GEF Amazon Project Activities

Amazon Waters year 2 • Number 5 • March, 2014

Close – up Celebrating World Water Day In celebration of World Water Day, the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) held a Special Meeting of the Co- ordinating Commission of the Amazon Cooperation Council (CCOOR) with ambassadors of ACTO Member Countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. The meeting was held on March 21, in Brasília. The aim of the event was to carry out a joint reflection on the importance of water resources in the Amazon basin with all eight Amazon countries. The meeting was attend- ed by Brazilian authorities, senior officials from Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and international organization representatives. This year, World Water Day theme is Water and Energy. Global data in the 2014 UN report on water resources reveals that 90% of energy production is water inten- sive. Energy production is responsible Brazil: ambassadors from ACTO Member Countries met in Brasília for around 15% of all water withdrawals; meanwhile, 768 million people lack access ACTO plays a very important role in sense, ACTO has also opened its doors to to safe drinking water. these regional initiatives, since member ancestral knowledge. In this context, the President of the countries share the Amazon basin, the Representatives of ACTO Member CCOOR, Amb. Diego Molero, opened the world’s largest water reservoir. It rep- Countries reflected on the main chal- meeting by emphasizing the importance of resents a valuable opportunity for working lenges facing the Amazon basin as to water to humans and the environment. In his together in the integrated and sustainable water resources; in this sense, ACTO is also speech, ACTO Secretary General Amb. Robby management of water resources, hence moving ahead with strategic measures for Ramlakhan highlighted ACTO’s contribu- the importance of carrying out the Project countries’ adaptation to climate change, tion to the preservation of Amazon water for basin water resources’ Strategic Action through GEF Amazon Project activities. resources and tropical forests through two Programme (SAP) through consensus. Regarding the next World Water major projects: the Monitoring Deforestation, The meeting also highlighted that wa- Forum, to be held in Brasília in 2018, Land Use and Land Use Change in the Pan-Am- ter is a strategic political issue and should representatives from Brazil’s Ministry azonian Forest Project, and the Integrated and be considered a human right, just as food of Foreign Affairs reiterated its support Sustainable Management of Transboundary security. to OTCA, expressing their interest that Water Resources in the Amazon River Basin, Participants agreed that knowledge of the Amazon cooperation organization considering Variability and Climate Change Amazon basin natural resources is the first participate in the Agenda that is being GEF Amazon Project. step to maintaining sovereignty. In this prepared for the event. NEWS FROM COMPONENT II Valuing the wealth of aquatic ecosystems in the Colombian Amazon

The waters of Caquetá River, in the Colombian Amazon

Understanding Amazon natural re- ment of Caquetá. Its basin includes six How are aquatic ecosystems sources in several critical basin areas is Colombian Departments, covering 1,200 used in La Pedrera? one of the key tasks of the GEF Amazon kilometers; the rest of it covers the state of The Amazon basin is the freshwater Project - Water resources and climate Amazonas, in Brazil, where it becomes the system that harbours the world’s great- change. One of the places where aquatic Japurá River, flowing into the Amazon. est wealth of fish. According to 1995 ecosystems are being studied is La Pe- Caquetá river connects numerous data from Almeida/Val, there are around drera, in the lower Caquetá river, in the Colombian communities with each other 3,200 species of fish in the basin. There is Amazon region of Colombia, on the bor- and with cities such as Leticia, capital of also a wide variety of habitats in the ba- der with Brazil. the Department of Amazonas, in Colom- sin – in rivers, streams, floodplains, lakes There, the GEF Amazon Project has bia. People use wooden canoes, with or canals –, each with its own particular carried out research concerning the use of paddles or motors – as well as motor characteristics. water resources, the quality of water, types boats –, on the river. “Artisanal fishing is the population’s of fishing, means of transport and the rela- La Pedrera is the main commercial main activity in the region; La Pedrera is an tionship between local people and these port in the Colombian Amazon, where the important distribution center. Around 500 resources. Research was carried out by population is supplied with commodities, tonnes of fish are caught every year; 80% biologist Liliana Palma Silva, who worked including drugs and supplies for its activi- of this production is for selling and 20% for with activity coordinator Professor Cleber ties. Water for human consumption comes consumption,” explains project consultant Alho, PhD in Ecology. from rainwater and, during the drought, Liliana Palma. from the Caquetá river itself. In general, the In La Pedrera, commercial fishing is Getting to know the La Pedrera river water quality of the region’s Amazonian based on big catfish such as the dorado port in the Colombian Amazon aquatic environments is good, although and the lechero, among others; these fish The Amazon region covers a third of the mercury that is used for cleaning gold are sold in Bogotá and Villavicencio. There Colombia. Caquetá river is about 2,200 and is extracted with bulldozers is still one are also laws for periods in which fishing of kilometers long, according to the Depart- of their main pollutants. certain species is banned.

