tacaná watersheds guatemala & mexico · 2.1 overview as a response, wani and partners set up a...

Tacaná WatershedsGuatemala & MexicoTransboundary water governance and implementationof IWRM through local community action

IUCN WATER PROGRAMME – DEMONSTRATION CASE STUDY NO.5

WANI Case Study – Tacaná Watersheds 1

WATER AND NATURE INITIATIVE (WANI) CASE STUDY

TACANÁ WATERSHEDS: GUATEMALA & MEXICO

Authors: Megan Cartin, Rebecca Welling, Rocío Córdoba, Ottoniel Rivera, Carlos Rosal and Felipe Arrevillaga

Beginning with a grassroots approach to water management, increased knowledge and informationand the improvement of environmental health and livelihoods, the region around the Tacaná volcano

on the border of Guatemala and Mexico has shown the way forward in scaling up local level approachesto national level initiatives.

WANI and partners set up a demonstration project in the Tacaná Watersheds, which combined pilotlivelihoods projects and bottom-up integrated governance of water resources management. Raisingawareness and disseminating information about water resources management were major goals forWANI. Numerous community pilot projects to improve livelihoods through water, soil and environmentalconservation were carried out. These were also part of the mechanism to bring stakeholders together toorganize themselves into Microwatershed councils. Additionally, when Tropical Storm Stan struck the areain 2005, activities to restore water supplies were carried out by WANI in this part of Guatemala.

Many lessons have been identified from WANI’s work in the Tacaná Watersheds. Among these is theunderstanding that developing local governance and organisational structures benefit and complementIWRM actions. Integrating local communities and their social structures into Microwatershed councilsleads to greater cohesion and unity. Additionally, that strengthening community-based alliances andintegrating them with municipal and national development institutions increases coordination betweenadministrative levels. Finally, developing disaster risk management planning should be integral to theoverall watershed management planning and not just as an emergency response (as demonstrated byTropical Storm Stan).

The WANI Tacaná Watersheds demonstration project has built a platform for wider influencing of regionaland national water management. The promotion of integrated water resources management andresilience at the local, national and regional level has continued with other projects which mostly focus ongovernance through Microwatershed councils and building resilience through water management. Thecontinued livelihoods work is also a strong component in these complementing projects.

Highlights

m Combined community livelihoods pilots and bottom-up coordination of water resources managementto tackle problems of watershed degradation and management.

m Facilitated the collection and organization of locally available information and knowledge.

m Organised and developed micro watershed councils.

m Rehabilitation and disaster risk reduction support after Tropical Storm Stan.

m Developed alliances and integration of local to national levels including national WatershedCommissions to develop integrated approach to water management.

Figure 1. Map of the Tacaná Watersheds (Source: IUCN / Mario Rodríguez)

2 WANI Case Study – Tacaná Watersheds

1.1 Resources on which livelihoods depend

The watersheds of the Tacaná volcano, whichstands at an altitude of 4,093 m, cover atransboundary area of 3,170 km² right in themiddle of the border area of the Department ofSan Marcos, Guatemala and the State ofChiapas, Mexico. This area comprises theCoatán, Suchiate, Cosalapa and Cahoacán rivers.The Coatán and Suchiate watersheds originate onthe volcano, with both shared by Guatemala andMexico. Cahoacan and Cosalapa are sub-watersheds of the Coatán River, within Mexico.

These watersheds are of great strategicimportance for both countries since they supplywater to a large number of residents in the citieslocated downstream and are the main source ofirrigation water for agriculture. In the lowerreaches, fishing is an important source of income.

1. INSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGES AND ENVIRONMENTAL

DEGRADATION

However, deforestation and degradation of theupper watersheds and of river banks has lead toerosion and flooding and reduced capacity of thewatersheds to absorb water.

