Development of an Impact Oriented Focal Area Portfolio through IW Partnerships

1. Development of an Impact Oriented Focal Area Portfolio through IW Partnerships Objective: To share strategies and mechanisms for promoting Global Environmental Benefits in the IW Focal Area

2. Outline of Presentation • Background/Geographic Orientation • Approach to developing IW Portfolio • Partnership Experiences • Challenges/Lessons Learned • Recommendations

3. Background/Geographic Orientation

4. Approach to implementing IW projects • No Strategic Action plan for IW at country level • Strategic decision to include IW projects for portfolio diversification through CPS under a specific Operational Programme • Projects must respond to a transboundary problem • Bi-national consultation for project development and implementation • Signed agreement for cooperation between NGO partners was required • Partnering for project implementation includes NGOs, Communities and Government Agencies

5. 5 projects (including 2 planning grants) 2 utilized bi-national approach 1 project addresses a transboundary problem but does not incorporate bi-national partnering Overview of IW portfolio

6. Friends for Conservation and Development project along the Mopan River • Problem • Pollution, Deforestation • Objective • To empower communities to become stewards of the shared Mopan Watershed • Activities • Mapping of Mopan River • Public Awareness • Community Stewardship • Partnerships involved • Friends for Conservation and Development, Naturaleza Para la Vida (Guatemala), Wildlife Trust, Waterkeeper Alliance), communities along the Mopan River from Guatemala and Belize

7. Mapping of Mopan River

8. Community Education and Awareness

9. Community Stewarship

10. Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management project in the Amatique Bay • Problem • Overfishing • Objective • Reduce over-fishing in the waters adjacent to the Sarstoon-Temash National Park in Amatique Bay in the Gulf of Honduras • Activities • Capacity Building of NGO Partners • Community Education and Awareness • Environmental Monitoring • Partnerships involved • SATIIM, Fundacion para el Ecodesarrollo y la Conservacion (FUNDAECO), Fisheries Authorities and communities from Belize and Guatemala

11. Community Education and Awareness

12. Environmental Monitoring

13. Bi-National Fisheries Forum

14. Challenges/Constraints • Regulatory Authorities from the two countries may have differing priorities and agendas • High level of funds are needed to maintain transboundary communication and coordination between NGO partners • No SGP funding was available for the partner NGOs from neighbouring country 14

15. Lessons Learned • Institutional Stability and Agenda of Partner NGOs need to be carefully assessed • High level of funds are needed to maintain transboundary communication and coordination between NGO partners • Differing cultural and national values require additional effort for resolving issues and potential conflicts • IW projects serve as a catalyst for transboundary communication and cooperation • Reducing extractive pressures on shared fisheries resources requires in alternative livelihood options • Larger levels of funding are needed to address (transboundary) environmental problems which impact shared water bodies in order to sustain SGP efforts 15

16. Recommendations • SIDS – Develop IW projects to address in-country problems which impact the wider Caribbean marine ecosystems • Other Countries – • Identify Strategic Bi-National Opportunities to address a specific transboundary water body problem. • Identify, Promote and Support transboundary NGO partnerships • Use SGP Funding to help establish Baseline Conditions for monitoring impacts • The above SGP efforts may be upscaled to Medium or Full Size Projects to help generate Global Environmental Benefits in the I.W. Focal Area 16