Goascorán River Basin

Area: 2.345,46 km2

52% HONDURAS 48% EL SALVADOR

SERIES 3 No. 05 Governance

Location HONDURAS

EL SALVADOR HONDURAS Area: 2.345,46Area: km2 EL SALVADOR 2.345,46 km2 52% Governance for 52% HONDURAS 48%HONDURAS Ecosystems based 48%EL SALVADOR Adaptation: EL SALVADOR Goascorán River Basin

Location The Goascorán river basin, shared between Honduras and El Honduras, as well as Pasaquina Morrales and La Bahía de la Unión in Salvador, has four climatic zones according to the Koppen, Sapper El Salvador. The upper part of the basin is characterized by being an and Lauer classification: Tropical Savannah, Tropical Hot Savannah, important water producing area, whose main river - the Goascorán - Tropical Climate of the Highlands and Cold Lands. flows into the Pacific Ocean, more specifically in the Gulf of Fonseca, Location a region of great socio-economic and environmental relevance in Regarding the topographic characteristics, the Central American context. Culturally, the Lenca ethnic group is the land under agricultural use represents predominant in the middle and upper reaches of the basin. only 5.86%. The rest of the area has been classified as forest. The Goascorán river basin includes 13 municipalities in El Salvador, from La Unión and Morazán Departments and 16 municipalities in There are four protected areas in Honduras from La Paz, Valle, Comayagua and Francisco Morazán the basin: the Güajiquiro Biological Departments. The main socio-economic activities are: agriculture, Reserve and the El Jilguero artisanal fishing and livestock. Chief among the agricultural products Reserve Water Production Zone in are: corn, beans, coffee, bananas, plantains, potatoes and rice, so

1 CATIE (2007). Plan de Manejo de la Cuenca Binacional del Río Goascorán. Turrialba, Costa Rica: CATIE. 2 Ibid. there is a direct dependence of the inhabitants on ecosystem services to sustain their livelihoods. Climate zones The main climatic threats are the decrease in rainfall and the TROPICAL increase in average temperature, with potential effects on the SAVANNAH HOT OR shortage of water for human consumption and the loss of HOT LAND harvests due to drought. The most important environmental (average annual stress factors identified in both countries are deforestation temperature of 27°C-29°C) throughout the basin, sedimentation of the Goascorán River and inadequate management of solid waste, all of which has HONDURAS an impact on the provision of ecosystem services. TROPICAL HOT EL SALVADOR In addition, the inadequate binational coordination for SAVANNAH (average annual the management of shared natural resources and scarce temperature Población knowledge regarding the benefits provided by ecosystems for of 20°C-27°C) adaptation hinders the coordination of joint actions to address 326.247 habitantes en la zona climate change. Although the process of shaping the Goascorán de inﬂuencia de la cuenca. River Basin Council for the integrated management of the basin in TROPICAL CLIMATE Honduran territory began in 2015, both the absence of a binational OF THE HIGHLANDS COLD LANDS (average annual (average annual temperature DENSIDAD POBLACIONAL structure and a platform similar to the aforementioned council in temperature of of 10°C-16°C). the Salvadoran territory hinders the adoption of decisions and their 16°C-20°C) implementation in the binational domain. All this compromises adaptive capacity and increases the vulnerability of people and ecosystems in the face of climate change. On average, rainfall is characterised by high temperatures and irregular magnitude.

