams (the Parana River
4
sub-basin).1 The diversity of fishes and bird life illustrates the diversity of landforms
within the la Plata River Basin. Arising on the eastern slopes of the Andes Mountains,
at altitudes above 4,000 m, the Paraguay River sub-basin extends across the vast
expanse of the central plains of South America, including the diverse Chaco ecosystem
and globally-significant Pantanal wetlands. The South American Chapada de Parecis
and Planalto, or highlands, with elevations of about 500 m, that separate the la Plata
Basin from the Amazon Basin, form the headwaters of the Parana River and Uruguay
River sub-basins which rise in the east.
Superimposed upon this geographic Basin and its unique natural resources is the
economic heartland of Latin America. Thirty-one large dams and fifty-seven large
cities, each with populations in excess of 100,000 persons and including the capital
cities of Brasil, Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay, are to be found within this Basin.
The total human population of the Basin is estimated to be approximately 67 million
individuals.
Environmental Issues and Concerns
This intense human activity, and its associated rapid urbanisation and accompanying
deforestation of lands for cultivation, has increased runoff to the rivers, modified local
climatic conditions (e.g., humidity, temperature, and wind speeds), and, due to the area
of the la Plata Basin, impacted the global climate.
These processes and their associated hydrological changes increase the natural
variability inherent in the behaviour of the water resources of the Basin. Consequently,
floods are larger and more frequent, and flood-drought cycles recur more often. Under
these conditions, infiltration into, and recharge of, aquifers is reduced. Further, this
rapid urbanisation and trend toward mechanised agriculture alters both surface and
ground water flow patterns--by placing layers of asphalt and concrete, compacting
soils, and building appurtenant structures over the land surface--and increases the
sources and rates of delivery of contaminants to streams and aquifers. These changes are
not limited by the national frontiers, but have clear transboundary consequences that
must be addressed at the Basin scale, as envisioned under Operational Strategy Program
9 of the International Waters focal area.
Context
From the beginning, the scope of this undertaking was apparent: not only were the
interrelationships between the water, land, and biosphere exceedingly complex and
varied, but so, too, were the nature and number of concrete and critical problems.
Nevertheless, a process was initiated by the countries of the la Plata River Basin,
beginning with a technical meeting convened during September 2001 by the
Intergovernmental Co-ordinating Committee for the la Plata Basin (CIC), to seek
support for the idea of formulating a strategy for water resources management within
the la Plata River Basin.2 At this meeting, the representatives agreed to support an
1 Revenga, C., S. Murray, J. Abramovitz, and A. Hammond, Watersheds of the World: Ecological Value
and Vulnerability, World Resources Institute and Worldwatch Institute, Washington, DC, 1998, 205 pp.
2 This meeting was held during the IV Inter-American Dialogue on Water Resources Management.
Participants included the institutions responsible for water resources, the Ministries of External Relations
of the five countries signatory to the la Plata Basin Treaty, the Intergovernmental Co-ordinating
Committee for the la Plata River (CIC), and the individuals in charge of various programs and projects
relating to the use and management of water resources in the la Plata River Basin. Many of these persons
were staff from the four GEF International Waters projects being executed within the la Plata Basin and
its coastal zone: i) Implementation of the Strategic Action Program for the Bermejo River Binational Basin:
5
initiative proposed by the government of Brasil to seek GEF funding through UNEP
and, with the support of the other Basin countries of the CIC, to identify and formulate
an appropriate project to achieve this goal.
Subsequently, technical meetings were convened in Sao Paulo, Brasil, during April
2002--with the assistance of GEF PDF Block A funding, and in Buenos Aires,
Argentina, during June 2002. The outcome of these meetings advanced the agreement
achieved to date, and instructed the Secretary General of the CIC to elaborate a proposal
to develop a Framework for the Sustainable Management of the Water Resources of the
la Plata Basin (Decision CIC N° 2/02-528).3 These meetings identified the main topics
of common interest that affect the sustainability of development in the la Plata Basin:
· Socio-economic and institutional issues: The mechanism to facilitate measures to
mitigate current and future impacts is contained within the Treaty of the la Plata
Basin. The Treaty expresses the will of the countries to advance their economic
development in a sustainable manner, and, within the CIC, the existing basin
institution was strengthened in the areas of environmental management and
technical capacity to co-ordinate a programme of integrated management among the
five countries signatory to the Treaty.
· Hydrological issues: The rivers of the la Plata Basin are subject to pressures that
have modified their natural hydrological regime, and that can further modify the
quantity and quality of their waters. These pressures are fundamentally: i)
extraordinary variations in the hydrological regime partly linked to variations and
changes in climate and ii) factors associated with land use changes, population
growth, urbanisation, and agricultural, industrial and infrastructure development.
· Multi-national and regional issues: The consequences of these pressures are not
restricted to specific countries, but are of a transboundary character. These pressures
will surely increase into the future as the Basin countries continue enlarge their
agricultural and industrial development bases, and provision of services, to improve
the living standards of their increasing populations. Recognising the importance of
co-ordinated and joint action to manage and protect the water resources of the Basin,
the countries of the region have created the CIC as a mechanism to co-ordinate their
activities in the Basin. Likewise, recognising the benefits of co-operation in the
sustainable economic development of the region, the countries have created the
Southern Common Market, MERCOSUR/MERCOSUL, which has adopted an
environmental policy supportive of regional-scale action to develop and
management the region's natural resources.
Global Significance and Project Rationale
This agreement, together with the existing organisations within the la Plata Basin, and
the ongoing initiatives currently being undertaken by the Basin countries, provide a
singular opportunity to develop and implement measures to manage one of the world's
Phase I (Argentina-Bolivia); ii) Integrated Management of Land-Based Activities in the São Francisco
Basin (Brasil); iii) Integrated Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development of the Guarani
Aquifer System (Argentina-Brasil-Paraguay-Uruguay); and, iv) Environmental Protection of the la Plata
River and its Maritime Front: the Prevention and Control of Pollution and the Restoration of Habitat
(Argentina-Uruguay).
3 These meetings, conducted under the auspices of the CIC, had the participation of representatives from
the five Basin countries, UNEP (as GEF Implementing Agency), and the OAS (as Executing Agency),
and formed preparatory technical meetings prior to meetings of the CIC.
6
large river basins in a co-ordinated and sustainable manner. As noted in Annex II, the la
Plata Basin provides a microcosm of many of the world's large river basins, being at
once inclusive of a number of countries, overwhelmed by problems that include
urbanisation, land degradation, and poorly-controlled discharges of industrial and
agricultural contaminants--including the occurrence and discharge of persistent organic
pollutants (POPs) at many points in the Basin. However, the established institutional
structure, in contrast to many of the world's large river basins, provides a framework in
the la Plata Basin within which the sustainable management of the system can occur.
Thus, the likely global benefit to accrue from the conduct of this multi-phased project
will be a framework for action that can serve as a model for application in other large
river basins. In this regard, the la Plata Basin is uniquely positioned in that the countries
of the Basin are largely united by a common culture, within a multi-lingual
environment.
Co-ordination Amongst Ongoing Projects and Programmes
There are benefits to this multi-faceted approach. The primary benefit accrues to the la
Plata Basin, as a whole, as a consequence of the enhanced basis for decision-making
and the increased likelihood of achieving conditions favourable to the sustainable
utilisation of the Basin's water resources, while continuing the economic development
of the region.
It has been an hallmark of the GEF approach to International Water projects to address
key environmental issues at specific "hot spots." In this regard, the seminal work of the
Organization of American States (OAS) in preparing a Basin-wide planning programme
during the 1960s has been the major factor in the derivation of these specific
interventions, and a key element in identifying the need and priority of the current GEF-
funded interventions.4 These efforts provide both the context and foundation for the
current framework project.
Ongoing GEF-IW initiatives within the la Plata Basin embody the "hot spot" concept,
and constitute interventions of significance within the Basin. The project being
implemented within Bermejo River sub-basin represents a strategic programme to
manage the major source area for sediment generation within the la Plata Basin; the
project being implemented within the Upper Paraguay River sub-basin represents a
strategic programme to protect and preserve a wetland of global significance (the
Pantanal); the project being implemented at the Maritime Front represents a strategic
programme to sustainably manage fisheries resources within an highly urbanised and
extremely active transportation corridor; while the Guarani Aquifer project represents
the initiation of a strategic programme to protect and sustainably utilise the groundwater
resources underlying the Basin.
While each of these interventions, in isolation, addresses key environmental and
developmental issues within the Basin, the range of projects so executed ignores the
connectivity of the la Plata Basin as an hydrological entity. The current project,
therefore, is designed to provide a framework to better integrate and more widely
disseminate the outputs and results of the projects currently being executed in the
component sub-basins of this larger hydrologic unit. This approach reinforces the
regional concept of the GEF and creates essential synergy between the ongoing suite of
4 Cuenca del Rio del la Plata: Estudio para su Planificacion y Desarrollo, Inventario de Datos
Hidrologicos y Climatologicos, Secretaria General de la Organizacion de los Estados Americanos,
Washington, DC: 1969, 272 pp.
7
projects in the Basin, enhancing opportunities for replication, and strengthening their
sustainability.
B. REGIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
AND GEF PROGRAMMING CONTEXT
Regional Priorities, Programmes, and Actions
This project continues the spirit of co-operation among the countries of the la Plata
Basin that began in 1967, when the five countries created the Intergovernmental Co-
ordinating Committee for the la Plata Basin. The signature of the Treaty of the la Plata
Basin two years later resulted in the CIC being constituted as the main instrument for
the execution of the Treaty's main objective: ".... to promote the harmonious
development and physical integration of the basin, in its areas of direct and immediate
influence." Since that time, the CIC has emphasised areas of common interest among
the five countries and has facilitated the conduct of studies, programmes and works
within the Basin, in the fields of hydrology, natural resources, transportation and
navigation, soil conservation, and energy. Additionally, the CIC has contributed to the
development within the Basin of operational standards and guidelines in the area of
water quality.
Notwithstanding, the Treaty of the la Plata Basin was never conceived as an exclusive
option for agreements and co-operation among the participating states but rather as a
mechanism to amplify and enhance the actions of the participating countries. In this
regard, the Financial Fund for the la Plata Basin (FONPLATA) was created within the
framework of the Treaty during 1976 to lend financial support to the activities
envisioned in the Treaty. A series of other agreements, both within the framework of the
la Plata Treaty and supplemental to it, have led to the creation of more than 20
institutions and operational agencies having direct responsibilities for the use and
management of the Basin's water resources.
While the diversity of institutions highlights the interest in resolving shared problems
when they affect two or more countries, it also highlights the fragmentation and
segmentation that prevails, often to the detriment of the "basin vision" that led to the
Treaty. Few of these institutions communicate either directly or through the CIC. An
important example of this was the formation, in 1992, of the Intergovernmental
Committee on the Paraná-Paraguay Waterway or Hidrovía (CIH). Theoretically this
body, as others created previously, was to be co-ordinated by the CIC; however, the
reality is that this committee and many of the others are autonomous.
The signature of the Treaty of Asunción, in 1991, created the Southern Common Market
(MERCOSUR/MERCOSUL), and called into question the continuity of the CIC.
However, the Conference of Foreign Secretaries of the la Plata Basin, the Supreme
Organ of the la Plata Treaty, in Montevideo, Uruguay, reaffirmed the CIC during
December 2001, and created the office of Secretary General (revolving among the
countries). This Conference also created a [Technical] Projects Unit "...under Article 1
of the Treaty...to revitalise the operating system of the organism, including the creation
of linkages with other technical and financial institutions within the la Plata Basin...".
This project is consistent with the Program of Action subsequently agreed by the
countries within the framework of the CIC (See Annex III).
8
International Context
The development of basin-scale agreements, programmes, plans, and policies is wholly
consistent with the process established at the World Summit on Sustainable
Development (WSSD), wherein water resources were identified as a major component
not only of economic development but also in achieving sustainable utilisation of shared
natural resources. This project responds specifically to WSSD Programmes of
Intervention (POI) paragraphs 23-25, 27, 38, 60, 67 and 104. These priority issues are
internalised within the GEF International Waters focal area in Strategic Priority IW-1,
which seeks to catalyse financial resources for the sustainable management of
freshwater resources through the TDA-SAP, or equivalent, process. In this context, the
CIC, through its Technical Projects Unit, and in the context of the Southern Common
Market within which the la Plata Basin is located, provides an established economic and
political mechanism for executing the necessary actions to rehabilitate and protect one
of the world's great river systems, its associated drainage basin, and maritime coastal
zone. The CIC demonstrates the importance placed by the Basin countries on the la
Plata Basin, and on the need for co-ordinated and sustainable utilisation of its waters,
drainage basin, and biological resources. The active participation of the countries within
the CIC and the recent creation of the Technical Unit for Projects within the CIC (see
implementation arrangements, below) underline not only this importance, but also bode
well for a sustainable and active implementation of the project outcomes.
C. PROJECT OBJECTIVES, DESIGN, AND APPROACH
Long-term Objective
The general objective of the phased project is to strengthen the efforts of the
governments of Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Paraguay, and Uruguay to implement their
shared vision for the environmentally and socially sustainable economic development of
the la Plata Basin, specifically in the areas of the protection and integrated management
of its water resources and adaptation to climatic change and variability. Co-ordinated
and locally executed by the CIC, within and through its comprehensive structure and
with extensive and ongoing participation by stakeholders as set forth in section E below,
the phased project will harmonise and prepare for further implementation, in co-
operation with the Basin countries, a programme of strategic actions for the sustainable
management of the la Plata Basin.
Short-term and Intermediate Objectives
Specifically, in total, the project is designed to:
i) strengthen
the
technical capacity of the CIC in planning and co-ordinating the
integrated and sustainable development and management of the environment of
the la Plata Basin;
ii)
advance the practice of integrated water resources management and adaptation
to climatic change, by increasing the knowledge and decision-making capacity
of the country-based institutions and technicians responsible for the scientific
analysis and prediction of climatic change phenomena and their social,
economic and environmental impacts;
iii)
implement a common strategic vision of the Basin as a basis for planning,
sustainable development, and integrated management of water resources in the
Basin, basis for an agreed Mega-Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA)
9
that identifies the root causes of the principle environmental problems of the la
Plata Basin in order to characterise, quantify, and define the strategic actions
necessary for their resolution;
iv)
formulate agreed and integrated watershed management programmes, based
upon the Mega-TDA, a shared Framework Strategic Action Programme (FSAP),
and a common vision of Basin, that will advance the definition of, and
agreement on, high-priority actions needed to formulate and implement policies,
develop capacities and management instruments, and channel investments that
not only protect the shared resources but also allow efforts to advance the
economic and social development of the Basin in sustainable form;
v)
identify the water resources that are at the greatest environmental risk (i.e., to
identify critical areas and issues, and so-called "hot spots"), and define and
prioritise projects for execution aimed at the restoration and protection of
critical transboundary waters, taking into account both scientific information and
information on cost and feasibility of remedial measures generated by the
Bermejo, Upper Paraguay-Pantanal, Guarani, and Maritime Front GEF-IW
projects; and
iv)
integrate the work of groups, and facilitate the participation of responsible
institutions, interested organisations, and stakeholders in each country, to
prepare and execute the recommended actions in a sustainable and co-ordinated
manner.
Project Expected Components, Outcomes and Activities
Building upon both the ongoing efforts of the countries of the la Plata Basin, funded in
part through funds provided under the GEF-IW focal area, and the foundational work of
the OAS, the project will focus on five principle areas of shared concern all being
interconnected and interdependent and forming part of a progressive approach. The
activities outlined here are indicative. A major element of the PDF, Block B, process
will involve the further definition of activities for project execution.
The outcome of the project, collectively, will shape the future management programme
for the la Plata Basin focussing on foundational work both at the policy and institutional
levels creating a basin-wide enabling environment for subsequent major sub-basin
strategic actions formulation and implementation.
The overall outputs of the project activities, inclusive of the outputs of the Project
Development Facility-funded activities, will be (1) an institutional and political
structure and (2) a framework for the comprehensive, integrated, and sustainable
environmental programme of economic development within the la Plata Basin.
The total cost of the project will be defined during the PDF-B process; however, the
cost of Phase I is estimated to be about US $ 30-38 million, comprised of GEF-IW
funding in the amount of US $ 12-15 million and counterpart funding of US $ 5-6
million from the five Basin countries, US $ 8-11 million from FONPLATA, and US $
5-6 million from other partners, including AAAS, WMO, and others.
The components and expected outcomes of the initial four to five year project are
expected to include the following:
10
Component 1: Strengthening Institutional Arrangements for the Integrated
Management of the Basin, and for the Conduct of Project Activities.
Objective: This Component will set-up the institutional arrangements for the phased
project, the conduct of the current project phase I activities, and stakeholder and public
participation, under the auspices of the CIC.
Expected Outcomes:
i.
Strengthened capacity of the CIC to conduct the Project;
ii.
Enhanced public and stakeholder participation;
iii.
Agreed phased project institutional arrangements; and
iv.
Completed project documentation for next phase(s).
Description of Activities: Taking advantage of the relevant Best Practices emanating
from other GEF and non-GEF initiatives in the Basin, Component 1 addresses the key
issue of fragmented and weak institutions that currently characterise the basis for the
management of the water resources of the la Plata Basin. The restructured CIC, as of
December 2001, was the first step toward creating a more efficient management
mechanism for the la Plata Basin.
i.
Creation and operation of the National Project Units (similar to Inter-ministerial
committees) forming a network of National Project Units adequately staffed and
equipped to implement subsequent project phases, augmentation of staff
capacity and capabilities of the CIC structure including its Project Unit and
Technical Environmental department and thematic working groups (see section
E for CIC organigram), to effectively operate in a multi-national situation, and
management of the project components and activities in an efficient and co-
ordinated manner.
ii.
Based on the Stakeholder participation plan formulated under the PDF-B,
conduct of seminars and workshops, creation of effective programmes for
dissemination of project results and information using a variety of media and
targeting a variety of audiences--including scholars, the general public, elected
and appointed officials, industry, and others to be identified during the conduct
of these activities, and inclusion of non-traditional partners within the process of
formulating the Mega-TDA and FSAP.
iii.
Complementing the stakeholder and public informational programming, conduct
of activities aimed at more broadly disseminating information on the
institutional arrangement of the project as well as its outcomes and outputs, both
within the la Plata Basin and elsewhere.
iv.
Preparation of the Phase II project proposal, in addition to the Mega-TDA and
FSAP, by the CIC, in partnership with the project team established pursuant to
the implementation arrangement summarised below.
