Building an Effective Dialogue on Water
And Climate for the Central America Isthmus
Implementing
Institution: |
Unión
Mundial para la Naturaleza-UICN Mesoamérica |
Administration
of Funds and Technical Assistance: |
Unión
Mundial para la NaturalezaUICN
Mesoamérica
Comité Regional
de Recursos Hidráulicos (CRRH)
Asociación Mundial del Agua-GWP-CATAC
|
Duration: |
1
year |
Official
Termination Date: |
June
2003 |
Address: |
UICN-Mesoamérica
Moravia, Costa Rica, 100 metros sur Iglesia Católica.
Teléfono (506) 241-01-01
Fax (506) 240 99 34
APARTADO: 0146-2150 Moravia, Costa Rica.
Email:[email protected] |
Background
The call from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and
the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), under the framework
of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for supporting
scientific assessments on the state of global climate by the middle
80s, marks the initiation of an organized and systematic collaboration
and involvement of the Central American countries in the climate
change issue.
The first climate change programs were established
under the National Meteorological Institutions in order to contribute
with the efforts of data networking with large research centers
and to develop studies on climate tendencies and anomalies.
These organizations were the supporting scientific
agencies for the Foreign Affairs Ministries during the process
that lead to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UN-FCCC).
During the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil, 1992, the Presidents of Central America signed the Climate
Change Convention and at the same time, recognizing the scientific
complexity of the issue and the strong political implications
it had, they requested their Foreign Affairs Ministers to prepare
a regional treaty that includes a scientific and political follow
up mechanism that support regional decisions to be taken in the
future. Therefore, in Guatemala, October 1993, the Central American
Agreement on Climate Change was signed by the Foreign affairs
Ministers.
In this document it is
requested to the Central American Integration System (SICA)[1],
through their agencies specialized in Environment and Hydrometeorology
(Central American Commission on Environment and Development, CCAD,
and the Regional Committee on Hydraulic Resources, CRRH) to take
the lead and support the actions of the UN-FCCC and IPCC.
Since
then CCAD has been very active on the regional political process
mainly concern with mitigation of emissions of greenhouse gases,
emissions trade offs, etc, under the Conference of Parties for
the UN-FCCC. On the other hand, CRRH has been very active on developing
activities on the impacts assessments and adaptation options.
Several regional vulnerability
assessments were developed in the areas of agriculture, water
resources and sea level rise. National assessments added studies
on forests and health. All these studies, including the climate
scenarios specially developed for most of the countries in Central
America, were included in their National Communications to the
UN-FCCC[2].
A new project is being implemented with the
cooperation on the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), GEF-UNEP
and the Program START. The main objective is to assess the impacts
of climate change in the water resources of Central America in
the context of other changes in the regions environment,
economy and lifes quality and to design adaptations measurements.
Besides this activities, CRRH and their member
organizations have organized several of the largest meetings on
climate change in Central America, including the IPCC Plenary,
the first IPCC International Meeting on Adaptation to Climate
Change, the International meeting on Vulnerability Assessments
of Climate Change for the worlds country studies programs
and his Director Co-coordinated the Latin American Chapter for
the WGII-IPCC-TARnservation in Asia, Africa and Latin America
Project Purpose
To develop a multi stakeholder dialogue process that allows
to create awareness on the issues of climate variability, climate
change and water management in the Central American countries.
To develop specific interactions with the
case studies lead by IUCN, OAS, GWP-CATAC-CRRH/SICA), (Annex I),
and organize a regional multi stakeholder workshop where the results
from the cases studies can be presented and discussed.
To develop a framework for action which allow
to incorporate the climate change issue within the integrated
water resources management with the participation of all key stakeholders
including the existing initiatives.
To incorporate the issues of climate change,
climate variability and water management into the formal education
agenda for primary and secondary schools by means of national
workshops and materials production.
To prepare and publish informative materials
to create awareness, including video clips, video conferences,
multimedia, fact sheets, brochures, bulletins, WEB page, and reports.
Outputs
The
outputs from this activity can be divided in:
- Production of materials (from previous
studies and cases studies)
- Video clips, video conferences, multimedia,
fact sheets, brochures, bulletins, WEB page.
- Reports from the National Education
sector dialogue series, which will be consolidated in a regional
document for the Dialogue process and to be discussed at the
regional dialogue.
- A regional framework for action.
- Reports from the case studies.
Activities
Based on the above considerations and taking into the account
the short time frame available for contributing to accomplish
the Water and Climate Dialogue objectives, it is necessary to
design a Central America Dialogue process that consider the experiences
developed and the results already produced on climate change.
At the same time, it would be also necessary to use the actual
climate variability agenda being implemented by CRRH under their
SICA structure[3].
1. Short term case studies:[4]
A limited number of short term case studies that contribute
to provide new and or complementary information to the one already
available at the regional/country/and local levels. These case
studies will be coordinated individually by:
- GWP-CATAC (Water valuation under climate
change scenarios, Annex I)
- OAS (Transboundary waters, and Small Valley)
- IUCN (water and ecosystems).
2. Education programs:
According with the UN-FCCC the country
Parties should include within their national programs activities
on education, training and awareness. Because most of the efforts
in the world have been dedicated to provide information to decision
makers and planners, ie., a top-bottom approach, the Dialogue process
present an opportunity to transform the information already available
in the region, regarding climate change and variability, and the
one derived from the case studies, into a set of materials that
would facilitate the interactions with sectors not included yet
in the solution of the problem.
