During 2011, GWP Honduras organised workshops to advance the establishment of the first three watershed councils. Participants came from all sectors, including local authorities and civil society. The establishment of these councils has set an important precedent toward implementation of the water act through the active engagement of a broad range of actors. During the process to establish the Tulián River Basin Council, in the Sula Valley, an agreement for the promotion of sustainable development signed by the three municipalities making up the watershed was reactivated. The Tulián River Basin is the main source of drinking water for more than 165,000 inhabitants of Puerto Cortés, Honduras’ main sea port, which is also considered one of the most important in Central America.
Watershed councils established in Honduras
The National Water Law, approved in 2009 (see GWP in Action 2009 Annual Report, p. 24), aims to establish a national framework for water management and stipulates the establishment of watershed councils to improve water governance through stakeholder participation.