1.2 Pressures on water resources

Water is primarily used for domestic purposes andsmall-scale irrigation in Guatemala, while inMexico, 54% of surface water is used for irrigation,26% for human consumption and 10% foragribusiness. Coffee production and export playsan essential part in the livelihoods strategies ofcommunities. In the middle and lower parts of thecatchment, water scarcity in the dry season isproblematic for agricultural production, affectingcommunity income generation as coffeeproduction depends on water for processingcoffee beans.


1.3 Environmental degradation: deforestationand pollution

Marginalised farmers have been forced to higheraltitudes on the volcano and have cleared foreststo make way for small farms. In the low and middleparts of the catchment, sugarcane, coffee, Africanpalm and banana industries pollute the water andlarger-scale farming has degraded the land.Unregulated land use change has been especiallydamaging on steep hillsides and deforestation hasreduced the capacity of the soils to retain water.The resulting erosion has strongly increased therisk of floods and mudslides.

1.4 Weak institutions and social challenges

Governmental authority is dispersed with littleconnection between local and national levels. Thishas led to weak institutional presence, inadequate

laws and regulations, budgetary constraints, lackof technical coordination and mutual supportamong institutions, the absence of integratedpolicies, and limited stakeholder participation andtransparency. Historically, there has been nocoordination of basin management betweenMexico and Guatemala for the Coatán andSuchiate rivers. However, in Mexico, the newwater law states that local Water Councils areresponsible for implementation of the law andpolicies on water resources. However, while theconceptual framework was in place, the WaterCouncils lacked the capacity to carry out theseactivities. Furthermore, in parts of the basin themarginalization of indigenous peoples, highilliteracy and mortality rates, very high populationgrowth, and a complex land tenure rights systemare also major challenges.

In the Tacaná Watersheds

2.1 Overview

As a response, WANI and partners set up ademonstration project in the Tacaná Watershedswhich combined pilot projects to improvelivelihoods with bottom-up integrated governanceof water resource management. There werenumerous community pilot projects to improvelivelihoods through environmental conservationprojects. These initiatives also contributed to aculture of self organization which facilitated thedevelopment of Microwatershed Councils.

2.2 Ecosystems and livelihoods

Water, soil and environmental conservation

WANI and partners supported the design ofnumerous community pilot projects whichaddressed water, soil and environmentalconservation. Eighty six pilot projects were carriedout by community groups in Guatemala and 21 inMexico (see Box 1). Women make up 90% ofthese groups, empowering them to take a moreproactive role in the development of theircommunities which was formerly the exclusivedomain of men. Through an ecosystems approach,which focuses on environmental restoration for live-lihood security, these small scale initiatives haveenergised the communities to self-organise andhas enhanced their development opportunities.


2. TOWARDS SOLUTIONS: ACTIONS AND RESULTS

Tropical Storm Stan: a lesson in preparing fornatural disaster

The value and benefits of increased coordinationof watershed management and development wasclearly demonstrated in the aftermath of TropicalStorm Stan, which struck San Marcos andChiapas in October 2005 (see Box 2). This stormdestroyed infrastructure and caused catastrophicflooding, leaving many homeless and manyfatalities in its wake. With a network stretchingacross the region and connecting local communityorganizations, municipal governments and nationalministries, the Tacaná project reacted quickly andwas instrumental in mobilizing responses.

2.3 Knowledge

Economic valuations: Payments forEnvironmental Services

The Living Water Partnership is composed of sixassociations that seek to implement revenuemechanisms to feed an environmental funddedicated solely to conservation work in theTacaná watersheds. Through conservationprojects in the middle and upper watersheds, itseeks to protect and restore the area's waterresources. Through this Partnership, a paymentfor ecosystem services process was establishedin 2008 in the municipality of San Pablo,Guatemala called FOGESHIP (for “Fondo de

