In Central America there are 23 transboundary basins which represent approximately 36.9% of the territory. But in most there are no joint agreements for their management. That is why GWP Nicaragua and the Latin American Water Tribunal (TLA) coordinated the regional forum, "Water in Central America: Opportunities for conflict resolution."The event was held on November 29 in the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua, in Managua, with speakers from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, and representatives of more than 60 organizations.
The forum aimed at strengthening the integrated management of transboundary water resources. Many conflicts in Latin America are due to shared waters. Some solutions have emerged as lessons learned from those conflicts. They emphasize the need to ensure environmental balance of the basin and on the cooperation of all stakeholders.
Some of the regional cases that were discussed include the “Trifinio Plan”, the Fonseca Gulf and the San Juan River. Trifinio is a transboundary area of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, and includes three major basins (Rivers Lempa, Motagua and Ulúa). The Trifinio Plan is an ongoing sustainable development program coordinated by the vice presidents of the three countries and has its own execution unit. The Fonseca Gulf is on the Pacific Coast of El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua, and there are some coordinated management initiatives, particularly around sustainable fisheries and coastal zone management. The San Juan River divides Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
More info and photos.
New GWP/INBO Handbook in Spanish released: Manual para la GIRH en Cuencas Transfronterizas, Ríos, Lagos y Aquíferos