Abt Associates Inc. / Woods Hole Group Preliminary TDA Gulf of Honduras A Programme of the Governments of the Gulf of Honduras Countries, with the assistance of the Inter-American Development Bank Gulf of Honduras Preliminary Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis Final Draft August, 2003 Global Environment Facility--Inter-American Development Bank Project Development Facility (PDF-B) i Abt Associates Inc. / Woods Hole Group Preliminary TDA Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................1 1.1 TDA CONTENT AND PROCESS .................................................................................................1 1.2 SCOPE OF THE TDA.................................................................................................................1 2.0 PHYSICAL AND BIOGEOCHEMICAL SETTING...............................................................4 2.1 WATERSHED ............................................................................................................................4 2.1.1 Drainage Basins...............................................................................................................5 2.1.2 River Discharge ...............................................................................................................6 2.1.3 Sediment Discharge from Rivers .....................................................................................7 2.1.4 Shoreline Classification .................................................................................................15 2.1.5 Climate...........................................................................................................................15 2.2 GEOLOGY AND GEOMORPHOLOGY.........................................................................................20 2.2.1 Geology..........................................................................................................................20 2.2.2 Coastal Processes and Coastal Erosion ........................................................................21 2.3 OCEANOGRAPHY....................................................................................................................21 2.3.1 Seawater Properties in the Gulf of Honduras................................................................25 2.3.2 Ocean and Coastal Currents .........................................................................................31 2.4 ECOSYSTEMS VULNERABLE TO WATER QUALITY DEGRADATION IN THE GULF OF HONDURAS......................................................................................................................................33 2.4.1 Mangroves/Coastal Forests...........................................................................................33 2.4.2 Seagrass Meadows.........................................................................................................34 2.4.3 Coral Reefs.....................................................................................................................34 2.5 BIODIVERSITY AND PROTECTION STATUS IN THE GULF OF HONDURAS AND ITS WATERSHED ....................................................................................................................................35 2.5.1 Marine Biodiversity........................................................................................................35 2.5.2 Endangered Species .......................................................................................................36 2.5.3 Protected Areas..............................................................................................................38 3.0 SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND DEVELOPMENT SETTING....................................................42 3.1 POPULATION AND DEMOGRAPHIC PATTERNS IN THE GULF OF HONDURAS WATERSHED .......42 3.1.1 Current Population and Population Growth Rates.......................................................43 3.1.2 Literacy Rates ................................................................................................................44 3.1.3 Access to Healthcare......................................................................................................44 3.2 REGIONAL ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS .............................................................................45 3.2.1 Structure of Economic Output in the Watershed ...........................................................45 3.2.2 Future Trends in Economic Output in the Watershed for the Next 10 Years ................46 3.3 INDUSTRIES IMPACTING AND IMPACTED BY THE GULF OF HONDURAS ..................................47 3.3.1 Agriculture .....................................................................................................................47 3.3.2 Commercial and Artisanal Fisheries .............................................................................47 3.3.3 Aquaculture....................................................................................................................48 3.3.4 Tourism ..........................................................................................................................49 3.3.5 Marine Transport...........................................................................................................50 June 2, 2003 i Abt Associates Inc. / Woods Hole Group Preliminary TDA 3.3.6 Industry ..........................................................................................................................51 4.0 OVERVIEW OF APPLICABLE INSTITUTIONAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS..............................................................................................................................53 4.2 MARITIME ADMINISTRATION.................................................................................................55 4.2.1 Belize..............................................................................................................................55 4.2.2 Guatemala......................................................................................................................57 4.2.3 Honduras........................................................................................................................59 4.3 OTHER PROJECT-RELATED PROGRAM AREAS........................................................................61 5.0 MAJOR PERCEIVED PROBLEMS AND ISSUES .............................................................67 5.1 NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ARISING FROM EXISTING AND FUTURE PORT OPERATIONS AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT: .....................................................................70 5.1.1. Port Expansion and Maintenance Activities..................................................................75 5.1.2 Loading/Offloading and Storage of Cargo....................................................................78 5.1.3 Waste Generation and Handling ...................................................................................79 5.1.4 Ballast Water..................................................................................................................80 5.1.5. Port-Related Industry.....................................................................................................81 5.2 NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ARISING FROM MARINE ACTIVITIES ..........................83 5.2.1 Degradation Resulting from Oil and Chemical Discharge ...........................................83 5.2.2 Degradation Resulting from Other Marine Activities ...................................................92 5.2.3 Sensitive Area Mapping .................................................................................................92 5.3 OTHER LAND-BASED ACTIVITIES (OTHER THAN SHIPPING-RELATED) CAUSING DEGRADATION OF THE ECOSYSTEMS OF THE GULF OF HONDURAS...................................................96 5.3.2 Logging ..........................................................................................................................98 5.3.3 Municipal Sewage Discharge ......................................................................................100 5.3.4 Aquaculture..................................................................................................................100 5.3.5 Tourism ........................................................................................................................101 5.3.6 Industrial Discharge ....................................................................................................102 5.4 PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE AND LOCAL AND TRANSBOUNDARY IMPACT OF LAND-BASED VS. SHIP-BASED SOURCES OF POLLUTION ...............110 6.0 STAKEHOLDER ANALYS IS ..............................................................................................115 6.1 LINKS WITH OTHER INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONALLY SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS AND INSTITUTIONS ................................................................................................................................115 6.2 STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS .........................................................................................118 6.2.1 Public Sector – National and Local Government........................................................119 6.2.2 Civil Society.................................................................................................................122 6.2.3 Private Sector...............................................................................................................123