Outputs:
i.
A strengthened CIC structure with efficient and functioning institutions, and a
successfully managed project as witnessed by the agreed Mega-Transboundary
Diagnostic Analysis (Mega-TDA), the agreed Framework Strategic Action
11
Programme (FSAP), effective and active stakeholder participation process, and
an agreed project document for Phase II project activities.
ii.
Completed public and stakeholder meetings, published proceedings, and an on-
going multi-media informational programme.
iii. Information on the project disseminated within the Basin through a
comprehensive decision support system using the network of National Project
Units, inputs to the IW:LEARN best practices database, and information
disseminated by means of the IWRN, local, regional and international
conferences and symposia, and other appropriate media to be identified during
the project.
iv.
An agreed costed project proposal for a follow-up phase.
Means:
To this end, the CIC will execute this Component. The conduct by the CIC of the
activities required to prepare the project is a continuation of this process, and further
advances are proposed to be achieved throughout the Project. The institutional
strengthening activities will be carried out by the CIC and National Project Units
(NPUs) as set forth in the implementation arrangements outlined in this document.
The stakeholder involvement activities will be carried out by specialist consultants and
national project teams. These activities will be co-ordinated by the CIC in partnership
with UNEP (as manager of the best practices data base), OAS (as manager of the IWRN
and secretariat to the Inter-American Water Resources Dialogues), and other agencies as
appropriate.
Component 2: Predicting the Impacts of Climatic Variability and Change on the
Hydrology of the la Plata Basin.
Objective: This component will enhance the capacity of the five countries to predict the
likely impacts of climatic change and hydrologic variability through the identification of
common concerns, strategies, and processes.
Expected Outcomes:
i.
Improved flood and drought forecasting and modelling at the basin level;
ii.
Functional and fully-staffed local institutional resources;
iii.
Improved regional planning processes; and
iv.
An harmonised regional legislative framework for the protection of wetlands,
conduct of reservoir operations, management of land use, etc.
Description of Activities: The Activities under this component will initiate a process
that will culminate in the establishment of a Centre for the Prediction of Climate
Change and Hydrologic Variability during Phase II of the project.
i.
Selection and calibration of appropriate basin-scale models and their calibration,
building upon the inventories and methodologies developed under the PDF-B
process.
12
ii.
Strengthening of the regional network of institutions and individuals working in
the fields of climatology, hydrology, meteorology, town and regional planning,
and emergency preparedness.
iii.
Enhancing communications and co-ordination amongst the la Plata Basin
countries, creating a basis for harmonising regional legislative frameworks for
the protection of wetlands, conducting reservoir operations, and managing land
use, and governing other related elements of inter-governmental co-ordination--
in order to effectively and efficiently co-ordinate warning systems and responses
to natural disasters, the countries and institutions of the la Plata Basin must have
more closely harmonised regulatory and management strategies, legal
frameworks, and monitoring and reporting protocols.
iv.
Formulation of a harmonised legislative framework including the conceptual
agreement of (draft) common protocols and other standards, guidelines, and
criteria that will form the basic, common performance standards upon which
each country will develop their management programmes for the la Plata
Basin--notwithstanding, it is explicitly recognised that the actual
implementation of these results must rest upon the individual legal and
legislative processes of each of the Basin countries, and, consequently, the
ultimate implementation of harmonised legal and policy frameworks may not
occur during the project period but be gradually achieved during subsequent
project phases.
Outputs:
i.
Reviews of the existing network of stream gauges and of the availability of the
telemetry for networking hydrological instrumentation at the scale appropriate
for monitoring and predicting the hydrology of the Basin in the long term: at the
spatial scales relevant for this proposed climate-based initiative, a probable
target would be between 50 and 100 stream gauges. Identified "holes," likely
enhancements needed in the meteorological network, including precipitation
gauges, radar systems and radiosondes, and a data rescue effort, aimed at
assembling surface climate data not currently or readily available in electronic
form, needed for model implementation. Based on such data sets, comparison
(testing) and selection of model outputs with retrospective climate ensembles
and appropriate mapping, as well as increasing integration amongst different
groups and a broadening their historically narrow focus..
v.
Directories and related elements of a meteorological, climatological, and
hydrological network, and agreed commitments by these individuals and
institutions to participate in subsequent project phases aimed at creating a
regional climate centre acting as a center of excellence in the region and network
of national partners.
ii.
Operational information exchange systems within the la Plata Basin, resulting in
enhanced inter-governmental and intra-governmental co-ordination, inclusive of
more effective communications among and between governmental agencies and
stakeholders in each Basin country, as well as throughout the la Plata Basin, as
specifically evidenced by improved responses to the mitigation and limitation of
natural disasters, especially those related to floods and droughts.
13
iii.
Documented bases for creating and adopting the legal and societal components
of such a harmonised system (the technical and institutional components will be
the outputs of the activities associated with the modelling programme of the
project).
Means:
The activities will be carried out by VAMOS/PLATIN, in close collaboration with
RIGA and the AAAS, and with additional support from the WMO, World Climate
Research Programme (WCRP), and institutions of higher education in the la Plata
Basin. The legislative activities will be carried out by the CIC and its constituent
governments. To the extent necessary, the local conduct of these activities will be co-
ordinated by the CIC through its National Project Units and their partner organisations.
Component 3: Promoting a Common Vision for the la Plata Basin and Formulation
of the Basin-level Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis ("Mega-TDA").
Objective: This component will promote the dissemination of a common vision for the
Basin, its water and its natural resources, and develop a holistic diagnostic analysis of
shared transboundary concerns at the Basin-level (Mega-TDA).
Expected Outcomes:
i.
Enhanced sustainable management of water resources and improved
communication amongst users in the riparian countries supported by the creation
of users networks;
ii.
An agreed Basin-level Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis of the la Plata Basin;
and
iii.
Promotion of the agreed "Vision" for the la Plata Basin (developed during the
PDF-B phase).
Description of Activities:
i.
Creation and enhancement of user networks within the la Plata Basin with a
view to complement the networking process described under Component 2 with
respect to the scientific and technical institutions within the Basin. These
activities will increase involvement by industry, governmental and non-
governmental institutions, and civil society within the la Plata Basin.
ii.
Based upon the Vision and framework TDA for the la Plata Basin defined and
agreed during the PDF-B process, identification of the issues of transboundary
interest and concern to be considered within the Mega-TDA, incorporating
TDAs completed for the major sub-basins. Both the formulation and the
endorsement of the Mega-TDA will be integrated with the process of
stakeholder participation at the Basin level conducted under Component 1.
iii.
Promotion of the Vision integrated with the process of stakeholder participation
at the Basin level conducted under Component 1, above, integrating scientific
knowledge across the region with the demands of the stakeholders, and with the
judicial and institutional instruments currently developed by the governments of
the countries (including those refinements proposed under Component 2, above).
14
Outputs: This component will generate consensus agreements on the objectives that the
Basin communities have for the la Plata Basin. This consensus will inform the manner
in which the Basin countries collaborate in their efforts to sustainably and strategically
develop the Basin's resources.
i.
Mechanisms, employing a wide variety of media, including industry specific
networks among various sectoral stakeholders, as well as more generalised
public informational and educational programming. Delivery mechanisms,
likewise, are anticipated to include a range of participants, including existing
producer co-operatives, professional associations, and related organisational
partners.
ii.
An agreed Basin-level or Mega-TDA, with an agreed "menu" of issues of
concern and their likely root causes prioritised to reflect the most pressing
concerns and targeted toward those concerns most amenable to resolution (i.e.,
at "hot spots" within the Basin), that will form the basis the FSAP formulation
and for subsequent phases of this project.
iii.
An agreed Vision, a process for promoting the Basin Vision, published
proceedings, and related informational materials documenting the meetings,
seminars, and consultative activities.
Means:
i.
The user networking activities will be co-ordinated and implemented by the CIC
and supported as an on-going initiative of the CIC through its various divisions
and partners. Likely partners will include the environmental instrument of the
MERCOSUR/MERCOSUL, investments by regional development banks and
financial facilities, and country governments, amongst others.
ii.
It will be the task of the Technical Co-ordinator, with the support of the
technical institutions and their staff in the countries, and with input from the
specialised consultancies and workshops, to prepare the Mega-TDA in a manner
consistent with the agreed Vision. The Mega-TDA will be compiled by the
project team under the direction of the CIC, and published as a policy document
by the CIC upon agreement by its member states.
iii.
Based upon the Vision and the TDA framework developed during the PDF-B
process, and using the GEF TDA methodology as well as the experience
generated by the other GEF-IW projects in the region, the national project unit
staff and national representatives of the CIC Working Groups, assisted by
qualified consultants, will conduct national workshops in each of the five Basin
countries, on the themes defined during the formulation of the Vision. These
consultations will include participation of competent individuals and institutions
with an interest in these selected topics, including academic institutions and
organisations from civil society. Through this iterative process, each country
will develop a national TDA, to be integrated into a shared TDA for the entire
basin or Mega-TDA. Specific attention will be given to gender and generational
issues, focusing on women and youth.
15
Component 4: Executing Pilot Demonstration Projects for the Management of
Critical Areas and Topics.
Objective: This component includes the execution of demonstration projects and other
interventions as appropriate to address critical themes and areas identified during the
PDF-B phase testing the feasibility and costs associated with specific interventions
required for the sustainable management of the Basin's water resources.