One sector that plays a multiplying role is
the education sector. Therefore, it is considered necessary to
include the knowledge already available for Climate Change and
variability into the formal education programs.
Another important sector to work with is the
mass media communication. They can reach all levels of society
as well as all sectors of economy creating awareness on the climate
change and variability issues.
Therefore, the activities for the education
programs can be divided in formal and non formal and the can take
place simultaneously and use the same materials.
A formal program can be developed by
promoting the issues of climate variability and climate change
and water management in educational programs for primary and secondary
schools in the countries of Central America. The best and less
expensive approach is to develop the materials on the issues for
primary and secondary professors for sciences and geography, so
they can work with their students based on regional, national
and local experiences.
- National Dialogues with science and geography
primary and secondary level professors:
The National Dialogues would include a one day workshop per
country in which the materials will presented along with several
conferences on the issue of climate and water. This activity
should be coordinated with the Central American Council on Education
(CEC/SICA), the Superior Council of Universities for Central
America (CSUCA/SICA), National Ministries for Education, National
Associations for Primary and Secondary professors.
Non-formal programs: includes a regional
multi stakeholder workshop (dialogue), video conferences, WEB
page, bulletins, media campaigns and other communication techniques
that will contribute to create awareness.
- Regional Multi stakeholder Dialogue with
important presence of the media communication sector and other
stakeholders: a two days regional workshop will be organized
in order to present the main issues of climate and water, including
adaptation to climate change and variability, as well as the
results from the cases studies and the fact sheets. This activity
should be coordinated with the specialized organizations for
mass media communication and the responsible organizations for
the case studies (GWP-CATAC/CRRR-SICA, IUCN and OAS).
- International Conference on Water Resources
for the XXI Century: by invitation of the Government of Mexico,
October 11, 2002. The Central America region would have a session
dedicated to discuss on the advances of the Regional Dialogue
on Climate and Water toward the III-WWF with the other similar
initiatives for the Americas. It is expected that key persons
from the activities in Central America participate in the discussion.
The structure and agenda for the session has not been decided.
- In order to address specific issues to
the decision level, video conferences can be used. CRRH normally
develop 3 video conferences per year to a different Ministerial
sectors. During these video conferences the climate tendencies
for Central America are presented. CRRH can share the agenda
during these VCs reducing the costs.
- Video clips: four video clips can be developed
for describing:
- The socio economic value of water (including
health).
- How variable is the supply side of
the water cycle (including their extremes).
- Effects of the growing demand side
(including contamination).
- The effects of climate change on water
management.
- WEB page: it can be created or attached
as a link to the main Dialogue page. It should include all materials
produced: fact sheets, video clips, national workshops reports,
regional workshops reports, other documents available.
3. Frameworks for action
The
roundtables and regional workshop will result in an analytical
framework for addressing climate change within the regional context
of water resources management and policy including the improvement
of ecosystem management. Key information needs, including assessments
of specific a watersheds, riverbasins and wetlands, will be identified.
Climate change options wil be identified and evaluated in the
context of the sustainable management of water resources and climate
change. These options will form the basis of a framework for action.
This will include actions that can be undertaken by NGOs,
the private sector, community organizations, education institutions
and Government agencies.
Contribution to the Objectives of the III
WWF-Dialogue on Water and Climate
The activities contribution to accomplish the objectives
of the Dialogue on Water and Climate are:
Short term case studies:
- Dialogue objectives:
generation
of knowledge
.identification of policy and management options.
- UN-FCCC objectives: New inputs for National
Communications.
- IPCC objectives: Fourth Assessment Report
on impacts and adaptation
reduction of uncertainties
National Dialogues with science and geography
primary and secondary level professors:
- Dialogue objectives:
development
of information network
generation of knowledge
.identification
of policy and management options
..generating awareness).
- UN-FCCC objectives: National programs should
include education programs to create awareness,
..inputs
for National Communications.
- IPCC objectives: Fourth Assessment Report
on impacts and adaptation
adaptation options
Non-formal programs
- Dialogue objectives: development of information
network generation of knowledge
.identification of policy
and management options generating awareness).
- UN-FCCC objectives: National programs should
include education programs to create awareness, .inputs for
National Communications).
- IPCC objectives: Fourth Assessment Report
on impacts and adaptation adaptation options
Framework with political buy-in
- Frameworks for adapting to climate change
that include actions targeted at the most vulnerable areas and
communities in the region. The framework will be a negotiation
tool during the dialogue process in order to commit the governments
of the countries to start and implement actions
[1] Central American
Integration System (SICA): Regional organization in charge of
preparing initiatives for responding to the decision making process
derived from the Meetings of the Presidents and Foreign Affairs
Ministers for Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, El Salvador, Nicaragua,
Costa Rica and Panama. SICA also promotes the participation of
civil society in its process and promotes the international cooperation
toward the region. Back to top.
[2] UN-FCCC, Article
4-1b establish that the countries, Parties to the Convention should
formulate, apply, publish and update regularly national and accordingly
regional programs that includes measures oriented to mitigate
climate change
.as well as
measures to facilitate
an appropriate adaptation to climate change.Back
to top
[3] Drought 2001,
CRRH / Climate Outlook Forum, CRRH-SICA / El Niño 97-98
study, CRRH-CEPREDENAC-BID-Japan. Back to top
[4] Short term
case studies have been presented to the Dialogue Secretariat by
GWP/CATAC and CRRH-SICA, IUCN and OAS-CRRH/SICA. Back
to top
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