Box 1. Interventions carried out as part of the livelihoods and environmentalconservation projects

m 18 forestry and soil conservation demonstrations and 122 management plans for conservation ofcommunity forests;

m 10 pilot projects in Chiapas facilitating development and networking of community enterprises andcooperatives working, including beekeeping, fish farming and butterfly farm ecotourism;

m Community gardens, organic farming and soil conservation projects, including organic fertilizerproduction at composting centres;

m Construction of septic systems to improve sanitation and water quality in the Suchiate River;

m Protection of springs for domestic water supply and installation of piped distribution;

m The establishment of a demonstration and training centre in Chiapas for integrated management ofwatersheds;

m Supported the building of a water treatment plant and advised on how water can be recycled in theprocessing of the coffee beans to reduce wastewater;

m Production of eatable mushrooms has contributed to improve food security and livelihoods.


Gestión Hídrica Participativa”), toprotect and restore the area's naturalresources, especially water resources.As well as a demonstration projectnamed “Water for the Future” (Aguapara el Futuro) in the Tacaná town.

To date, outcomes of the work includesystematization of national informationon payment for ecosystem services,the preparation of a glossary ofpayment for ecosystem servicesterminology, and training for techniciansin the theme. Having gone through aprocess of confirming its legal status in2011, FOGESHIP is ready to beginimplementation as a water fund. Thescheme will be financed through anadjustment in water rates charged inurban areas, with the support of themunicipal utilities. In addition, a trainingcourse on payment for ecosystem services wasdeveloped during 2010 and it is now availableonline through the website link:www.confluenciasagua.net.

Locally available information and knowledge

WANI facilitated grassroots mobilization further inMexico through the establishment of the ‘virtualwater resource libraries’ in the town halls of fivemunicipalities. These provided access to up-to-date information and knowledge on water

resources and the environment in the region. Thelibraries are used in awareness raising,educational programmes for 10,000 youngstersannually and, importantly, as a means ofincreasing political openness over water at themunicipal and State levels. There is also a websitecontaining a digital library, bulletins, photogalleries, videos on experiences, powerpointpresentations, stories, documents and eventsannouncements (www.confluenciasagua.net).

Box 2. The rehabilitation, reconstruction and redesign of drinking water systemsdamaged by Tropical Storm Stan in San Marcos, Guatemala

The Tacaná project facilitated communications, damage assessment and the organization of donorcoordination in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. In conjunction with municipalities andgovernmental authorities, a reconstruction plan for the Department of San Marcos was developed.WANI coordinated the rehabilitation and reconstruction of 72 drinking water systems and 4 smallirrigation systems. A total of 77 communities with approximately 34,092 inhabitants comprising 6,616families took part in water supply systems studies.

Disaster preparedness plans and mechanisms were also developed alongside the reconstructionwork. The crisis alerted the authorities and communities about climate change impacts and the needto increase resilience to tropical storms and flooding through improved infrastructure and restoredecosystems. This crisis was therefore instrumental in galvanizing commitments to integrated waterresources management and water governance reforms.

Aftermath of Tropical Storm Stan


began as a Catholic environmental educationinitiative run by a group of young volunteerspromoting sustainable water use and watershedrestoration. This initiative has since grown into anentrepreneurial enterprise supporting incomegenerations and governance approaches.

Microwatershed Councils

Change in water governance in Tacaná wasmobilized through supporting the organization anddevelopment of Microwatershed councils. InGuatemala, microwatershed councils encompass10 to 20 communities who share water resourcesin the watersheds of tributary streams. Thecouncils are organized to coordinate resource

management of shared waterand land resources and,critically, how this can beintegrated with communitydevelopment. The initiative forsetting up Microwatershed plansis essential because a strategicarea is defined for implementingactions that other nearbycommunities or micro-watersheds can replicate.Microwatershed managementplans are the instrument throughwhich communities recognise,prioritise, and plan projects forsustainable use of waterresources in the areas wherethey live. In this way, these plansalso help to improve local watergovernance. Fourteen Microwatershed

councils were formed in Guatemala and nineCommittees in Mexico, comprising localgovernments and communities living within theTacaná Watersheds. For example, in the mid-section of the Suchiate River, the processincorporated small coffee producers with whomprojects have been planned to reduce water useat coffee-processing facilities and to improveorganic plantations. The Councils were recognizedby local governments from the start as townmayors participated in the organizational process.The Microwatershed councils in Guatemala joineach other together and therefore expand theiractions to include watershed management atdifferent scales. In Mexico, at least two of theMicrowatershed committees are now responsiblefor the implementation of regulations under thenew water law.