Complementing the Basin Vision and the Mega-TDA, the results of these demonstration
projects will be incorporated into the FSAP.
Expected Outcomes:
i.
Enhanced basin-scale fisheries management;
ii.
Protection of aquatic biodiversity in the Paraná River sub-basin;
iii.
Enhanced carbon sequestration in the Chaco through mitigation of land
degradation in the Chaco;
iv. Innovative
environmentally-friendly
technologies implemented for energy
production; and
v.
Optimised management of reservoir operations for multiple objectives.
Description of Activities: No more than five pilot demonstration projects are currently
envisaged to be conducted during this project. These pilot demonstration projects focus
on currently identified, priority issues within the Basin, and build upon issues identified
by the CIC as shared issues relevant to the five countries of the la Plata Basin. The
terms of reference for these projects will be developed in the necessary detail during the
project preparation phase; however, the following potential demonstration project areas
have been agreed by the Basin countries as likely candidates based upon the current
state of knowledge and substantiated with existing data and documentation:
i.
Fisheries Demonstration Project--Justification: The countries of the la Plata
Basin have significant investments in fisheries, both within the freshwater areas
of the Basin and in the estuarine portions adjacent to the Maritime Front. These
investments relate not only to economic development within the Basin, but also
to issues of biodiversity protection (see Activity iii, below). Elements of the on-
going GEF-IW initiatives in both the Upper Paraguay River Basin and in the
Maritime Front are aimed at identifying specific interventions as likely outputs
of those projects. (For example, the current fisheries agreement between Brasil
and Paraguay being promoted under the auspices of the Upper Paraguay River
Basin project could be replicated elsewhere in the la Plata Basin as the basis for
joint fisheries management by all five Basin countries). The replication of this
latter, specific accord is envisioned herein and extension those outputs will be
enhanced through the conduct of specific demonstration project(s). In this way,
these activities will contribute to the replication of initiatives already introduced
within the Basin, and contribute to achieving sustainable utilisation of the
Basin's fisheries resources. The main purpose of this demo project will be to
contribute information for the development of a basin scale regional legislative
framework for sustainable fisheries management.
ii.
Biodiversity Conservation Demonstration Project--Justification: The activities
associated with the protection and preservation of the biological diversity of the
la Plata Basin will recognise the unique character of the native flora and fauna of
16
the la Plata Basin, and result in practical measures to protect and preserve this
character, especially in the face of non-sustainable land and water management
practices. A pilot demonstration project is being implemented in the Pantanal
under the Upper Paraguay River Basin project. Complementary interventions are
proposed to be implemented in the Paraná River sub-basin, where similar
conditions and concerns exist. These activities also will complement and
contribute to the fisheries resource conservation objectives of related pilot
demonstration projects being undertaken both within this project and as
elements of other GEF-IW initiatives as well as to the national obligations of the
Basin countries under related international agreements and protocols.
iii.
Carbon Sequestration Demonstration Project--Justification: In addition to the
Pantanal, the la Plata Basin contains one of the great grassland ecosystems of
the world, the Chaco. The Chaco is comprised of a variety of prairie or
savannah types, grading from the wetter ecosystems in the east to the drier
ecosystems in the west of the Basin. Over the years, unsustainable management
practices, generally associated with agricultural development along this frontier,
have diminished the carbon sequestration potential of this ecosystem. These
activities will contribute to the natural resources conservation objectives of
related pilot demonstration projects being undertaken both within this project
and as elements of other GEF-IW initiatives as well as to the national
obligations of the Basin countries under related international agreements and
protocols.
iv.
Implementation of Alternative Environmentally-friendly Technologies for
Energy Production Demonstration Project--Justification: The activities are
likely to address issues of conservation of electricity and substitution of
destructive forestry practices associated with the unsustainable use of wood
fuels in the Basin. These activities will complement the hydro-power component
of the FSAP.
v.
Optimisation of the Management of Multiple-Purpose Reservoirs
Demonstration Project--Justification: The activities relating to the alternative
management strategies for hydro-power generating facilities within the la Plata
Basin address issues of fisheries management, biodiversity conservation,
alternative energy utilisation, and water resources development within the Basin.
Of necessity, this demonstration project will have to consider the issues of
alternative energy, fisheries management (especially breeding success and
habitat protection/restoration issues), protection of native species (especially
threatened and endangered plant and animal species), and the prevention and
mitigation of natural disasters (especially those associated with hydrologic
phemonena such as flooding). It is anticipated that this project will utilise the
principles of ecohydrology in developing appropriate operational protocols for
dissemination within the Basin. By adopting integrated operational policies
across multiple sectors, this project will result in the sustainable and
environmentally-friendly use of the Basin's renewable water resources.
Outputs:
The outputs will not only provide relevant information on cost and feasibility of
remedial measures for the formulation of the FSAP but will further the best practices
17
data base being compiled by IW:LEARN and contribute directly to the needed capacity
within communities and stakeholder organisation to implement sustainable practices
within the Basin.
i.
Information basis for the formulation of a regional legislative framework.
Specific fisheries management practices that will minimise loss of fish species
due to over-fishing, use of unsustainable fisheries practices, and loss of fish
habitat, and be comprised of documented case studies, and agreed best practices
for replication within the Basin (and elsewhere through the media of, inter alia,
the IW:LEARN and IWRN).
ii.
Biodiversity conservation activities within the "menu" of best practices,
focusing on those ecosystems and ecotones not previously considered within
GEF-IW projects.
iii.
Reconnected portions of the la Plata River with their floodlands, restored
riverine floodland forests and wet meadows, and controlled non-native invasive
species, including identification and implementation of measures to enhance and
restore the carbon sequestration capacity of the Chaco at a minimum of one site.
iv.
Identified costs and feasibilities of likely alternative energy sources that will
contribute to the energy conservation objectives of related pilot demonstration
projects being undertaken both within this project and as elements of other GEF-
IW initiatives, in addition to addressing national obligations of the Basin
countries under related international agreements and protocols.
v.
A documented operational strategy for a hydro-power installation that
recognises the multiple use status of the Basin's water resources.
Means:
These activities will be co-ordinated by the CIC in partnership with appropriate
governmental and non-governmental organisations. The pilot demonstration project(s)
will be co-ordinated by the CIC and locally executed by organisational partners with
appropriate assistance from consultants, academic institutions, and governmental
agencies.
Component 5: Elaborating a Framework Strategic Action Programme (FSAP) for the
Integrated Management of the Water Resources of the la Plata Basin.
Objective: This component building on the outputs of each of the other project
components including this current one will ultimately result in the elaboration of a
framework of strategic actions (FSAP) that will act as a policy document for the
integrated management of the water resources of the la Plata Basin within which more
localised watershed management programmes can be developed and implemented.
Expected Outcomes:
i.
Consolidation of the technical capacity of the CIC to efficiently co-ordinate the
integrated management of the Basin's water resources, in part, utilising a
Decision Support System for the Basin;
18
ii.
Appropriate technical procedures for the adaptation to, and mitigation of, the
effects of climatic variability and change within the Basin;
iii.
Development of appropriate technical and economic instruments for the
integrated management of the water resources would be desirable to harmonise
judicial and institutional frameworks in the Basin; and,
iv.
Enhanced communication bewteen and participation of interested stakeholders
in the integrated management and sustainable use of water resources through
education for the sustainable development.
Description of Activities: The constituent elements, scope, and terms of reference of
the FSAP will be determined and put together. These constituent elements of the FSAP
will be defined by the Basin Vision and the Mega-TDA, within which the Programme
will be formulated. The following process is envisaged:
· initiation by the CIC of co-ordination activities to manage information and integrate
experiences from this and other GEF projects in the Basin, leading to the
development of a Decision Support System for the Basin during subsequent phases
of the project;
· implementation/testing and further refinement of appropriate technical procedures
developed during the PDF-B process for the adaptation to and mitigation of the
effects of climatic variability and change that will alert communities and prevent
and mitigate, to the extent necessary, the occurrence of catastrophic events,
particularly of the recurrent floods and droughts that affect the distribution and
availability of the water resources of the Basin;
· collection of appropriate information for the FSAP formulation;
· development of pro forma appropriate technical and economic instruments for the
integrated management of the water resources that seek to harmonise juridical and
institutional frameworks to address contamination, erosion, transportation and
deposition of silts, and major water use conflicts and guide societal, public and
private investments toward aspects and key actions for sustainable development;
and
· on-going communication with and participation of interested stakeholders in the
integrated management and sustainable use of water resources through education for
the sustainable development.
i.
Development of a Decision Support System, closely associated with that set
forth under Component 2 relating to the creation of a regional climate centre, but
extended and expanded to include the development of support systems for the
range of decisions being made within the la Plata Basin in respect to the
sustainable development of the Basin.
ii.
Mitigation and prevention of natural disasters associated with climatic and
hydrologic variability in the Basin, likewise, closely associated with the more
specific and focused activities set forth under Component 2, but aimed at
enhancing community-based warning and response systems for the mitigation of
natural disasters through the Basin.
iii.
Adoption of legal and legislative frameworks within each of the la Plata Basin
countries, to be refined as a consequence of foregoing activities and focused on
supporting and initiating the necessary legislative responses--while the actual
19
legislative processes differ throughout the la Plata Basin, the results of these
activities will be the initiation of the respective processes within the various
governmental jurisdictions to conform the regulatory and legal frameworks
throughout the Basin.
iv.