In this context, the AVE project - in coordination with other projects EL SALVADOR 138.2 Hab./km2 such as BRIDGE, ICWL and Our Basin Goascorán - has worked on HONDURAS 47.3 Hab./km2 Población raising the awareness of various actors in relation to climate change and the benefits of protecting, managing and restoring ecosystems. habitantes en la zona Existe presencia de población Lenca en326.247 la cuenca. Likewise, it has emphasized the importance of the implementation de inﬂuencia de la cuenca. of Adaptation actions based on Ecosystems (EbA) to improve the DENSIDAD POBLACIONAL food security of families in the short term and favor the generation 43% HONDURAS of evidence on the effectiveness of EbA in the medium term. It has also sought the facilitation of a binational governance process for Population watershed management and the scaling up of EbA measures in 57% Inhabitants in the adaptation plans and programs. 2 EL SALVADOR 326.247 EL SALVADOR 138.2 Hab./km area of the basin inﬂuence. HONDURAS 47.3 Hab./km2 The Ecosystems based Adaptation (EbA) actions implemented in Existe presencia de población Lenca en la cuenca. POPULATION DENSITY the basin are: 1) protection of water sources, 2) soil conservation practices and 3) promotion of agroforestry systems. The logic of intervention incorporates diverse actors: agricultural producers, 43% HONDURAS micro-basin committees, water boards, municipalities, associations of municipalities, government institutions, community leaders, women 57% and young people from both countries. These actors have actively EL SALVADOR participated in the meetings on Natural Solutions and Governance to EL SALVADOR 138.2 Inhabitants/km2 face Climate Change, whose objective has been to raise awareness HONDURAS 47.3 Inhabitants/km2 about the benefits of the EbA approach, as well as the existing legal and political frameworks in both countries that promote and facilitate There is presence of Lenca population in the basin multidimensional participation and coordination (multilevel and multisectoral) in planning processes for adaptation to climate change.

43% HONDURAS 57% EL SALVADOR 3 CEPAL (Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe), NDF (Fondo Nórdico de Desarrollo [por sus siglas en inglés]), BID (Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo) y MiAmbiente+ (Secretaría de Energía, Recursos Naturales, Ambiente y Minas de Honduras) (2017). La Economía del Cambio Climático en Honduras – Documento Técnico 2017. Ciudad de México, México: CEPAL.

2 GOVERNANCE At the local level, capacity building processes have been carried out Basin Council in Honduras and the creation of the Environmental by the Lituy River Micro-basin Council (in Honduras and belonging Technical Tables (MTA, for its acronyms in Spanish) in El Salvador, to the Apane River Micro-basin Council) and the Honduritas River as participatory and multidimensional governance structures. Micro-basin Committee (in El Salvador) through the implementation At the national level, technical exchanges have taken place of a participatory and practical methodology (“learning by doing”). with multisectoral platforms and socialization of results with the The learning process has been reinforced through the exchange of directorates of climate change of both countries, in such a way that experiences. the lessons learned from the project are incorporated into public policies. This process of training various actors at multiple levels At the subnational level, and jointly with the BRIDGE project, - together with the strengthening of cross-border governance cross-border coordination spaces have been facilitated through structures - forms the strategy for scaling up EbA in the basin. the promotion of rapprochement between the Goascorán River

Illustration 1. Project scaling-up strategy

HONDURAS EL SALVADOR

MiAmbiente MARN DCC DCC

Inter-institutional Technical National Council for Committee on Climate Change Environmental Sustainability and Vulnerability (CICC) (CONASAV)

GOASCORÁN BASIN MESAS TÉCNICAS COUNCIL AMBIENTALES

MAMSURPAZ ASINORLU Mancomunidad de Municipios Asociación Intermunicipal del del Sur del Departamento de Norte de la Unión la Paz.

MUNICIPALITY MUNICIPALITY MUNICIPALITY AGUANQUETERIQUE NUEVA ESPARTA POLOROS Environmental Municipal Unit Environmental Municipal Unit Environmental Municipal Unit

Pilot sites: Lituy River Micro-basin Council (Honduras), Honduritas River Micro-basin Committee (El Salvador)

4 BRIDGE (Building River Dialogues and Governance) Project: The project supports the capacities of countries that share a basin to implement effective agreements for the management of water resources through a shared vision, the distribution of benefits and the promotion of transparent and coherent institutional frameworks