Learning and leadership through increasedknowledge

Learning from the pilot projects under WANI hasbeen incorporated into the University of SanCarlos’s academic studies through 10-monthinternships. These programmes are creating acritical mass of professionals trained in WANIconcepts, approaches and practice who willeventually go into professional positions in differentinstitutions and organizations active in the area,creating an influential feedback loop. At the national level in Guatemala, Guidelines forthe Development of Micro WatershedManagement Plans have been developed andpublished. This guide has been promoted by the

Community tends to a seedling nursery

National Micro Watershed Commission andintegrated by the Ministry of Agriculture,Husbandry and Food (MAGA), PresidentialCoordination Executive Secretary (Secretaría deCoordinación Ejecutiva de la Presidencia-SCEP),FAO and IUCN amongst others, in academicspheres and in political and technical institutions inGuatemala.

2.4 Self-organisation

Small business enterprise

In Guatemala, WANI was instrumental insupporting the emergence of a youth-runcooperative enterprise called ‘Jóvenes en laMissión’ (Youth in Mission, JEM). JEM (see Box 3)


Box 3. Jóvenes en la Misión (Youth in Mission, JEM)

Presently, Jóvenes en la Misión (Youth in Mission, JEM) has 200 members actively involved within themunicipality of San Marcos and a total of 2,000 youth working together on water issues inGuatemala. JEM’s motto is ‘United for Water’ and most of its activities have an environmentalcomponent. JEM has been influential on local policy, as Feliciano Velásquez, president of CommunityDevelopment Committee of San Pablo, Tacaná and member of the Esquichá Microwatershed Councilexplains, “…The provincial government took notice. Mayors took notice. That was important.”

With assistance from the Tacaná Project, JEM became a registered NGO in July 2005. A year later, JEMreceived a loan which helped them to build 19 greenhouses with drip irrigation that produced flowersand vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. Community economic development isfundamental to environmental conservation, noted Ottoniel Rivera, IUCN coordinator of the Tacanáproject: “These kids don’t want to migrate to the United States like so many others. They want toremain in their community, but they have to make a living. They want to protect the environment, butthen they ask, ‘So now that we’ve saved the forest, how are we going to make a living?’.”

Today, JEM continues to campaign and advocate for water issues, helping to improve livelihoodsthrough the use of appropriate technologies and support community development by buildingcapacity for water governance. A Strategic Plan was developed to further guide its activities. Amongits achievements of the last 5 years, JEM has supported reforestation to improve water supply whichhas helped more than 800 people in the Esquiche micro-watershed and has established a virtualplatform for dialogue to strengthen projects along the borders of Guatemala and Mexico. JEM nowhas a strong national presence and is involved in a national youth movement participating in manyactivities related to climate change and water at both local and national levels.

Members of JEM, Jóvenes en la Misión, pose in front of project site


Figure 2. Microwatershed development from local to national levels

l 14 Microwatershed councils;

l Combined microwatershed planning and management with community-led action;

l 14 management plans developed;

l Training on microwatershed management.

l Coordinated alliance of Government and NGOs – CORNASAM;

l Adoption of the microwatershed as a unit of planning.

l Formation of the national microwatershed commission of Guatemala;

l Replication in other municipalities.

