Balancing water use in the San Juan River Basin
Srinivasan, Thirumalai G. | Quinn, Dilys | Speakman, John | Shaban, Radwan | Warlop, Sophie
Because of the importance of the San Juan River Basin, the governments of Costa Rica and Nicaragua, with support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the United Nations Environment Programme, and the Organization of American States (OAS), are working together to formulate a strategic action program for the integrated management of water resources and the sustainable development of the Basin and its coastal zone. The project is expected to bring both local and global benefits, such as conservation of the water cycle, the preservation of major water bodies and the region's biodiversity, and the protection of extensive carbon sinks. The project's main impacts to date include development of the following: 1. A joint vision of the San Juan River Basin. The shared vision includes social and economic development priorities that balance and integrate principles of conservation and the rational use of water and land. 2. A bi-national management unit established for the formulation of the strategic action program. The new unit represents the first concrete effort toward joint management of the project and implementation of the strategic action program. 3. A sound public participation process, which evolved from rounds of consultations and from direct public involvement in formulating the demonstration projects and basic studies. 4. Strategic alliances within the national territories and across the international border, which were created through the demonstration projects and basic studies implemented during the formulation phase. 5. An information and knowledge base to support the decision-making processes with regard to water resources management in the Basin.
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