2 A fishery system for the Colombian Amazon Research on the biology of local fisheries provides criteria for a fishery system in the Colombian Amazon; in this way, information about species’ breeding periods would be obtained, and conse- quently the use of nets during the fishing ban would be prohibited. This is because at least six species are caught on a permanent basis – a great threat to local fish populations. Researchers have identified new conservation areas for the dorado and the lechero in the Caquetá river.

For a binational strategy with the Brazilian border One of the aspects of the Colombi- an-Brazilian border that should be highlighted is a feeling of belonging to the Fishing with fishhooks in Caquetá Amazon river – which culturally brings together the people of both countries, 16 species on sale depend on the art of fishing and on the re- establishing bonds of brotherhood and Fishing is the main socio-economic as- source supply, which is subject to Caquetá solidarity that are very typical of the Ama- pect of La Pedrera. “The GEF Amazon Proj- river’s hydrological periods. zon region. ect analyzed this fishing activity in detail, The most effective way of fishing is with Therefore, GEF Amazon Project re- with canoes, fishing gear and fishermen’s mesh nets, which account for over 40% of searchers consider it relevant to share knowledge. Thus, using we observed that total fish caught. Local fishermen also use measures for the protection of aquatic the average number of canoes coming in fishhooks for medium-sized catfish; this ac- ecosystems. Similarly, it would be helpful daily to sell fish at the port of La Pedrera is counts for 32.9% of fish caught. According to disseminate and share agreements 5.4. This average yields 136.3 kilos of fish to Project experts, there is a decrease in fish concerning fisheries – which are annually per canoe, in a sample studied during 7 production in the region. reviewed – with riverside communities, days,” said Liliana Palma. thus protecting streams and lakes. In this week of observation, researchers Protecting biodiversity: counted 16 species of fish being sold, includ- the key to Amazon sustainability Taking advantage of fish waste ing large fish such as the amarillo, the dorado, The GEF Amazon Project observed to improve revenue the lechero and other smaller catfish such as that a high water flow occurs in Los Chor- In order to improve the income of vil- the pintadillo, the baboso, and the barbacha- ros, on the banks of the Caquetá, making lagers and fishermen in the region, project ti, among others. Fish with scales such as the it hard for fish to swim past the many consultant Liliana Palma said: “We ob- burra, the cachorro, and the gamitana (a food rocks. This place is often used for catch- served that the viscera of large catfish are of the gods, according to the Anthem of the ing large catfish. The presence of many thrown to feed scavengers. We need to give Department of Amazonas) are also commer- fishermen prevents fish from swimming this fish waste some other use; it could be cially important. Of all species, the lechero upstream, and may lead to short-term given to poultry, to fish or as a soil fertilizer.” (302 kilos) and the dorado (190 kg) have the resource depletion. highest biomass. Promoting ornamental fishing Strategic actions for sustainable fisheries in Ornamental fishing may have greater How do the fishermen of La Pedrera work? the Colombian Amazon commercial potential in the Colombian During the visit of GEF Amazon Project Research by the GEF Amazon Project Amazon, but it requires training and invest- technical staff, researchers counted 26 on the use of aquatic ecosystems in La Pe- ment processes, since at present catches fishermen – an average 3.7 fishermen a drera proposed a series of actions for pre- are made to order. Thus, the GEF Amazon day, 95% of them permanent and 5%, oc- serving aquatic biodiversity and making Project continues to generate knowledge casional fishermen. Permanent fishermen better use of water, as detailed below. about Amazonian aquatic ecosystems.

