Water Management in Central America to a Higher Level

Annually, hurricanes and regions suffering from drought – Central America faces many challenges due to climate change. Dutch water authorities have been working for some time under the flag of Dutch Water Authorities (DWA) to improve water management in this region, particularly Hoogheemraadschap de Stichtse Rijnlanden and Waterschap Noorderzijlvest. Originally, the focus was on Nicaragua: from 2016 to 2019, efforts were made to promote collaboration within watersheds. This project was co-financed by the NWB Fund. Local parties played an important role, with universities providing cases and knowledge. A new and ambitious project is underway, also supported by the NWB Fund.

After four years of successful cooperation, the focus is now on expanding to have an impact in more countries. This is being done together with the Comision Centroamericana de Ambiente y Desarrollo (CCAD), or the Central American Commission for Environment and Development. The CCAD is part of SICA, a union of all Central American countries, similar to the European Union. The CCAD deals with environmental and water policies in countries such as Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama, and Costa Rica. The water authorities and CCAD have signed an agreement to collaborate on water projects. The Global Water Partnership (GWP), Central America branch, is an important partner for the CCAD in terms of organization and financing. Indeed, many organizations with many abbreviations are involved.

The ambition of the new project is to establish watershed management plans for long-term integrated water management in several countries, with the help of local advisors. Currently, such plans do not exist, which means that water management is mainly crisis management. Last year, work was done to prepare for the project, including exploring the working area, finding partners, and securing funding. The NWB Fund supported this phase financially, which allowed for the deployment of a local liaison. The involvement of local contacts is essential for projects like this.

A request has since been submitted to BCIE, a Central American development bank. The CCAD is the primary applicant, and the water authorities and the Global Water Partnership are providing technical expertise and support. This process has been a learning experience for the involved water authorities: in addition to advising and planning, the challenge has been securing investments for implementation. The application procedure was not easy, but after much digital consultation, it was successful. A final decision on the application by the bank is expected at the end of the year. By then, it will be clear whether the new project can actually proceed. If the decision is positive, the implementation phase of the project can start in 2023.

The new project will involve cooperation at two levels (see diagram):

• Cooperation at an overarching strategic level, largely funded by the NWB Fund;

• Cooperation at the national and local levels, with funding primarily from the BCIE.

The results from the two levels each contribute to strengthening the organization of water management in the different member states of the Central American Union, each from their own perspective. By working simultaneously on these two levels, the project partners are creating a bridge. At the strategic level, the implementation of the Agenda Hídrica Regional, the Regional (i.e., Central American) Water Agenda, is being aligned. At the national/local level, the programmatic improvement of water management is being addressed in seven (sub-)watersheds. At both levels, the water authorities contribute knowledge about climate adaptation to the collaboration.

Want to know more? Contact project leader Beke Romp (beke.romp@hdsr.nl).