GOVERNANCE 3 Bi-national governance process

Starting 2009, the General Water Law of Honduras came into force As governance platforms, the CCRG and the MTAs incorporate (Decree 181-2009), which authorizes the creation of basin, sub-basin a diversity of civil society actors, municipal governments and and micro-basin councils as sub-national bodies for water governance, commonwealths of municipalities, such as the Commonwealth of with a participatory and multidimensional approach. Although the Southern Municipalities of the Department of la Paz (MAMSURPAZ), AVE project supports consolidation actions of the Goascorán River the Commonwealth of Border Municipalities (MAFRON) and the Basin Council (Spanish: CCRG) and micro-watershed councils in Commonwealth of Lenca Municipalities of the Sierra of the Department the area of influence of the project, these councils only have power of La Paz (MAMLESIP) in Honduras, as well as the Intermunicipal within Honduran territory. Association of the North of La Unión (ASINORLU) in El Salvador. The boards of directors of the CCRG and the MTAs are made up In El Salvador, since late 2016, the project has supported the creation of representatives of the following organizations with presence in the of the Environmental Technical Tables (Spanish: MTA), the North transboundary territory: and South of the Department of La Unión, to facilitate participatory and multidimensional processes. The objective of promoting these structures has been to establish an interlocutor that complements the CCRG in the Salvadoran territory.

Table 1. Governance structures in the binational basin

Organizations with representation Organizations with representation in the Boards of Directors on the Board of Directors of the Environmental Technical Tables (MTA) of the North and South Goascorán River Basin Council of La Unión (El Salvador)5 (Honduras)

• Association for the Integrated MTA del Norte de La Unión MTA del Sur de La Unión Management of Watersheds of La Paz • Pitahaya Communal Association of • Association of Watersheds and Comayagua (ASOMAINCUPACO) Potable Water and Environmental of the Gulf of Fonseca Sanitation, Mala Laja and Minitas • Mayor of Aramecina (represents (ACU-GOLFO) (ACAPSAPYN) MAFRON) • Association of Local Economic • Council of the Apane River Micro-basin • Señor de los Milagros Community Development La Unión Development Association (ACODESMI) • Aramecina Board • Pasaquina Tourism • Community Development Association • Council of the Apasapo Microbasin • Ministry of Environment and Cantón Ocote (ADESCOCO) River Natural Resources (MARN) • Monteca Livestock and Farming • Council of the Río Cimarrón Microbasin • Municipal Environmental Unit Association (AGAMO) • Mayor of San Antonio del Norte El Carmen Town Hall • Faith and Hope Community Development (represents MAMSURPAZ) • Municipal Environmental Association (ADESCOFE) Unit Town Hall Union • Council of the La Victoria River micro- • Pitahaya Carpintero Communal Water and basin • Municipal Environmental Development Association (ACCPAD) Unit Town Hall San Alejo • Lenca Indigenous Sector Round Table • Honduritas River Micro-basin Committee • Municipal Environmental • Municipal Environmental Unit City Hall Unit Conchagua Town Hall Concepión de Oriente

5 UICN y Fundación Vida (2018). Plan de Acción 2018. Mesas Técnicas Ambientales del Norte y Sur del Departamento de La Unión, El Salvador. Tegucigalpa, Honduras: Proyecto BRIDGE-UICN.

Results

• The communities have appropriated the measures related to the good management of natural resources for adaptation through the implementation of EbA actions and the participatory elaboration of the internal regulations of the © 2018 IUCN/ Paúl Aragón Lituy River micro-watershed organizations (Honduras) and the Honduritas River (El Salvador).

• The EbA approach has been incorporated into the different basin management processes, for example, actions carried out by the Municipal Environmental Units of the municipal governments of Honduras and planning through working sessions with the municipal technicians of the Environmental Units Municipalities of El Salvador.

• The municipal associations of MAMSURPAZ, MAFRON (Honduras) and ASINORLU (El Salvador) have had exchanges on national policies and field experiences for the proper management of solid waste, sustainable agricultural practices and water management.

