Trinational Commission of Plan Trifinio

TRINATIONAL COMMISSION OF PLAN TRIFINIO

Plan Trifinio El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras z Comprises 7,541 km including 45 border municipalities: 8 in El Salvador, 15 in Guatemala and 22 in Honduras z The Region surrounds the Montecristo Cloud Forest

• The Region is constituted as an indivisible ecological area by a unique Treaty signed by the Governments of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

THE TRIFINIO REGION z Source of three of the most important watersheds in Central America: Lempa, Motagua y Ulua

z Contains diverse natural resources in the Montecristo Trinational Protected Area (also known as Biological Reserve “La Fraternidad”)

z Encompasses 50% of the Upper Lempa Watershed

zThe Trifinio Region, the Lempa watershed and the Protected Area of Montecristo are intimately related; conditions in the Region affect the ecosystem and the quality and quantity of STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF water resources THE TRIFINIO REGION • Population: 670,000 inhabitants • Area: 7,541 Km • Density: 89 inhabitants/Km • Municipalities: 45

• Rural Population: Greater than 70% • Extreme Poverty: 53% • Illiteracy: Urban 25% Rural 75% • Unemployment: Greater than 50% of Economically Active Population TRIFINIO REGION PRINCIPLE INDICATORS VICIOUS CYCLE: Poverty and Environmental Degradation • 70% of the population • Rapid changes in land use lives by subsistence Increased agricultural activity agriculture. Loss of vegetation Poor profitability and Increased soil erosion competitiveness Reduction in biodiversity

• Limited public investment Limited cross-border cooperation • Untreated waste water from urban centers Weak local organizational Inappropriate use of agro- capacity chemicals Contamination of the Lempa River and tributaries z The signing and ratification of the Treaty Between El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras for the Execution of Plan Trifinio (1987 – 1989) Constituted the legal and institutional framework Set the Region limits Defined the Region as an indivisible ecological unit and of special interest to the three countries Established that “only integrated and coordinated actions by the three countries will bring satisfactory solutions to the problems of their populations and the sustainable management of their natural resources” Called upon the government institutions of the three countries to give any assistance needed to the Commission to implement the Plan

INSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK Emphasis of our work:

Conservation of the ecosystems of the Montecristo Trinational Protected Area (one of the few remaining habitats for rare and endangered species and a vital source of water, special emphasis on biodiversity)

Transboundary waters (special emphasis on better quality and increased quantity of water in the upper Lempa trinational river basin)

Regional integration (at the local, regional and national levels)

ESQUIPULAS - Guatemala

OCOTEPEQUE Punto - Honduras Trifinio

METAPAN -El Salvador PROCESS RESULTS • Constitution of the Montecristo Trinational Protected Area (2005): three countries, one management unit and one budget; very few examples in the world and the only one in the Americas •Integrated Management Plan created through a participatory process (financed by NORPLAN, the Norwegian Consultants Fund at IDB)

•Rapid Ecological Assessment of the Guatemalan and Honduran areas discovered new species for science and found that the area was a refuge in the Pleistocene •Documents have been approved by the Protected Areas Advisory Committee CONSERVATION OF and the authorities of the three countries THE ECOSYSTEMS 160000 180000 200000 220000 240000 260000 280000

TRANSBOUNDARY WATERS: 1 0 6 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 0

6 14 0 SUSTAINABLE1 MANAGENT OF

THE LEMPA WATERSHED 12 9 2 23

19 1

0 10 6 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0

1 One Program 6 13 21 implemented 1 11 by CTPT. 18 16 17 20 15 Financed: 3 8 1 0 5 0 8

0 IDB loans; 0 0 22 0 8 0

5 7 0 1 National funds 4 ES, GU and 3 HO; Donations from Norway, 1 0 5 0 6

0 Río Lempa 0 0 GTZ, Japan, 0 6 0 5 0 1 Spain andN 10 0 10 20 30 Kilometers Concessionaire

1funds60000 from 180000 200000 220000 240000 260000 280000 NDF Lago Río Frontera Subcuencas Zona 4 Agroempresarial con Zona 1 Café y forestal con alto valor agregado potencial agroindustrial Zona 2 Potencial ecoturístico y regulación hídrica Zona 5 Desarrollo silvopastoril y Zona 3 Produccin forestal y regulación hídrica agroforestal con conservación z Responding to the needs and problems of the rural populations in the 23 prioritized watersheds in all three countries.

z Responding to local demand and focusing on establishing participatory processes z Strengthening the Commissions capacity to coordinate the integration processes in the three countries

PROGRAM FOCUS Natural Resources Management

• 2,074 small hillside farmers utilizing conservation practices and sustainable technologies • families are receiving technical assistance and incentives • 78,555 fruit trees and 842,278 wood trees have been planted Basic Infraestructure and Sanitation

•6,444 families have access to potable water, 4,126 families have better rural roads and other basic services Risk Management and Disaster Mitigation

80 communities are organized and 19 local governments are empowered for risk management and implementing projects to reduce vulnerability Economic Diversification: Promoting Tourism as an alternative to improve income in rural communities

Guatemala: Esquipulas. Ipala Lake and Volcano Esquipulas Chatún Park Honduras: El Guisayote Reserv Ocotepeque Copán Ruins El Salvador: El Pital Mountain La Palma Guija Lake Montecristo National Park Institutional Strengthening

National Stakeholders Committees

Citizen Participation

Strengthening of Local Organizations REGIONAL INTEGRATION

The Trifinio Plan: A trinational integration process that has allowed the establishment of an international institutional framework Sustainable Development of the Environment and Water Resources in the Upper Lempa River Basin. •support the establishment of a management plan for an integrated watershed management programme using isotopic techniques. International Atomic Energy Agency

Promotion of the administration of water as a public good in the upper watershed of the Lempa River in the Trifinio region. •Population and local governments are better informed, more educated which will be reflected in better quality and higher quantity of water. IDB

Facilitating multi-sector innovations for reduction of extreme use of pesticides in vegetable growing highlands of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala in the Trifinio region. •Farm communities produce affordable, safe food based on environmentally sound, employment-generating production practices in the context of democratically-developed mechanisms by government and civil society. CATIE/Norwegian Ministry of Cooperation FURTHER INICIATIVES for 2006 • Additional support in the implementation of the second phase of the Integrated Management Plan for the Montecristo Trinational Protected Area. •Improvement of water quality through the construction of water treatment facilities in the Trifinio region: Metapán, El Salvador, Esquipulas, Guatemala and Ocotepeque, Honduras. •Strengthening productivity of small businesses and independent producers focusing on Eco-tourism, Artisan crafts and diverse agricultural crops.

TRIFINIO FUTURE NEEDS Thank you for your attention