Stakeholder-focused programming activities tightly targeted to specific user
groups, economic sectors, and individual stakeholders, which are foreseen as
being highly inter-active, resulting in changes in operating procedures and
institutional processes that will contribute materially and substantially to the
sustainable use and development of the natural resources of the la Plata Basin
over time.
Outputs:
i.
A Decision Support System (DSS) available to all Basin countries through the
CIC and its Technical Unit for Projects.
ii.
Specific community-based warning systems as pilot demonstration projects, as
well as documented methodologies for replicating feasible systems elsewhere in
the la Plata Basin thereby increasing public safety, reduced loss of life and
property, and increased public welfare and economic stability (including
enhanced sustainability of economic activities) throughout the Basin.
iii.
The outputs of the legal activities are likely to be seen at the national level, but,
ultimately, the outputs will be local level land use plans, ordinances, disaster
response programmes, and related initiatives.
iv.
Documented case studies that will be widely disseminated through the
IW:LEARN network, IWRN, and related delivery mechanisms.
v.
An agreed framework SAP (FSAP) with agreed legal and institutional reforms,
as well as investments needed both nationally and jointly to address the
transboundary problems.
Means:
These activities will be implemented, in part, and co-ordinated by the CIC in
collaboration with its constituent governments, the appropriate agencies of which will
form the local delivery system within each country based upon their adopted legal and
legislative frameworks. In addition, the on-going stakeholder and public participation
activities are seen as an essential element of the activities to be completed under this
Component. The CIC will be the lead agency in this portion of the process, with
significant participation by the stakeholders, their existing networks and associations,
and appropriate governmental agencies at all levels of civil society.
Project Design
To fully and comprehensively address the basin issues, this project includes a project
development activity (PDF, Block B) that will define the conduct and content of the
project. As currently envisioned, this initiative is expected to be developed and
implemented in a stepwise manner, with potentially three-phases. Each successive phase
would be developed during the preceding phase and remain contingent upon the
successful completion of the previous phase: The current project as described above (4
20
to 5 years) will address the fundamental issues of strategic planning and capacity
building, putting in place the institutional framework that will form the basis for
interventions in later phases and that will catalyse sustainable development within the la
Plata Basin as an whole; follow-up project Phase II, conditioned by the success of the
current project, by translating the policy (FSAP), institutional, and technical
(hydrological forecasting) frameworks into actions (Watershed Management
Programmes) at the major sub-basin level will initiate and strengthen the capacity of the
Basin countries to jointly manage the la Plata Basin as an hydrologic unit; while Phase
III will strictly focus on implementation of agreed strategic actions, policies, and
programmes within the Basin, leading to the integrated management of the shared water
resources in a sustainable manner. Beyond the current phase as presented in the project
identifier section, the estimated financing plan for the follow-up potential successive
phases contingent upon success of the preceding phase, is estimated, given the scope of
the initiative, to be US$ 15 million of GEF Grant with a total amount of co-financing
estimated, to be US$ 23 million from countries, FONPLATA, UNEP, OAS, WMO,
AAAS, and others for a period of 8 years.
D. INCREMENTAL COST ANALYSIS
Baseline Situation
The baseline situation consists of: (1) long-term development programmes for the la
Plata Basin, where investments in sanitation, transportation and other infrastructure
such as a natural gas pipeline development project and IDB Pantanal sanitation
programme, etc., are being planned at the local, provincial, and national levels for
construction during the next ten to fifteen years; (2) planned and ongoing investments in
river transportation systems, hydro-power generation systems, and related investments
at the bi-national or tri-national levels; (3) environmentally-related activities (e.g., on-
going, government-supported investments in the hydro-meteorological network), and,
(4) relatively uncoordinated activities being planned or executed by many government
agencies and/or private parties in the Basin.
At the national and sub-national levels, the estimated baseline investments consist of: a)
ongoing operation and maintenance costs associated with public and private
conservation areas; b) operational costs associated with river regulation and hydro-
power projects; c) current operating costs of governmental agencies tasked with
administering regulatory programmes within the la Plata Basin countries, including
support for the hydro-meteorological information network; and, d) costs associated with
flood- and drought-related losses in both urbanised and rural agricultural areas of the
Basin.
Significant investments have been made in the project area and surrounding environs.
These cover related investments in irrigation, hydropower, sanitation, transportation,
and other infrastructure in the la Plata Basin in the coming years. Government and
counterpart funding is also provided within specific sub-basins for the formation of
basin committees; studies on the impact of agriculture and agro-industries on water
resources; and, studies of surface and ground water quality. Although many of these
latter initiatives are relatively uncoordinated to realise direct benefits for the project,
they nevertheless represent in-country programs and activities within the region that
may have impacts on the project site.
21
Despite the number and variety of interventions currently being undertaken or being
planned for the la Plata Basin, the majority of these interventions remain largely sectoral
in nature. For this reason, most are uncoordinated, at best and, in some cases, conflict or
compete with initiatives proposed by other agencies, organisations, and communities
utilising the same resources. Such occurrences prompted the recommendation from the
WSSD that water resources uses be co-ordinated at the basin level through effective
international agreements. As such co-ordination is a fundamental element of the GEF-
IW focal area, and critical for the sustainable utilisation of freshwater and coastal
marine resources, development of a GEF project within the la Plata Basin is warranted.
GEF Alternative Scenario
The GEF support for activities within the la Plata Basin that promote a unified Vision
for the Basin and collective, co-ordinated action by all Basin countries acting in concert
is embodied within the existing portfolio of projects being executed within the la Plata
River Basin.5 However, without a common vision of the Basin and a wider political and
institutional framework, even these efforts can become fragmented and parochial
because of their focus on specific portions of the la Plata Basin--even though, without a
doubt, these projects have yielded positive outcomes.
The alternative scenario consists of the implementation of those actions needed to both
introduce sustainable development into development projects within the la Plata Basin,
and achieve the resulting global environmental benefits embodied in the mitigation of
transboundary environmental problems. The costs of these actions are those necessary
to include sustainable development considerations in the projects within the Basin over
and above the requirements of the regular environmental impact assessments and
mitigation measures required to be completed under existing national and local
environmental laws and regulations.
Water resources management in the la Plata Basin will be directed and co-ordinated by
the Intergovernmental Co-ordination Committee (CIC), which body has been
established by Treaty between the five Basin countries to promote the integrated
management of the Basin in consultation with the Basin governments. This agency will
require strengthening, to be provided, in part, through GEF support.
Reduced soil loss, improved flood and drought forecasting, and more effective and
sustainable use of available water resources are national benefits to be expected as a
result of the activities of this project. These also have significant impacts in maintaining
the watershed and its environs, and the globally significant resources, such as the
Pantanal, within the Basin. However, the full extent of localised benefits cannot be
estimated at this time and it is assumed that the domestic funding provided is equivalent
to the national costs and will adequately compensate for the domestic benefits achieved.
In addition, many of these same benefits accrue across jurisdictional boundaries. As
demonstrated through the GEF-funded interventions in the Bermejo River Basin and in
the Upper Paraguay River Basin, incremental investments in headwater areas can have
5 These projects are: i) Implementation of the Strategic Action Program for the Bermejo River Binational
Basin: Phase I (Argentina-Bolivia); ii) Integrated Management of Land-Based Activities in the São
Francisco Basin (Brasil); iii) Integrated Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development of the
Guarani Aquifer System (Argentina-Brasil-Paraguay-Uruguay); and, iv) Environmental Protection of the
la Plata River and its Maritime Front: the Prevention and Control of Pollution and the Restoration of
Habitat (Argentina-Uruguay).
22
significant benefit in downstream areas which are subject to sedimentation, flooding,
and contamination. Likewise, the Southwest Atlantic Large Marine Ecosystem (LME)
benefits as a consequence of reduced transport of contaminants into the coastal zone and
enhanced fish breeding success as a result of habitat preservation, protection, and
restoration, these latter benefits being demonstrated through the GEF-funded
intervention in the Maritime Front.
Consequently, the global benefits arising from the GEF intervention will be the
formulation of a comprehensive Basin Vision to reduce contamination and pollution of
wetlands, coastal areas, groundwater and riverine systems; the implementation of agreed
strategic actions to protect economic investments from flood and drought losses; and the
utilisation of enhanced capacity within the CIC to co-ordinate and promote sustainable
economic development within the Basin at the regional level. The process, lessons-
learned, and best practices identified and implemented will complement and enhance
the ability of national and regional water resources agencies and organisations within
and outside of the la Plata Basin to manage shared transboundary water resources for
sustainable use. By sharing the experiences of the CIC through such media as the Inter-
American Water Resources Network (IWRN), IW:LEARN, and the GEF-IW best
practices data base, the latter two being Internet-based initiatives funded through the
GEF, the project will strengthen and enhance GEF-IW funded interventions throughout
the world, as well as within the la Plata Basin.
E. IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS, STAKEHOLDER PARTICIP-
ATION, AND SUSTAINABILITY
The CIC is the agency established by the five signatory countries to the Treaty of the la
Plata Basin, and the agency tasked by the countries to provide the institutional
framework within which this GEF-funded project is to be executed. The CIC will be the
local executing agency of the project. The CIC will have the technical and
administrative support of the General Secretariat of the OAS--through the Unit of
Sustainable Development and Environment and the offices of the OAS in each of the
five countries--and of UNEP, as the GEF Implementing Agency.6
The agreement of a new statute for the CIC, approved by the five countries during
December 2001, created a Commission of ten representatives and their alternates, two
from each of the five basin countries. One of the representatives to the Commission is a
political representative, charged with plenipotentiary powers by their governments, and
the other is a technical specialist. The technical representatives for the Unit for the la
Plata River Basin Project (PU-CIC). This Unit will co-ordinate and develop the
technical aspects of the proposed project: (i) constituting the organ that will internalise
agreed regional actions in each of the Basin countries, (ii) forming the channel by which
proposals are developed, and (iii) catalysing the preparation and execution of the
program for the development of the Framework Strategic Action Program for the la
Plata River Basin.
6 While UNEP is proposed as the GEF Implementing Agency--given the regional character of the
project, UNEP's relationship to the GIWA project, and UNEP's role in the previous international waters
projects being executed in critical sub-basins of the la Plata Basin--the participation of The World Bank
and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is considered indispensable and will be welcomed
during the preparation and conduct of the Project.
23
The CIC will secure agreement on the project, and initiate their role in co-ordinating the
integrated management of the water resources of the la Plata Basin, pursuant to their
mission: "...CIC is the permanent organ that promotes, coordinates and integrates the
multinational actions guiding to the best use of the resources of the la Plata Basin and
the harmonious and balanced development of the region, through the achievement of the
objectives set forth in the Treaty of the la Plata Basin and the Resolutions of the
Meetings of Foreign Ministers."
Each country has defined the institution(s) responsible for the co-ordination of project
execution within the country, and each country participates in the CIC through their
National Technical Representative. The co-ordinating institutions responsible for the
execution of the project in each country are:
· In Argentina, Sub-Secretariat for Water Resources of the Nation.
· In Bolivia, Vice-Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Forestry
Development, Ministry of Sustainable Development and Planning.
· In Brasil, Secretariat of Water Resources, Ministry of the Environment.
· In Paraguay, General Directorate for the Protection and Conservation of Water
Resources, Secretariat for the Environment (SEAM).
· In Uruguay, National Directorate of Hydrography (DNH), Ministry of
Transportation and Public Works (MTOP).
These institutions will be the responsible for constituting and co-ordinating with the
NPU in each country, and identifying and addressing the formalities considered
necessary, with overall co-ordination by the Secretary General of the CIC, as Local
Executing Agency.
Organigram for the Preparation of the Project
CIC
General Secretary of the
CIC
(Director of the Project)
Project Unit of CIC
Other Associated Organizations
(Steering Group of the Project *-1)
FONPLATA/WNO/etc.
UNEP
O
AS
Technical Coordinator
NPU
NPU
NPU
NPU
NPU
of the Project - TCP
ARG
BOL
BRA
PAR
URU
Working Groups
NC
NC
NC
NC
NC
A
gricultural/Land use
Energy
T
ransport
Irri
gation
Sanitation/Drinking Water
Biodiversity/Fisheries
24
Implementation Arrangements
The institutional arrangements agreed for the preparation of the project (shown in
Diagram 1, above) reflect the governance arrangements within the CIC. While these
arrangements will be further refined during the project preparation phase, certain
elements may be anticipated based upon the governing document of the CIC approved
by the Meeting of Foreign Ministers from the la Plata Basin during December 2001, the
CIC is comprised of two regular representatives and two alternates from each Basin
country. One of these representatives is political, invested by their government with
plenipotentiary authority, and the other representative is technical, being a project
specialist. The technical representatives form the Unit for Projects in the la Plata Basin
System (PU-CIC). The PU-CIC is the agency within the CIC that is charged with: i) co-
ordinating and implementing regional agreements through institutional action within
each country, ii) supporting and sustaining environmental management efforts in the
Basin, and, at the conclusion of the project, iii) preparing and executing the Framework
Strategic Action Program that will be produced as the outcome of this project.
The Secretary General of the CIC will be the Director of the Project. In this role, the
Secretary General will co-ordinate the technical work of the project and oversee
preparation of the project document (Project Briefs for the three phases). The OAS will
hire, in consultation and with the guarantee of the General Secretary of the CIC and the
national technical representatives of each country (in accordance with its norms and
administrative procedures) and in close consultation with UNEP, a Technical Co-
ordinator of the Project (PTC) who will be specialist in integrated handling of the water
resources with wide experience in the topic and in the preparation of projects. The PTC
will work with headquarters in the offices of the CIC in Buenos Aires and it will travel
to the countries when it is necessary.
The PU-CIC will serve as a Technical Committee overseeing the scientific aspects of
the project. This Committee is comprised of the Technical Representatives from the
institutions in each country charged with developing policies for the management of
water resources in each country. In addition, UNEP, the OAS, FONPLATA, and the
other implementing agencies of the GEF (The World Bank and UNDP) will be invited
to attend meetings relating to this project. In addition, representatives from other
associated institutions that are collaborating in the financing and execution of the
project will be invited to attend--these latter institutions being present in an ex officio
capacity.
During the preparation of the project and for the entire phased approach, each country
will form a National Project Unit (NPU), acting as an inter-ministerial committee, that
will co-ordinate between the institutions responsible for water resources management
policy and integrate each government's institutional participation with that of the
academic organisations and civil society participating in the Project. Since project
preparation and execution is conceived as a consensus building process among the
countries, the Activities will be developed on the basis of workshops, organised
according to Component, and based on the existing institutions in each country. This
process is envisioned as a means of facilitating the active participation and involvement
of academic institutions and organisations from civil society. These consensus-building
events (seminars and formal and informal meetings, national and international
workshops, etc.) will be prepared with the support of consultants specialised in the
subjects to be discussed. The consultants will act as facilitators of the process and
25
catalyse the proposals agreed among the participants in the workshops. To guide these
discussions and incorporate their outputs into the technical proposals those concerns
that reflect a national consensus on high-priority topics, the National Project Units will
synthesise the inputs of specific Work Groups, created under the institutional auspices
of the competent national agencies as a means of elaborating consensus on each specific
topic.
Each National Project Unit will identify a National Co-ordinator (NC) who will
communicate with the CIC and the OAS. The NC, ideally, will be the Technical
Representative to the CIC, or a designated official of the NPU. The NPU will be funded
as part of the country-based co-financing designated for this project. This co-financing
will include the costs of a compensation package based upon prevailing national rates in
each country, dedicated technical staff time, and corresponding operational expenses.
As noted above, UNEP will be the Implementing Agency and the General Secretariat of
the OAS, through the Unit of Sustainable Development and Environment, will be
responsible for the preparation of the project in support of the CIC, co-ordinating with
the office of the Secretary General of the CIC. The OAS, through their national offices,
will administer the funds and support project activities in each participating country and
co-ordinate technical services provided to the project from their headquarters in Buenos
Aires, Argentina.
Stakeholder Participation
During the preparation of the project, the active participation of organised interest
groups will be promoted by: i) the participation of key representatives in the events,
workshops and meetings, and ii) the participation of specialised local consultants in the
development of a public participation plan and the execution of the education and
communication component of the project. Such participation will be facilitated through
both informal meetings in the countries and formal meetings at the national and
international levels.
At the basin scale, public participation will be enhanced by the involvement of basin
authorities, civil organisations, consortia and associations of municipalities, public
companies and public service providers, unions, universities, and other networks. In
addition, a more direct form of user participation will be through the participation of
lenders and service providers in pilot demonstration projects addressing specific critical
areas and topics ("hot spots"). Through this process, the participants will develop
"ownership" of the total project, knowing that their participation has helped to shape the
proposals presented at the end of the project preparation process. In addition, the
participation of these actors will develop concrete commitments and encourage
complementary actions in support of the studies elaborated in the phased project
documents. Further, as an element of ensuring the sustainability of the project, it is
anticipated that this process of public participation in the preparation of the project will
be formalised in a Plan for Public Participation, Education and Social Communication
that will be incorporated into the Framework Strategic Action Plan.
Sustainability
The sustainability of the project is inherent in the strengthening of the CIC, as Local
Executing Agency, and of the competent national institutions, acting in the different
areas that the project proposes to address. The commitment of the different institutional
26
and jurisdictional entities of the participating countries with competence in integrated
water resources management (water-earth-climate), and of the organisations of civil
society, will strengthen a process that already extends over more than 30 years of
official initiatives and policy development.
Replicability
The dissemination of the phased project outcomes will initially be co-ordinated with the
opportunities for stakeholder involvement in the total project. Responsible participation
of the Basin's educated population is to be encouraged through the workshops and
seminars. These opportunities are to be included in each one of the activities included in
the project preparation phase, and in each of the major project components. An
interactive Internet page, guided virtual dialogues on topics and matters of interest
relating the project, and similar opportunities for participation of the general populace
will be provided. Project documents will be posted on a world-wide web site to be
designed and managed by a consultant specialised in social communication and engaged
for this purpose. Through the use of Internet media such as the IWRN and IW:LEARN,
the results and outputs of the project can be widely disseminated. Additional
opportunities for sharing the project results and outputs are provided through inter-
governmental meetings, scientific symposia, and events such as the Fifth Inter-
American Dialogue on Water Resources Management (Dialogue V) and Fourth World
Water Forum, which will occur during the currency of this project. Also, as previously
noted, the active interest of the la Plata Basin countries in the co-ordinated management
of the resources of the Basin, as evidenced through the CIC, its units, and sister
organisations in the region, provides not only a basis for sustainability but also a vehicle
for replicability in and adjacent to the Basin.