3 workshop TDA Colombia workshop results

Twenty-nine representatives from 19 organizations participated in the Trans- boundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) national workshop held on March 13 and 14 in Leticia – capital of the Department of Amazonas, in Colombia –, including Colombia’s Foreign Ministry, its Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Develop- ment (Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible/MADS), Ministry of Mines and Energy (Ministerio de Minas y Energía), Department of Amazonas Administration (Gobernación del Amazonas), the Mayor of Leticia, the National Learning Service (Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje/SE- NA-Amazonas), the Indigenous Peoples of the Colombian Amazon Organization (Organización de Pueblos indígenas de Participants in the national TDA workshop in Leticia, Colombia la Amazonía Colombiana), the local Ama- zonas Chamber of Commerce (Cámara de changes in land use, institutional weakness that Colombia is in the upper basin, which Comercio y la Fiscalía del Amazonas) and and climate change, among other topics. intersects with middle and lower basins. the Amazon Institute of Scientific Research These contributions were significant to the Subsequently, regional consultant for (Instituto Amazónico de Investigaciones TDA workshop. TDA/SAP Jorge Benítes explained the meth- Científicas/SINCHI). When opening the meeting, the Executive odology and approach of TDA – a technical The event was hostet by Colombia’s Director of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty and scientific analysis of transboundary ministries of Foreign Affairs and of the En- Organization (OTCA) Amb. Mauricio Dorfler issues, of their causes and impacts –, stressing vironment and Sustainable Development, noted that the GEF Amazon Project on water how essential it is to designing the Strategic represented by the Integrated Water Re- resources and climate change is an opportunity Action Programme (SAP). sources Management (IWRM) Directorate. to move ahead in the Amazon cooperation In the TDA workshop, Colombian Am- The Directorate commissioned Dr. Cristina process, noting that Colombia’s proposal is es- azon relevant stakeholders organized Barragan to present national IWRM policy sential to making future decisions concerning themselves in interdisciplinary teams and guidelines and key results of workshops public policies with regional scope. identified over 30 transboundary problems, held in Amazon Departments under the Similarly, the ACTO Executive Director ex- which were consolidated into the following strategic plan for the Amazon River macro plained that the GEF Amazon Project’s goal is priority issues: water pollution, deforesta- basin, as basic background for carrying to formulate, through consensus, a Strategic tion, infrastructure construction (for air, out Colombia’s Transboundary Diagnostic Action Programme (SAP) with all eight OTCA road and river transport, as well as tourism), Analysis with participants. Member Countries, by means of a regional loss of biodiversity, extreme hydrological Colombia’s national IWRM policy con- approach to IWRM and adaptation to climate events, and weak water governance. siders water as a means of economic devel- change in the Amazon basin. opment and social well-being – and legal What are the causes of transboundary is- instruments for the planning, development Six critical transboundary issues identified sues in Colombia? and management of watersheds and aqui- in Colombia The TDA workshop enabled partici- fers have been regulated to this end. GEF Amazon Project’s national con- pants to identify the primary or technical Dr. Barragan highlighted that certain sultant for Colombia TDA, Gloria Inés causes (T); the secondary or economic problems concerning water resources Acevedo, highlighted the importance of causes (E); the tertiary or institutional were analyzed in the workshops held in understanding water ecosystems from a causes (I); and the root and socio-political the Amazon Departments – such as defor- regional point of view, since the Amazon causes (P) of each of the six priority trans- estation, illegal logging and forest fires, basin crosses national borders, explaining boundary issues.

4 Similarly, teams identified a series of for each transboundary issue came up programmes for the region’s political and impacts or effects for each issue. These main during the TDA workshop. In this sense, social stakeholders as to the integrated impacts are a loss of supply sources and a participants stressed the need for institu- management of water resources. consequent reduction of water for human tional support and strengthening (edu- The results of all national TDA work- consumption; erosion and low soil produc- cation, health, safety, supervisory bodies) shops will be shared and later validated tivity; greater demand and pressure on eco- in border areas, as well as for establishing in a regional TDA workshop with the joint system services and declining wild fauna and permanent frontier workshops; promoting participation of eight ACTO Member Coun- flora; and changes in the physicochemical opportunities for local stakeholders to tries. All information obtained will be key conditions of the water, among others. participate in the territory’s policies and to establishing the Strategic Action Pro- planning; strengthening surveillance and gramme that the GEF Amazon Project-Wa- Strategic actions to address the issues control entities in the field of biodiversity; ter Resources and Climate Change is going Sets of specific and strategic actions designing and implementing training to present to these countries.

