Existing Solutions

Integrated management, micro watershed, paying for environmental services at community level, conservation.

technical

Technical and institutional solution on  community level.

The project facilitates and monitors that all members of the 7 participating communities are organized and keep on designing and implementing their integrated management plans for the micro watershed. Through the principle of paying for environmental services each community receives enough clean drinking water/water to generate electrical hydro power stations/water for agriculture in a sustainable way by investing 25% of the monthly payment of each consumer directly into the conservation of the wells/springs as well as the water recharge area and into soil protection in these areas.  

Guatemala, northern area of the country, micro watershed Río Esquichá, total area of 38 km².

Consorcio Mi Cuenca CRS – CARE – UICN (Responsable person:  Orsibal Ramírez).

Involved benefiting members of 7 comunities in the micro watershed Río Esquichá: total of 13.400 persons.

Project started in October 2007 and is ongoing until September 2012.

To meet the target 3.1.4, the integrated water management plan of the Río Esquicha micro watershed uses the participatory approach that each water user of the 7 communities contributes to conservation and protection of the water ecosystems with a proportion of the monthly fee within the principal of paying for environmental services.

Key output of the solution is a sustainable use and distribution of the water resources through the principle of paying for environmental services (25% of monthly water fee of each water user goes directly into conservation of the water recharge areas) within an integrated water management on community level.

The solution has a long term effect on conservation of wells/springs and the water recharge area as well as protection of soils. The solution of the integrated water management of the micro watershed guarantees a sustainable use of water resources implemented by each benefiting member of the 7 comunities.

Key indicators and involved environmental services:

-Protection of the water captivity and infiltration zone

-Building and protection of the water retaining structures

-Quality improvement of drinking water at household level (disinfection of system and water treatment)

-Raise in forest cover within the water recharge area

-Applied soil conservation

-Improvement of year round quantity of water

This solution is replicable, initially just one community could get involved at the watershed Río Esquichá, now after more than 4 years 7 communities work successfully with this integrated water management system and the paying for environmental services.

The approach shows a sustainable way with the help of an integrated water management plan at the micro watershed level with the principle of paying for environmental services and guarantes the wide and successful involvement of participants.

Main factors of succes:

-Community (stakeholder) involvement on the micro water shed level through an integrated water management plan with the help of paying for environmental services with a proportion of their water bill.

-Improvement of water quality and year round quantity.

-Sustainable conservation and protection of the wells/springs and the water recharge zone.

-Raise in forest cover around the water recharge area.

The solution spread from one community in the year 2007 to now 7 communities in 2012 in the micro watershed region the Río Esquichá in northern Guatemala.

Consorcio Mi Cuenca CRS – CARE – UICN (Responsable person:  Orsibal Ramírez)

UICN Mesoamerica (Guatemala, contact person: Orsibal Ramírez)

orsibal.ramirez@iucn.org

martaclaudia.perez@iucn.org

rocio.cordoba@iucn.org