Local

Sub-national

National

Developing alliances and integration of local tonational levels

Through WANI, the Tacaná project developed awater planning and community managementmodel which focused on microwatersheds. Themodel is based on: 1) broad communityparticipation and recognition of microwatershedsas planning unit, 2) the involvement of localpolitical authorities in environmental management,3) building community capacity in integrated waterresource management, and 4) forging strategicalliances with government and nongovernmentalorganisations. This model is inclusive, highlyparticipatory and based on strategic alliances thatfacilitate tackling and resolving more complexenvironmental and social problems.

To demonstrate the appropriateness androbustness of the Microwatershed approach, theTacaná project provided training for watermanagers in the planning offices of the Ixchiguan,Tajumulco, and San Pablo municipalities in thedepartment of San Marcos, Guatemala. Thesethree have since used the microwatershed

approach to form the new municipal developmentplans. The mayor of Ixchiguan, Mr. JerónimoNavarro, explains:

“The municipality of Ixchiguan is the headtown of three very important watersheds,those of the Suchiate, Coatán and Cuilcorivers, which are water recharge zones sowe need to make the best of effortstoward more comprehensive managementof water and the natural resourcesavailable in our municipality. Therefore wehave adopted the microwatershed-basedcommunity water planning andmanagement model developed by theInternational Union for Conservation ofNature, IUCN.”

Local alliancesAt the community level in Guatemala, WANIfacilitated the development of alliances with theCommunity Development Committees(COCODES) and coordinated with Municipal andNational Development Councils to enable

integration of micro watershed planning andmanagement with community-led action ondevelopment. Project implementation hasdemonstrated that projects formulated by thecommunities rather than external institutionsrespond to the real demands of communities, notjust institutional goals.

Sub-national alliancesAt the Department level in San Marcos, inGuatemala, an alliance was created with 16government and non-governmental organizations,to form CORNASAM (the Inter-InstitutionalCoordination for Natural Resources and theEnvironment of San Marcos). CORNASAM hasadopted the microwatershed as the unit ofplanning for water and the environment and,together, these groups have coordinated outreachand training in the micro-watershed approach.

National institutions As a result of the success of the Microwatershedmodel at the local level, the National Micro-watershed Commission of Guatemala has beenestablished at the national level, comprisingseveral government ministries and non-governmental or intergovernmental organizations(Action Against Hunger, FAO and IUCN) to leadapplication of governance reform through micro-watershed management country-wide. ThisNational Commission will facilitate the preparationof national public water policies that outlinemanagement plans. A methodological guide forcommunity engagement in the establishment ofmicrowatershed management plans has beenproduced.

2.5 Transboundary governance

Bi-national forums

Historically, there has been no coordination ofbasin management between Mexico and

Guatemala for the Coatán and Suchiate rivers.WANI and partners convened the first bi-nationalforum of mayors to jointly analyze and identifyenvironmental problems in the two basins. Thisculminated in the signing in December 2006 ofthe ‘Tapachula Declaration of Intent’ by mayors onboth sides of the border to cooperate in jointactions on watershed management. This providesa platform for information sharing by governmentalagencies of Mexico and Guatemala. Actions arenow being coordinated to protect forests throughjoint actions for the prevention and control offorest fires, as well as actions in protected areas.

Shared principles

WANI aimed to promote and facilitate national andtransboundary governance approaches similar tothose in the Volta River Basin in West Africa whereWANI supported the development of a Code ofConduct for the management of water resources.In general, codes of conduct are typically used toestablish a set of shared principles or guidelinesthat will guide the behaviour of a set of actors. TwoDraft Codes of Conducts were prepared in 2008for the Tacaná watersheds. A draft technical actionplan for shared watersheds management wasproduced by technical staff from universities andother institutions from both countries, as an initialstep, with support from WANI. A technical groupwith the participation of scientists and technicalstaff from each country was formed and severalcoordination meetings took place.

Since 2008, WANI and partners have facilitated inhigh level training courses on transboundarywatersheds in Guatemala and Mexico.Participants expressed the importance of sharinglessons learned between countries and how thesetraining workshops facilitated this type ofdiscussion.



