TRINATIONAL COMMISSION OF PLAN TRINATIONAL COMMISSION OF PLAN TRIFINIOTRIFINIO

Plan Trifinio and the Shared Watershed of the Lempa River

El Salvador, Guatemala and HondurasEl Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras

Mercedes LlortTrinational Executive Secretary

Comprises 7,541 km including 45border municipalities: 8 in ElSalvador, 11 in Guatemala and 22 in Honduras

The Region surrounds the MontecristoCloud Forest

• The Region is constituted as anindivisible ecological area by aunique Treaty signed by theGovernments of El Salvador,Guatemala and Honduras.

THE TRIFINIO REGIONTHE TRIFINIO REGION

THE TRIFINIO REGIONTHE TRIFINIO REGION

Source of three of the most

important water systems in CentralAmerica: Lempa, Motagua y Ulua

Diverse natural resources of theBiological Reserve “La Fraternidad”

Encompasses 50% of the UpperLempa Watershed

The Trifinio Region and theLempa River Basin are intimately related: conditionsin the Region affect the quality and quantity of waterresources

TRIFINIO REGIONTRIFINIO REGIONMAIN INDICATORSMAIN INDICATORS

• Population: 670,000 inhabitants

• Area: 7,541 Km

• Density: 89 inhabitants/Km

• Municipalities: 45

• Rural Population: Greater than 70%

• Extreme Poverty: 53%

• Illiteracy: Urban 25% Rural 75%

• Unemployment (Greater than 50% of Economically Active Population)

VICIOUS CYCLE:VICIOUS CYCLE:

Poverty and Environmental DegradationPoverty and Environmental Degradation

• 70% of population lives on subsistance agriculture Poor profitability and competitiveness

• Limited public investment

- Non-existent cross-border cooperation

- Weak local organizational capacity

• Increased agricultural activity

- Rapid changes in land use

- Loss of vegetation

- Erosion

• Contamination of Lempa River and tributaries

- Untreated waste water from urban centers

- Inappropriate use of agro-chemicals

TRIFINIO IS A PROCESS UNIQUE IN AMERICA

• Contributes to CentralAmerican Integration

• Promotes participation at thelocal, national and trinationallevels for greater cross-bordercooperation

• Permits the integrated managementof shared natural resources

PROCESS RESULTSPROCESS RESULTS

• Constitution of theMontecristo NationalPark (1971), one of thefew remaining habitats for rare and endangeredspecies and a vitalsource of water,receiving an averageannual total of 53.2million mts3.

• Declaration of the Biosphere Reserve “La Fraternidad” (1987)

– Management Plan 1997

– Advisory Committee 2003: institutional representatives responsible for consolidating area management and completing the request for inscription into the UNESCO system of biospheres

PROCESS RESULTS

• Design and approval of Plan Trifinio (1987):

– Development strategy, programs and projects

– Objective: Contribute to Central American integration through coordinated efforts for the sustainable development of a common region

– Water is not a central theme

PROCESS RESULTS

Rational Energy and Environmental Protection 1992-1996 (FINNIDA-OEA). Trees planted for fire wood and introduction of fuel efficient stoves.

– Emphasis placed on environmental conservation rather than active grassroots participation and local cross-border development

Trifinio Pilot Project 1992-1999 (EU) reforestation to recover degraded areas, emphasis on families that live near Montecristo Park.

PROCESS RESULTS

Signing and Ratification of the Treaty for the Execution of Plan Trifinio

Constituted legal and structural framework of the Institution

Defined the Region as an indivisible ecological unit

Established legitimacy of decisions made by the Institution

PRINCIPLE PROCESS RESULTS

Trinational Program for the SustainableDevelopment of the Upper Watershed of theLempa River US$31.3 million

• 3 IADB loans

• Counterpart contributions: El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras

• Donations from NORAD and GTZ, Japan IDB-Fund, Spain

• Concessionaire funds from NDF

• Functions as a single operation executed by the CTPT

Respond to needs andproblems prioritized by thepopulation of the region inall three countries

Respond to local demand and focus on establishing nationaland trinational participatoryprocesses

Respond to the regionalintegration objectives of thethree countries

PROGRAM CONCEPTS

Contribute to poverty alleviation and to the reduction of environmental degradation.

• Natural Resource Management

• Natural Disaster Prevention and Mitigation

• Promotion of Economic Diversification

• Institutional Strengthening

• BENEFICIARIES: 305,000 inhabitants

GENERAL OBJECTIVE

COMPONENTS

PROGRAM EXPECTED OUTCOMES

• 2,500 small hillside producers utilize conservation practicesand sustainable technologies

• 14,200 Hectares of sustainable management of natural resources and reforestation

• 19 secondary basins protected

• Civil society and 19 local governments are empowered for risk management by implementing actions to reduce vulnerability

• 960 small and medium enterprises improve competitivenessand diversify activities

EL SALVADOR, GUATEMALA, HONDURASPROGRAMA TRINACIONAL DE DESARROLLO SOSTENIBLE DE LA

CUENCA ALTA DEL RÍO LEMPA (CA-0034)

ÁRE A DE AC TUACIÓ N DE L P RO G RAM A

SUB -CUE NCAS S ELECCIO NAD AS

EL S ALVADO R

G UATE M A LA HO NDUR AS

O cotepeque

Esquipulas

M etapán

Río O stua

LagoG üija

Río Lem pa

Río Lem pa

Río Anguiatú

Oficina de Apoyo R egional de OperacionesSistem a de Inform ación G eográfica (ROS/gis) 21/6/01

E ste m apa, preparado por e l B anco In teram ericano de Desarro llo ,no ha sido autorizado por n ingún órgano com petente y su inc lus ión en e l documento de prés tam o tiene por ob jeto exclus ivoind icar e l área de in fluenc ia del proyec to que se propone financiar.

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EL SALVADOR, GUATEMALA, HONDURASTrinational Program for the Sustainable Development of the Upper Basin of the Lempa RiverWater

PROGRAM EXPECTED OUTCOMES

• The trinational system: Trinational Commission, institutions, localgovernments and communityorganizations promote regional sustainable development

• Integration is increased and strengthened

CONCLUSIONS AND LESSONS LEARNED

Central America is a Region of Borders

The border region features marginalized populations largely forgotten by the development process

Development is negatively effected by a history of conflict which causes nations to treat borders as territories which must be defended

Shared water resource management has been handled at thepolitical and institutional levels

Despite that shared water resources havenot been central to the Trifinio process, the experience has laid a strong foundation for the integrated management of aninternational river basin

CONCLUSIONS AND LESSONS LEARNED

The Sustainable Development Project of the Upper LempaRiver Basin provides the structure necessary to open channels of communication at the local and central levels inthe three countries

Trifinio’s legal and institutional framework represents aunique opportunity for integrated management which isattractive to donors

Thank you for your attentionThank you for your attention