F. MONITORING AND EVALUATION
UNEP, as the GEF Implementing Agency and in co-operation with the OAS as
Executing Agency, will ensure that the project conforms to GEF requirements relative
to reporting and financial management. In addition, UNEP, the OAS, and the CIC,
through the Steering Committee structure, will ensure that the project addresses the
GEF-IW monitoring and evaluation indicators. Utilising key process and status indicators
will be an intrinsic part of the entire project. These indicators will be implemented
through the establishment and integration of monitoring tools into project components, as
agreed by the Steering Committee. 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. Implementing Agency supervision will be
exercised through the Executing Agency and by participation in the regular 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 governments of the five countries and UNEP-OAS within one
year after the end of the project.
During the PDF-B, a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plan taking into
account the new required GEF-IW indicators as well as looking at output and outcome
indicators will be prepared. This M&E plan will serve as the basis for the entire phased
approach ensuring periodic project M&E using appropriate indicators to track progress
throughout the life of the project. All indicators will be quantified with numerical
targets including timeframe. Means of verification will also be outlined.
27
The baseline data will be collected as much as possible during the PDF-B phase and
possible data gaps will be identified for further remediation during the early stages of
the project phase.
G. PROJECT DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
The past two decades have witnessed important efforts to generate information,
exchange data, and build technical capacity within the la Plata Basin. The PDF-B
activities, set forth below, build on this momentum by preparing the first phase of a
potential three-phased project as outlined above, that will co-ordinate actions between
the five Basin countries and address common problems that affect and are likely to
affect the shared water resources of the la Plata Basin. These activities, which are
wholly incremental in nature, are proposed to be funded in part through the financial
support of a PDF Block B grant by the GEF in the amount of US $ 700,000. In addition,
the CIC has received funding through FONPLATA (US $ 155,000) and has committed
support from governments and other agencies (US $ 471,100), including the WMO and
AAAS.
Completion of these project development activities within 18 months will allow the five
Basin countries, within the framework of the CIC as local executing agency, to define
the parameters, establish terms of reference, and determine the components and
activities to be included in the GEF project Phase I. The outcome of the activities set
forth below will be the preparation of a project document (Project Brief) for a first full
size project. This document will not only guide the application for GEF funds, but also
stimulate parallel actions to strengthen the common vision of the Basin and is integrated
management, through an institutionally effective and technically strengthened CIC.
The preparation of the project will involve the institutions in each country responsible
for defining the policies required for the sustainable and integrated management of
water resources, including substantive participation from the appropriate national
environmental institutions should water resources responsibilities be spread across
several agencies. Five core elements form the PDF-B activities, and are set forth below.
Activity 1. Strengthening Institutional Arrangements for the Integrated
Management of the Basin, and Arrangements for the Preparation of
the Project
The technical and financial capacity of the General Secretariat of the CIC will be
evaluated and mechanisms and instruments for strengthening its capacity will be
proposed. Terms of reference for strengthening the institutional arrangements for the
integrated management of the basin and project execution will then be formulated. This
activity one will also cover the preparation of the Project Document (Project Brief) for a
first phase. Also included in this Activity will be the formulation of a multi-stakeholder
participation and consultation programme as an outcome of the public participation
process--the public participation plan, and the formulation of a Monitoring and
Evaluation plan which will condition the M&E activities for the entire phased project.
The cost of this Activity is US $ 544,700. GEF: US $ 240,700; co-financing from the
countries and the CIC in the amount of US $ 149,000, from FONPLATA in the amount
of US $ 55,000, and from UNEP and the OAS, each, in the amount of US $ 35,000 (in
kind).
28
Activity 2.
Predicting the Impacts of Climatic Variability and Change on the
Hydrology of the la Plata Basin.
This activity will include the conduct of an international workshop with experts from
within the region to define the scope and TORs necessary to develop capacity within the
la Plata Basin to predict, with more certainty, the impacts and consequences of climatic
variability (short and medium term) and change (long term) on the water resources of
the Basin, including the initial development of methodologies for the efficient
incorporation of the various components needed to carry out predictions of impacts
under a range of scenarios as well as for the selection of models to be used, and provide
guidelines for the forecasting system to be prepared during the project phase in the
Basin. At the same time, the activity will facilitate collection of required information
for the design and operation of such systems. The cost of this Activity is US $ 178,300.
GEF: US $ 150,500, and co-financing from the countries and the CIC in the amount of
US $ 27,800.
Activity 3. Development of a Common Vision of the la Plata Basin and
Formulation of a Framework TDA.
A unique and common vision for the Basin will be developed in order to guide the
sustainable development of the Basin as a whole. This Vision will act as the basis for
the formulation of the framework for the Mega-TDA. A framework TDA will be
developed subsequently, identifying the major threats facing the la Plata Basin at the
sub-basin level. The cost of this Activity is US $ 229,900. GEF: US $ 147,100, and co-
financing from the countries and the CIC in the amount of US $ 32,800, and from the
WMO of US $ 50,000.
Activity 4. Identification of Pilot Demonstration Projects for the Management
of Critical Areas and Topics.
The terms of reference including costs, indicated results, and indicators of success (to be
determined by appropriate monitoring and evaluation procedures) for these pilot
demonstration projects will be developed in the necessary detail during the project
preparation phase to allow the implementation during the project phase. The choice of
these pilot activities will be based on both the vision and the Framework TDA as well
as stemming from the experiences of other GEF projects within the Basin. The cost of
this Activity is US $ 155,300. GEF: US $ 27,000, and co-financing from FONPLATA
in the amount of US $ 100,000 and from the countries and the CIC in the amount of US
$ 28,300.
Activity 5. Elaboration of the Process to Prepare a Framework Strategic Action
Program (FSAP) for the Integrated Management of the Water
Resources of the la Plata Basin.
This activity will prepare the scope, constituent elements, and terms of reference for the
formulation of a FSAP, to be undertaken during the project phase thereby elaborating a
process for its formulation. The cost of this Activity is US $ 181,900. GEF: US $
134,700, and co-financing from the countries and the CIC in the amount of US $
47,200.
29
Results and Outputs of the PDF-B
The most important output of the PDF-B process will be the preparation of the project
brief. This output will be the result of a process whereby the countries will have
strengthened the CIC as part of the process of co-ordinating the integrated management
of the water resources of the la Plata Basin. Complementing this output will be a
defined Vision for the sustainable development of the Basin, with an agreed scope and
terms of reference for the development of a framework program of strategic action
between the countries and among society. Specifically, outputs of the execution of the
PDF Block B program will include:
i)
Terms of reference for strengthening institutional arrangements for the
integrated management of the basin, and project execution in its subsequent
phases including TORs for the creation of functioning NPUs within each
country, together with operational thematic Working Groups on the environment
of the Basin. The initiation of the strengthening of the Projects Unit and the
General Secretariat of the CIC to formulate programs and projects, co-ordinate
the execution of activities between countries, and catalyse co-operation and
financing within the la Plata Basin will result from the PDF-B phase;
ii)
A stakeholder and public participation plan;
iii)
An agreed Monitoring and Evaluation plan;
iv)
A Project Brief;
v)
An interactive Digital Map that links key actors and information sources in the
la Plata Basin, able to support the preparation of an FSAP, and capable of
interfacing with the different existing systems of information--including those
of other GEF-financed projects, through the creation of a Centre for
Documentation in the la Plata Basin;
vi)
TORs for the design of a system to forecast climatic and hydrological events,
which design will be operationalised during the project phase;
vii)
Definition of the technical and instrumental basis, with appropriate terms of
reference, for implementing a Decision Support System in the la Plata Basin,
addressing, in the first instance, contingency planning with respect to managing
catastrophic climatic events in the la Plata Basin;
viii) Identification of a group of concrete demonstration projects to quantify critical
topics and areas, capable of being executed during the period of the formulation
of the FSAP, that will provide information and experience in the integrated
management of the water resources of the Basin, their costs and feasibilities, to
be incorporated into the FSAP;
ix)
Publication of a group of technical documents containing:
· a Vision for the sustainable development of the Basin agreed among the five
countries based upon an issue paper on the adoption and implementation of
the Vision as it relates to water resources in the Basin,
· a framework for the Mega-Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) aimed
at identifying the root causes of, and priorities for action to address, the main
environmental problems in the Basin;
· a preliminary characterisation of the climate-water-soils relationship in the la
Plata Basin, its current and projected situation, which will form the basis of
an improved forecasting system to guide the sustainable development of the
Basin and prevent and mitigate the effects of floods and droughts;
30
· the development of preliminary, integrated climatic models of the la Plata
Basin, addressing climatic variability and change, and the prediction of
associate disasters, including the definition of terms of reference, costs, and
indicators of success;
· the development of preliminary hydrological models of the la Plata Basin,
including terms of reference for the elaboration of studies and use of global
models (water-soils-climate) of the Basin to be further developed in the
FSAP; and
· a cartographic base map of the Basin, linked to up-to-date economic, social,
and environmental information.