Figure 3. Tacaná Watersheds before and after

BEFORE

Deforestation and environmental degradation

Uncentralised and dispersed management system

Lack of cross-border cooperation

Lack of kinowledge of basin resources for livelihoodopportunities

AFTER

Local to national watershed governance

Local transboundary cooperation

Knowledge and information about basin dynamics

Reforestation and restoration of hillsides for ecosystem conservation andlivelihood opportunities

Local livelihood development projects

Capacity building for transboundary negotiation and integrated watershedmanagement

Disaster preparedness plans and mechanisms developed and increasedunderstanding of climate change impacts by communities

3.1 Synopsis of results

Beginning with a grassroots approach to watermanagement, increased knowledge andinformation and the improvement of environmentalhealth and livelihoods, the Tacaná region hasshown the way forward in scaling up local levelapproaches to national level initiatives.

Overall, by 2011, a total of 107 projects had beenimplemented in all microwatersheds, covering theareas of conservation and environmentalrestoration, food security, income generation andbasic social services. Table 1 shows some of themajor outcomes of these projects in Guatemalaand Mexico.

3.2 Lessons learned

Many lessons have been identified from WANI’swork carried out in the Tacaná Watersheds. Themain lessons are:

3. RESULTS AND LESSONS LEARNED

1. Developing local governance andorganisational structures benefit andcomplement IWRM actions. Integrating localcommunities and their social structures intoMicrowatershed councils led to greatercohesion and unity. These councils givemembers control over their resources and asmore are formed, the influence spreads acrossthe basin. Successful local models can bescaled up to national level and lead to theformation of national institutions or processes,which can then extend the model to otherwatersheds.

2. Strengthening community-based alliances andintegrating them with municipal and nationaldevelopment institutions increasescoordination between administrative levels.This promotes integrated and coordinatedwater resource planning across the watershedand shared experiences with other communitygroups and networks.


3. Community-level participation in transboundarywater resource management is achievable andadds value to conventional transboundaryapproaches. Facilitation of community-basedmanagement actions has demonstrated thatplanning and implementation of IWRM can besuccessfully shared between communitiesacross boundaries.

4. Poverty reduction and increased livelihoodopportunities are major concerns at both localand national levels. The challenge is tocombine livelihood benefits whilst maintainingenvironmental sustainability. A range of optionscombining income generation and

environmental conservation initiatives that fullyintegrates the community can be achieved.Both technical and business training isrequired, in order for pilot projects to be viableand sustainable.

5. Developing disaster risk management planningshould be integral to the overall watershedmanagement planning and not just as anemergency response (as demonstrated byTropical Storm Stan). This ensures thatmeasures to combat risks such as climatechange are part of integrated water resourceplanning for the microwatershed.

Table 1. Mapping of project activities in Guatemala and Mexico at the local, national and transboundary level

Guatemala Mexico

Locallevel

l 14 Microwatershed Councils established and

implementing Action plans;

l Environmental issues put on the agendas of the

COCODES with support from CORNASAM;

l Strengthened the Sub-basin Councils in the Coatán

River basin;

l FOGESHIP initiative established (PES) in two

locations;

l 8 microwatersheds mapped and a database

developed which identifies the most vulnerable areas;

l Micro regionalization of 3 towns from San Marcos

Department based in microwatersheds (Ixchiguán,

Tajumulco and San Pablo).

l 9 Microwatershed Councils established;

l 9 Management plans developed and underimplementation;

l Cahoacan River Basin Commission created;

l 17 agreements on research, training and actionsin the basin;

l 5 basin municipalities working to develop riskmanagement approaches.