ILLUSTRATIVE DROP The TDA/SAP process in the gef Amazon Project

Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) What is TDA for? problem – and to make these problems is a work methodology that allows coun- Technically, TDA is necessary to iden- the subject of appropriate policy mea- tries that are part of the GEF Amazon Project tify, quantify and prioritize transboundary sures for correction or mitigation. This to identify and assess their problems and problems concerning water. methodology can be adapted to each strengths, not only concerning the quantity case and features a non-exhaustive list and quality of water resources and the natu- What are TDA’s main goals? of examples of root causes. ral environment, but also the socio-economic • To identify and prioritize trans- activities that have direct or indirect, immedi- boundary problems; How is TDA carried out in the context of the ate or future impact on water resources, such • To collect and interpret scientific GEF Amazon Project? as land use, demographics etc. information on the environmental Step 1: At national level, across sec- This methodology is promoted by the impacts and socio-economic con- tors, with the participation of multiple Global Environment Facility (GEF) for proj- sequences of each problem; stakeholders, focusing on cross-border ects involving international waters, so it • To analyze the immediate, un- issues, considering national interests and must be preceded by consultation with all derlying and root causes of each priorities. Each country holds a national stakeholders. problem; TDA workshop and prepares a National • To identify specific practices, sourc- TDA Document as input for the develop- What key factors does TDA consider? es, places and fields of human ac- ment of regional TDA. TDA considers: tivity from which the degradation Step 2: At regional level, as a consul- • Partnership agreements or existing of water resources and the environ- tation mechanism between countries so projects; ment arise; as to “agree on facts”. This creates trust • Priority water uses identified by • To carry out analysis of institutions, between countries involved, in order to countries sharing the basin; laws, policies and investments. identify problems with a common vision • Protected areas linked to interna- of future and thus define basin priorities tional waters; What approach is TDA meth- by means of a regional Amazon coopera- • Possible effects of climate change; odology based on? tion process. • Hydrological extremes; and it is necessary to address root caus- • Research projects on common es when trying to understand problems Why is TDA important? problems in progress. concerning transboundary waters – that Because it is part of an integration is, the various social, institutional, eco- process between stakeholders involved What is TDA? nomic, technological and political fac- – from the initial analysis to the moment TDA is a type of technical and scientific tors that refer to these problems. The when consensual alternative solutions analysis for determining objective facts, then Causal Chain Analysis is applied to this are reached towards the Strategic Action used to quantify the sources, causes and ef- end, so as to demonstrate the cause-ef- Programme (SAP), GEF Amazon Project’s fects of transboundary water problems. fect relationships behind each major main goal.

5 workshop Two national Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis workshops held in Ecuador

TDA workshop in El Coca, Ecuador: participants identified 32 problems referring to the Napo River

Over 70 representatives from public, National workshop in the city of El Coca. To implement a treatment system private and social organizations partici- Napo River Basin for solid waste and residual waters that is pated in the two National Transboundary In El Coca, the over 40 participants adaptable to the reality of Amazonian munic- Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) workshops identified 32 problems referring to the ipalities. To establish rules to reduce the use of held in the cities of Cuenca and El Coca, Napo River Basin, summarized as follows: agrochemicals and support programmes for Ecuador, from January 20 to 24, 2014, pollution of water resources, deforestation, awareness on the loss of biodiversity. as part of activities carried out by the poor basic services infrastructure, poor im- To support management policies GEF Amazon Project - water resources plementation of land use plans, and poor for logging issues. Encouraging audits and climate change. To Ecuador, one of interagency coordination. on environmental permits for logging. To the eight ACTO Member Countries, the establish a campaign to promote the use of TDA workshops were crucial in that they TDA workshops in Ecuador: results and dis- timber from plantations and the conserva- helped identify and prioritize trans- cussions tion of native forests. boundary problems in the Amazon At the end of the TDA workshops, partic- Similarly, participants in both workshops region by means of one single methodol- ipants proposed and discussed solutions for agreed to look for solutions to support the ogy throughout the basin. the problems identified, as follows: allocation of funds for taking care of water To establish a Regulatory Frame- resources and natural resources. They also National workshop in the city of Cuenca. work for pollution control with financial showed interest in co-participating in sim- Santiago River Basin and technological incentives, and the par- ilar projects undertaken by ACTO Member Workshop participants identified ticipation of the population; Countries on topics such as training, cultural around 40 transboundary problems and To interact with GADs to establish diffusion and alternative forms of production their environmental and social impacts. conservation policies, and to improve in the humid tropics. Problems were grouped into five main their operational capabilities; Finally, participants the felt it important topics: water pollution, deforestation, To support Territorial Planning at the to support better interagency coordination, governance, land use and land use and local level, considering public participa- both among local governments and with na- zoning. tion and accountability; tional entities in Ecuadorian Amazon.

