Water Quality Uses and Stresses

1. Water Quality Uses and Stresses Break Out Group Report

2. Paul Kirshen, Tufts University, USA Rudolph Williams, Nat. Meteorology Service, Belize Joseph Villafranco, TIDE, Belize Alvin Loredo, SATIIM, Belize German Zepeda, SERNA, Honduras Ned Spang, Tufts University, USA José Robledo, MARN-AMARSURLI, Guatemala Ana Carolina Monterroso, Fearless Translator, Guatemala Team Members

3. Watershed Approach • General Agreement on Approach • Needs to be multidisciplinary: strength and weakness of approach • Coordination of various govt and NGO actors = greatest challenge (e.g. 104 organizations working in Lago Izabal) • Lack political will (22 attempts to pass Water Law in Guatemala)

4. Watershed Approach Interventions • Need to find case studies for successful watershed approach --> Lessons Learned • Educational awareness on concept of watershed and watershed approach

5. Livelihoods • Important for local ecotourism, farming and fishing operations in Barranco • Intervention: • Continue appropriate protection of the environment, local customs and livelihoods

6. Agriculture • Technical assistance for appropriate pesticide use and management, potential for organic production • short-term • Train farmers in watershed management • short-term, continuous • Terracing to reduce soil erosion • medium-term • Export certification for large-scale farmers - monitoring opportunity • short-term • Fiscal Incentives and “polluter pays”policy, farmer-to-farmer monitoring • medium-term

7. Deforestation • Raise social awareness for protection of forests • short-term, continuous • Create nurseries of native species for reforestation programs • medium-term • Introduction of fast-growing trees for fuelwood • short-term • Alternative livelihoods for loggers: tourism handicrafts, bakeries • medium-term

8. Wastewater & Sanitation • Wastewater Treatment Plants • medium to long-term • Appropriate technology for Rural Area: composting toilets, gray water systems • medium to long-term • Monitoring of users • medium to long term • Management of Septage, including appropriate pumping and disposal • medium to long-term

9. Land Use • Respect the soil capacity and slope • Urbanization was a problem, need to enforce housing and zoning codes • Address problem of slash and burn agriculture • Respect natural river conditions for infrastructure development • Education program for disaster awareness: landslides, floods, etc.

10. Tourism • Great potential negative and positive environmental impacts • Responsible management of tourism industry to respect carrying capacity and cultural values of local area • Develop ecotourism sector: there is a wealth of biodiversity in the region

11. Central vs. Local Management of Watersheds • Policies and Laws should come from central government, but local groups should manage the watershed directly • Local groups can mobilize around sense of ownership, role for education and training • How can this really be accomplished?

12. Solid Waste - Garbage • Important role for education to raise awareness for proper waste disposal and recycling - short-term, continuous • Waste management facilities and systems: landfills, trash bins, collection, etc. - medium to long-term • Recognize positive benefits/cost-recover of solid waste: biogas, recyclables, composting, employment, etc. - long-term

13. Joint Management of Transboundary Watersheds • Honduras case: Motagua watershed is not a priority • Potential for strategic proposal which highlights the benefits of joint management for funding and generate national governments participation

14. Thanks Very Much!