Nationallevel

l National Microwatershed Commission established;

l PES network established for national information sharing;

l The Mi Cuenca project organized the PresidentialForum on Environment and Development inAugust 2011. The first such event to be held in thecountry and attended by seven of the tencandidates running for president of Guatemala.

l Supported and facilitated the implementation ofWater councils outlined in the new Water Law of2003. With the recognition that the Water councilswere too large to implement the national law at thelocal level, smaller committees were then formed.WANI supported the development of theCahoacán Watershed Committee, established in2010.

Trans-boundary

l Creation of Forum for dialogue between the two countries at the very local level (microwatershed councilsand commissions). As a result of joint action a project on shared protected areas is being implemented;

l Transboundary cooperation emerged as a critical gap in water governance. Building on lessons learned, WANI-2 is collaborating to support the strengthening of transboundary cooperation in six river basins in theregion.

With WANI and partners interventions finallyhaving come to an end in 2011, the focus is

now on the Tacaná watersheds’ stakeholders andthe governments of Mexico and Guatemala tocontinue working towards a future where waterresources are used sustainably, maintaining bothecosystem health and people’s livelihood security.The WANI Tacaná Watersheds demonstrationproject has built a platform for wider influencing ofregional and national water management. Thepromotion of integrated water resourcemanagement and resilience at the local, nationaland regional level has continued with otherprojects which mostly focus on governancethrough microwatershed councils and buildingresilience through integrated water resourcemanagement. The continued livelihoods work isalso a strong component in these complementaryprojects.

From 2007, the Tacaná project was funded by theDutch Embassy in Guatemala (Embajada delReino de los Países Bajos) and contributedactivities on the Guatemalan side of the border. InMexico, the Fundación Gonzalo Río Arronte I.A.P.continued implementation in the CahoacánWatershed. This works builds on previous work inMexico, in Chiapas, where a Payment forEnvironmental Hydrological Services scheme wasestablished with an investment of 9,230,608 USdollars for an area of 3,722 hectares. The schemehas been an important tool to encourageconservation and improve livelihoods of thesurrounding communities.

Additional support was provided by the MiCuenca project funded by Howard G. BuffetFoundation through the Global Water Initiative,

which aims to reducecommunities’ vulnerability towater-related shocksthrough integrated waterresource management in ElSalvador, Guatemala,Honduras and Nicaragua.The IUCN Livelihoods andLandscapes Strategy (LLS)project worked onsustaining the flow of goodsand services from forestlandscapes for the benefit oflocal people and biodiversityin San Marcos inGuatemala. This co-financeand leverage initiated byWANI has ensured that theproject has achieved itsgoals and has led to thesustainability of actions onthe ground a local totransboundary levels.


4. NEXT STEPS

Digging and collecting water in Guatemala

Donor support

DGIS –WANI, IUCN, The Dutch Embassy in Guatemala, Fundación Gonzalo Río Arronte I.A.P., JapanWater Forum Fund, UNDP, AMANCO (for JEM), CARE, ACTION AGAINST HUNGER, Howard BuffetFoundation, through the Global water Initiate (GWI). Sociedad de Historia Natural del Soconusco (SHNS)IUCN's member.

The Mi Cuenca project, funded by Howard G. Buffet Foundation through the Global Water Initiative(GWI), aimed to reduce communities’ vulnerability to water-related shocks through IWRM in El Salvador,Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mi Cuenca (Manejo Integrado de Cuencas en Centroamérica “MiCuenca” (My Watershed) is being implemented in the Department of San Marcos by the consortiumIUCN-CARE-CRS, with support from other organizations such as SIMBIOSIS, Fundación AVINA,Fundación Solar, Fundación del Bosque Tropical, Rain Forest Alliance and the National Forest Plan.

INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

WORLD HEADQUARTERSRue Mauverney 281196 Gland, [email protected] +4122 999 0000Fax +41 22 999 0002www.iucn.org/waterwww.waterandnature.org

Design: Tim Davis, DJEnvironmental, UKPrint: GPS Printing, FrancePhoto credits: Cover, p.3, p.5, p.6, p.12 Taco Anema, p.7 Bill Hunchberger

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