The Project on Capacity Development for Sector D Water Quality Management in Montevideo and Metropolitan Area Supporting Report in the Oriental Republic of Uruguay Final Report SECTOR D MODULE NO.4: DISSEMINATION, EDUCATION AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................ i LIST OF TABLES.........................................................................................................iii ANNEXES ......................................................................................................................iii 1. Current Activities of Dissemination, Education and Public Participation ......1 1.1 Background..............................................................................................................1 1.2 Activities of Dissemination .....................................................................................3 1.3 Activities of Environmental Education....................................................................3 1.4 Current Status of Public Participation in Water Quality Matters.............................4 1.5 Basic Direction for Dissemination, Education and Public Participation of the Master Plan for Capacity Development for Water Quality Management................5 2. Environmental Education Actions.......................................................................7 2.1 General.....................................................................................................................7 2.2 Promotion of a Working Group for Environmental Education and Public Participation.............................................................................................................7 2.2.1 Background................................................................................................7 2.2.2 Function .....................................................................................................8 2.2.3 Activities....................................................................................................8 2.3 Capacity Building Workshops on Use of Educative Materials................................8 2.3.1 General.......................................................................................................8 2.3.2 Workshop at Lavalleja ...............................................................................8 2.3.3 Workshop at Canelones..............................................................................9 2.3.4 Workshop at San Jose ..............................................................................10 2.3.5 Workshop at Montevideo.........................................................................10 2.4 Technical Team on Environmental Education at Montevideo Municipality (former Montevideo Environmental Group, GEA).............................................................11 2.4.1 Background..............................................................................................11 JICA CTI Engineering International Co., Ltd. i Sector D The Project on Capacity Development for Supporting Report Water Quality Management in Montevideo and Metropolitan Area Final Report in the Oriental Republic of Uruguay 2.4.2 Function................................................................................................... 11 2.4.3 Activities ................................................................................................. 11 2.5 Agreement on Wetlands of Santa Lucía River ...................................................... 11 2.6 Establishment of the Environmental Education National Network ...................... 12 2.6.1 Background ............................................................................................. 12 2.6.2 Function................................................................................................... 12 2.6.3 Structure .................................................................................................. 12 2.6.4 Activities ................................................................................................. 12 3. Dissemination and Public Participation Actions.............................................. 13 3.1 General .................................................................................................................. 13 3.2 Water Quality Forum of Florida............................................................................ 13 3.2.1 Activities and Schedule........................................................................... 13 3.2.2 Implementation and Results .................................................................... 13 3.2.3 Revitalization of the Water Quality Forum ............................................. 14 3.3 Creation of Others Water Quality Forums in Santa Lucía River Basin ................ 15 3.3.1 Water Quality Forum in Lavalleja Municipality ..................................... 15 3.3.2 Preparation for the Establishment of Water Quality Forum in Montevideo Municipality ............................................................................................ 16 3.4 Creation of the Metropolitan Area Environmental Group (GAAM)..................... 16 3.4.1 Background ............................................................................................. 16 3.4.2 Activities ................................................................................................. 16 3.5 Establishment of the Advisory Commission for Water and Sanitation (COASAS)17 3.6 Metropolitan Agenda Programme ......................................................................... 17 3.7 Issue of Newsletters by DINAMA........................................................................ 17 3.8 Creation of JICA Project Website.......................................................................... 17 4. Conclusions.......................................................................................................... 19 4.1 Environmental Education...................................................................................... 19 4.2 Dissemination and Public Participation ................................................................ 20 5. Recommendations............................................................................................... 23 5.1 Environmental Education...................................................................................... 23 ii JICA CTI Engineering International Co., Ltd. The Project on Capacity Development for Sector D Water Quality Management in Montevideo and Metropolitan Area Supporting Report in the Oriental Republic of Uruguay Final Report 5.2 Dissemination and Public Participation.................................................................24 LIST OF TABLES Table 2.2.1 Composition of the Working Group for Environmental Education and Public Participation............................................................................ 7 ANNEXES Annex 3.2.1 Design of Activities for Celebration of World Environmental Day Annex 3.3.1 Program of Establishment of Water Quality Forum of Lavalleja Annex 3.3.2 Program of Workshop on Environmental Management of Chemical Products used in the Forestry, Farm and Agricultural Production JICA CTI Engineering International Co., Ltd. iii The Project on Capacity Development for Sector D Water Quality Management in Montevideo and Metropolitan Area Supporting Report in the Oriental Republic of Uruguay Final Report 1. CURRENT ACTIVITIES OF DISSEMINATION, EDUCATION AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 1.1 Background Overview In Uruguay there is a number of accumulated environmental impacts and other environmental problems generated on a regular basis, due to the effects of human activities. There is, however, no national system of the proper environmental management in Uruguay. DINAMA is in charge of identifying the most critical environmental problems, prioritizing and selecting them. There is no sufficient management system for industrial discharge. An appropriate disposal system for solid waste is also not provided in Uruguay and, thus, in many cities household residues are the main problem. The main problems dealt by some NGOs are pesticide overuse in soils, forest cultivation using species that use large volume of water, increasing water contamination and overuse of fertilizers. Environmental Conflicts and Solution Practice The research done by Santandreu and Gudynas on Environmental Conflicts says that in Uruguay these related to water quality reflects the general concept; the most of the conflicts with relation to water would be diluted along the time without any solution. For example, MVOTMA formed a commission with the basin management features for the Carrasco River’s management under wide-range participation, but it has functioned no more since 2001. Nevertheless, there were so many formulations of communities seeking participatory approaches. In 2000, several community organizations formed the Water and Sanitation Protection Commission of Costa de Oro and Pando, worried about the contamination of groundwater caused by malfunctioning of wastewater treatment plant in Costa de Oro and Pando (Canelones). Meanwhile, the National Water and Life Protection Commission (CNDAV) was formed in 2002 by the participation of diverse organizations: neighborhood councils, user groups, environmental NGOs like Redes, OSE trade union (FFOSE), Joanico Promotion Association (Canelones), Wine Producers Center of Uruguay, Agriculture