Scaling up • At cross-border level, the project’s actions in the binational • IUCN actions in the binational basin contribute to achieving the basin provide experiences for compliance with national public Sustainable Development Goals (SDG): policies on climate change in both countries; for example, in El Salvador, the goal of the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) Clean Water and Sanitation. to manage its national territory through “Sustainable and Resilient In the integral management Landscapes to Climate Change” and the goal of the NDC of of water resources through Honduras to incorporate “Changes in agricultural practices” for cross-border cooperation more sustainable production as an adaptation measure.7

• At national level, The technical inputs provided as part of the Climate Action. In the AVE Project contributed to the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) integration of climate of Honduras, which incorporates the EbA approach as one of change measures into its strategic axes and adaptive governance as one of its cross- national policies, strategies cutting axes. and plans

6 Ministerio de Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (MARN) (2016). Contribución Nacionalmente Determinada de El Salvador ante la Convención Marco de las Naciones Unidas sobre Cambio Climático. San Salvador, El Salvador: MARN. 7 Secretaría de Recursos Naturales y Ambiente (SERNA) (2016). Contribución Nacionalmente Determinada de Honduras ante la Convención Marco de las Naciones Unidas sobre Cambio Climático. Tegucigalpa, Honduras: SERNA.

6 GOVERNANCE Challenges and next steps

In order for the cross-border structures to be sustainable Basin Council in order to continue with the landscape-level over time, the collaboration of the chancelleries (through escalation of EbA measures throughout the basin. In the cooperation agreements) that achieve multi-level coordination case of El Salvador, it is necessary to continue supporting is imperative. In the absence of a binational agreement, an the Environmental Technical Tables, which bring together approach is necessary through the existing structures on both actors from multiple levels and sectors, with the objective sides of the border, in order to strengthen solutions based on of promoting the scaling up of EbA measures as part of a nature and, in general, on governance for adaptation in the comprehensive adaptation strategy. It also insists on the basin of the Goascorán river. need to reach binational agreements at the highest level to form institutions that achieve a strengthened and sustainable In Honduras, it is necessary to legalize the newly created trans-border and multilevel coordination. micro-watershed committees and the Goascorán River © 2018 IUCN/ Paúl Aragón

GOVERNANCE 7 Governance for EbA: Definition

Governance for EbA refers to the norms, institutions and processes that determine the way in which power is exercised and responsibilities are distributed, and how decisions are made to moderate potential harms, take advantage of beneficial aspects or resist the negative consequences of climate change, making use of solutions based on nature. This model of governance must be flexible, multidimensional, participatory and ecosystemic.

The norms and institutions, as well as the decision-making processes, are essential to address the various social and environmental problems that contribute to socio-ecological vulnerability to climate change. For this reason, the AVE project seeks to improve governance for EbA (see the Governance booklet). © 2018 IUCN/ Paúl Aragón

Authors Mauricio Luna Rodríguez and Rovell Guillén.

Editors Lorena Martínez Hernández and Alejandro Iza.

About the AVE project The AVE project: Adaptation, Vulnerability & Ecosystems seeks to scale up the Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) approach through the strengthening of capacities to address climate change, the coordination of political, legal and institutional frameworks and the gathering of evidence on their multiple benefits to increase resilience and reduce the vulnerability of people and nature. Its implementation is carried out since 2015 in six Mesoamerican countries (Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Panama) with the support of the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Protection and Nuclear Safety (BMU) of Germany, and executed by the Environmental Law Centre (ELC) and the Regional Office for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean (ORMACC) of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and in coordination with International Union member organizations and partners such as the Honduran Environment Foundation and VIDA Development, for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) the Salvadoran Ecological Unit, the Natural History Society of Soconusco, the Talamanca Caribe Biological Corridor Association and the Trinational Commission of the Trifinio Plan. Regional Office for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean (ORMACC) More information: http://www.iucn.org/node/594 - Contact: [email protected] San José, Costa Rica [email protected] About IUCN IUCN is a Union of Members composed of sovereign States, government agencies and civil society www.iucn.org/ormacc organizations. It has the experience, resources and reach of its more than 1,300 member organizations and the contributions of more than 10,000 experts. IUCN is the world authority in terms of the state of nature and natural resources, as well as the necessary measures to protect them. Environmental Law Centre (ELC) Bonn, Germany [email protected] www.iucn.org/law