6 News from Component III Agro-technology: in the flooded season, communities plant in elevated vegetable gardens The pilot project “Sustainable Manage- ment of Transboundary Floodplain Forests in the Amazon” is part of the GEF Amazonas Project - Water resources and climate change. It offers an innovative approach to local development and is being collectively implemented with riverside communities in Brazil and Peru, in order to face increasingly severe and prolonged floods or dramatic periods of drought. “Hydroclimatic changes directly affect local family agriculture and fishing, and so the need arose to share with these communities certain sustainable technological innovations for Amazon floodplain forests,” explains Dr. Patricia Chaves de Oliveira, a PhD in Agricultural Sciences who works with people living in key floodplain forests in the Peruvian and Brazilian Amazon. Thus, after analyzing aquatic flora and fauna – and the cultural and socioeconom- ic aspects of these pilot sites in Amazon Urucurituba community: building of an elevated vegetable garden structure in Santarém, Brazil

floodplain forests –, elevated vegetable gardens in specially-designed 100m2 plat- forms were built so that floodplain forest ecosystems can be used for agriculture during periods of flooding. In this way, farmers in these forests can ensure their income throughout the Ama- zon River’s seasonal flood cycle. Besides introducing elevated vegetable gardens and new types of farming, farmers and fishermen are trained in new agricultural technologies, as part of the GEF Amazon Project. Simultaneously, the project is also installing tanks for growing tambaqui fish in captivity, a seasonal alternative to the fishing ban period for the traditional Amazon people who resil- iently face global climate change. This pilot project is being carried out in periodically flooded environments in the Amazon basin, in the region of Nauta, in Iq- uitos, Peru, specifically in the communities of St. Regis and San Jacinto – and in Brazil, in Tapará Grande, Urucurituba and Igarapé do Costa. It can be replicated in other re- Tapará Grande community: vegetable garden structure is painted before use in Santarém, Brazil gions in the vast Amazon basin.

7 course First course on the Terra MA2 platform for the MAP region

The GEF Amazon Project - Water re- The technical training course will take part of GEF Amazon Project activites. sources and climate change – imple- place in the context of GEF Amazon Project Ac- The TerraMA2 platform will allow the mented by the Amazon Cooperation tivity “Adapting to climate change in the trans- three countries to share necessary infor- Treaty Organization (ACTO) – is going boundary MAP region”, from March 31 to April mation for extreme events. to organize its First Course on the Ter- 4, in the city of Rio Branco, capital of Acre. The course was scheduled at the I Re- raMA2 Platform for the trinational MAP The objective of the course is to train unión Trinacional de Alerta Temprana en region, which harbours the Department the technical team which is going to build la región MAP (I Trinational Meeting for of Madre de Dios (Peru), the state of Acre the database for the TerraMA2 platform. The Early Warning in the MAP region), spon- (Brazil) and the Department of Pando course is for users who will implement the sored by the GEF Amazon Project and held (Bolivia). Early Warning System in the MAP region, as in Cobija, Bolivia, on December 5, 2013.

©ACTO 2014 Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization- Permanent Secretary (ACTO/PS). Secretary General Amb. Robby Ramlakhan, Executive Director Amb. Mauricio Dorfler, Administrative Director Carlos Aragón, Transport, Tourism and Communication Coordination Carlos Arana Courrejolles, Indigenous Affairs Coordination Sharon Austin, Science, Technology and Education Coordination Germán Gómez, Environment Coordination Antonio Matamoros, Health Coordination Antonio Restrepo, Photos: ACTO Archives. ACTO Address: SHIS QI 05, Conjunto 16, Casa 21, Lago Sul.CEP 71615-160 Brasilia, DF, Brasil Tel.+5561-3248-4119. www.otca.info GEF Amazon Project: Regional Technical Coordinator Norbert Fenzl Contact: http://gefamazonas.otca.info Project Address: SHIS QI 09, Conjunto 03, Casa12, Lago Sul, Brasilia DF, Brasil CEP71625-030 Tel. +5561-3248 -7730