Guatemala: Strengthening Environmental Governance in the face of Climate Risks in Guatemala
Guatemala is one of the countries most exposed to meteorological and tectonic phenomena as well as to the effects of climate change. While environmental protection and the responsible use of natural resources are strategic objectives of the government, the environmental agenda has grown faster than the capacities of public institutions. The purpose of the Joint Programme was to develop environmental governance mechanisms to strengthen the capacity for adaptation to climate change in Guatemala, especially for the most vulnerable and poorest of the population.
To achieve this, the Programme focused on strengthening those mechanisms that allow for the proper administration of environmental interests, and that foster adaptability to climate changes:
- At the national level, through inter-institutional coordination and strategic implementation of three relevant national policies (social, environmental and water resources);
- At the subnational level, focusing primarily on the strengthening of financial and administrative environmental management, specifically of the drought corridor of Guatemala; and
- At the local level, through pilot project interventions in communities and municipalities.
Main achievements included:
- Promotion of 17 municipal public policies for environmental management, three departmental public policies for water and forest management, six municipal water and sanitation plans and two comprehensive municipal plans for water use. The Shared Agenda to Strengthen Social and Environmental Governance in the Dry Corridor was agreed upon.
- Training delivered to communities to improve their decision-making skills.
- Promotion of alternative water and sanitation technologies in 56 communities, benefitting more than 6,000 people.
- Dialogue forums were created to analyse and propose ways to improve management and access to water and forest resources; initiatives proposed by these bodies were approved by the respective departmental councils.
Click for more detailed results from the Joint Programmes in Guatemala (in Spanish).
The Joint Programme in action
JOINT PROGRAMME QUICK FACTS
Programme Dates 01 Aug 2008 - 03 Feb 2012
Net funded amount $3,600,000
Participating UN agencies FAO, UNDP, UNICEF
National partners Ministerio de Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (MARN), Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganadería y Alimentación (MAGA), Ministerio de Salud Pública y Asistencia Social (MSPAS), Programa de Desarrollo Rural (PRORURAL), Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Agrícolas (ICTA), Secretaría de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutricional (SESAN), Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC), Municipalidad de Rabinal, Municipalidad de Cubulco, Municipalidad de El Chol, Municipalidad de Granados, Municipalidad de San Miguel Chicaj, Municipalidad de Salamá, Asociación Nacional del Café (ANACAFE), ONG QACHUU ALOOM, Mancomunidad de Municipios del Valle de Baja Verapaz para el Fortalecimiento y Desarrollo (MANCOVALLE)