Financing Plan:
Preparation Costs:
US $ 1,558,800
PDF-B Funding Request:
US $ 700,000 for 18 months
PDF-B Co-Funding: Total: US $ 808,800 provided as follows:
US $ 467,800 Countries through CIC
US $ 155,000 Non-reimbursable co-operation
funds from FONPLATA
US $ 100,000 WMO
US $ 16,000 AAAS
US $ 35,000 UNEP
US $ 35,000 OAS
Block A Grant Awarded:
US $ 25,000 (6 months)
PDF-A Co-Funding:
US $ 25,000 provided as follows:
US $ 15,000 OAS (in cash and in-kind)
US $ 5,000 UNEP (in-kind)
US $ 5,000 Brasil (in-kind)
31
H. INFORMATION ON PROJECT PROPONENTS
The Intergovernmental Coordinating Committee for the la Plata Basin, or CIC, came
into being in 1967, at the time when planning and operational issues for Itaipú were
prominent; in resolving them, CIC was extremely successful, and participants who
argued the cases of their respective countries "became almost like friends". Thereafter,
the usefulness of CIC fell into a slow decline, and because its diplomatic function was
allowed to become separated from technical interests, it came to be disregarded by
many within the five la Plata countries. However, it is the de facto institution in which
all five countries are represented. Revitalised, and with its structure changed so as to
enable technical viewpoints to be expressed and discussed with the CIC's diplomatic
representatives, it has a critical role to play in the co-ordinated development and
management of the la Plata's water resources. Work at the technical level will always
encounter barriers to further progress, resulting from differences in political, legal and
financial structures within the different countries; the role of CIC should be to remove
these barriers to progress at the technical level.
A series of measures to revitalise the CIC were taken by the Ministers of Foreign
Affairs of the Plata Basin in December 2001, including (1) the creation of a Technical
Secretariat with representatives of the five countries involved, in addition to the existing
Executive Secretariat, and (2) the preparation of a Program of Actions to revitalise the
operating system. The restructured CIC, as of December 2001, was the first step toward
creating a more efficient management mechanism for the la Plata Basin. Hence this
future GEF project would empower this promising regional entity.
Since its inception, the CIC has emphasised areas of common interest among the five
countries and has facilitated the conduct of studies, programs and works within the
Basin, in the fields of hydrology, natural resources, transportation and navigation, soil
conservation, and energy. Additionally, the CIC has contributed to the development
within the Basin of operational standards and guidelines in the area of water quality.
The CIC is the agency tasked by the countries to provide the institutional framework
within which this GEF-funded project is to be executed.
I. INFORMATION ON THE PROPOSED EXECUTING AGENCY
The Organization of American States (OAS) is the world's oldest regional organisation,
dating back to the First International Conference of American States, held in
Washington, D.C., from October 1889 to April 1890. The establishment of the
International Union of American Republics was approved at that meeting on April 14,
1890. The OAS Charter was signed in Bogotá in 1948 and entered into force in
December 1951. Subsequently, the Charter was amended by the Protocol of Buenos
Aires, signed in 1967, which entered into force in February 1970; by the Protocol of
Cartagena de Indias, signed in 1985, which entered into force in November 1988; and
by the Protocol of Managua, signed in 1993, which entered into force in January 1996.
In 1992, the Protocol of Washington was signed; it will enter into force upon ratification
by two thirds of the member states. The OAS currently has 35 member states. In
addition, the Organization has granted Permanent Observer status to 39 states and to the
European Union.
32
The GS/OAS, through the Unit of Sustainable Development and Environment (USDE)
is acting as executing agency for 5 GEF International Waters Projects: (1) Brasil:
Implementation of Integrated Watershed Management Practices for the Pantanal and
Upper Paraguay River Basin (UNEP), (2) Brasil: Integrated Management of Land-based
activities in the Sao Francisco Basin (UNEP), (3) Costa Rica/Nicaragua: Strategic
Action Program for the Binational Basin of the San Juan and its Coastal Zone (UNEP),
(4) Argentina/Bolivia: Implementation of the Strategic Action Program for the
Binational Basin of the Bermejo and (5) Brasil/Paraguay/Uruguay/Argentina:
Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development of the Guarani Aquifer System
(WB). Hence, likewise UNEP it has considerable water resources management
experience as demonstrated through these years of partnership with UNEP/WB and the
GEF.
J. LINKAGES WITH IA PROGRAMMES AND ACTIVITIES
The proposed actions are consistent with the UNEP GEF Action Plan on
Complementarity which provides the framework for GEF project interventions as well
as with the UNEP GEF III strategy whereby the UNEP portfolio in GEF III will build
on the four main pillars of UNEP intervention that were established during GEF Phases
I and II:
· Environmental assessment, analysis and research;
· Development and demonstration of tools and methodologies for improving
environmental management;
· Strengthening the enabling environment so that countries can more
effectively implement commitments made as Parties to various
environmental conventions; and
· Management of transboundary ecosystems, with the development of the
GEF portfolio building on the experience gained through the development of
previous transboundary water projects that involved the formulation of
Transboundary Diagnostic Analyses and Strategic Action Programmes for a
variety of freshwater basins and Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs). Specific
areas of intervention for GEF III will include integrated land and water
resources management in selected mega-basins in Latin America.
Further the proposed actions are specifically in line with the UNEP Environmentally
Sound Management of Inland Waters (EMINWA) integrated watershed management
planning process and related, regional seas programme. Within the Plata Basin, UNEP
is the GEF Implementing Agency for two International Waters projects, including those
in the Upper Paraguay River basin in Brasil, and the Bermejo River Basin in Bolivia
and Argentina having demonstrated considerable experience in watershed management.
This proposal continues the partnership with the GS/OAS in catalysing an holistic
approach to watershed management in Latin America and the Caribbean by developing
the obvious synergy between the GEF-IW projects and the EMINWA approach.
33
K. ANNEXES
I.
Profiles of GEF International Waters projects in the la Plata Basin.
II.
Characteristics of the la Plata Basin
III.
Documents used as the basis for the preparation of this concept paper
IV
Preliminary Program of Action of the CIC
L. ACRONYMS USED
AAAS
American Association for the Advancement of Science
CIC
Intergovernmental Co-ordinating Committee of the la Plata Basin
CIH
Intergovernmental Committee for the Hidrovía Paraná-Paraguay
CLIVAR
Climate Variability and Predictability Program of the World
Climate Research Programme
FONPLATA Financial Fund for the Development of the la Plata Basin
FSAP
Framework Strategic Action Program for the la Plata Basin
GEF
Global Environment Facility
GEF-IW
Global Environment Facility, International Waters focal area
GS/OAS
General Secretariat of the Organization of the American States
IA
GEF Implementing Agency
M&E
Monitoring and Evaluation
NPU
National Project Units
PLATIN
Plata Basin Network component of CLIVAR/VAMOS
RIGA
Network for the Investigation and Environmental Management for the la
Plata Basin
TDA
Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis
PU-CIC
Technical Project Unit of the CIC
UDSMA
Unit for Sustainable Development and Environment
UNDP
United Nations Development Program
UNEP
United Nations Environment Programme
VAMOS
Variability of the American Monsoon Systems program of CLIVAR
WB
The World Bank
WCRP
World Climate Research Programme, jointly sponsored by WMO, the
International Council for Science (ICSU) and the Intergovernmental
Oceanographic Commission (IOC)
WMO
World Meteorological Organization
WMP
Watershed Management Program
34
Document Outline
- Preparation Costs:US $ 1,558,800 for 18 months with US$700,000 of GEF Grant (see Section G)
- Basin Description
- Environmental Issues and Concerns
- Context
- Global Significance and Project Rationale
- Co-ordination Amongst Ongoing Projects and Programmes
- Regional Priorities, Programmes, and Actions
- International Context
- Long-term Objective
- Short-term and Intermediate Objectives
- Project Expected Components, Outcomes and Activities
- Description of Activities: Taking advantage of the relevant Best Practices emanating from other GEF and non-GEF initiatives in the Basin, Component 1 addresses the key issue of fragmented and weak institutions that currently characterise the basis for th
- Outputs:
- A strengthened CIC structure with efficient and functioning institutions, and a successfully managed project as witnessed by the agreed Mega-Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (Mega-TDA), the agreed Framework Strategic Action Programme (FSAP), effecti
- Completed public and stakeholder meetings, published proceedings, and an on-going multi-media informational programme.
- Information on the project disseminated within the Basin through a comprehensive decision support system using the network of National Project Units, inputs to the IW:LEARN best practices database, and information disseminated by means of the IWRN, local
- Means:
- To this end, the CIC will execute this Component. The conduct by the CIC of the activities required to prepare the project is a continuation of this process, and further advances are proposed to be achieved throughout the Project. The institutional stren
- Description of Activities: The Activities under this component will initiate a process that will culminate in the establishment of a Centre for the Prediction of Climate Change and Hydrologic Variability during Phase II of the project.
- Project Design
- Baseline Situation
- GEF Alternative Scenario
- Implementation Arrangements
- Stakeholder Participation
- Sustainability
- Replicability
- Results and Outputs of the PDF-B
- Financing Plan:
- Preparation Costs:US $ 1,558,800
- PDF-B Funding Request:US $ 700,000 for 18 months
- PDF-B Co-Funding: Total:US $ 808,800 provided as follows:
- US $ 467,800 Countries through CIC
- US $ 155,000 Non-reimbursable co-operation funds from FONPLATA
- US $ 100,000 WMO
- US $ 16,000 AAAS
- US $ 35,000 UNEP
- Block A Grant Awarded:US $ 25,000 (6 months)
- US $ 5,000 Brasil (in-kind)