Community driven Watershed Management for Climate Change Adaptation in Nicaragua

The Rio Dipilto basin is affected by the impact of several crises of national and global scope: the economic contraction due to the socio-political crisis since April 2018, the drop in international coffee prices by 33.2%, -main economic item in the Dipilto basin-, and the climate crisis. In addition to these, the current health crisis generated by COVID-19, which deepens the existing economic crisis, is expected to result in a Gross Domestic Product of -3.9% in 2020. The consequences are expressed in greater poverty, more inequality, water scarcity - which makes prevention and attention to COVID -19 even more difficult - and more unemployment. 

Phase I succeeded in increasing the resilience to climate change of 26’000 people in the Dipilto Basin. The closing phase focuses on consolidating the achievements, ensuring the sustainability and scaling up of the Dipilto model in projects/basins at the national and regional level, by transferring the model to GIZ partially funded  by  European Union (EU), and the Central American Commission on Environment and Development.

Direct: 23‘000 people:  

-    1’ 000 people (producers, community members integrated in grassroots organizations, Network of Promoters,) with strengthened capacities for the management of the basin and the maintenance of investments in their farms and communities; 

-    12’000 people benefited from the implementation of the IWRM Plan; 

-    10’000 people who will have access to awareness-raising activities to promote water care and saving, and integrated into actions to protect the Dipilto basin.

Indirect: 50’000 people in the city of Ocotal with more and better quality water as a result of the Program's protection actions.

1.    Local actors with the leadership of the Basin Committee strengthen water governance and manage natural resources, especially water, in a sustainable manner; 

2.    National bodies institutionalize the Dipilto River basin management model in their public policies, replicate it in other basins and disseminate and promote it in regional instances. 

Resultados previstos:  

1.    The capacities of 500 rural and peri-urban producers and 350 community members have been consolidated for the maintenance and care of investments in farms and communities; 

2.    150 "champion" producers / community promoters trained and providing quality technical assistance to other families; 

3.    Implementation of the IWRM Plan supported with the leadership of the CdC. At least 40 small projects prioritizing water systems (~12’000 people); 

4.    10’000 families sensitized and informed about water saving and hygiene practices (hand washing) and basin protection. 20 public-private partnerships between water source owners and users implemented; 

5.    National and regional institution standards and methodologies updated based on the experiences of the Dipilto model; 

6.    CCAD and other national and regional bodies scale up and promote the experiences and methodologies of the Dipilto basin and leverage resources for scaling up. 

Resultados de las fases anteriores:  

-    850 small producers increased their annual income by USD 1’703 on average in relation to the 2016 baseline;

-    Water quality in the Dipilto River was improved by reducing erosion (from 50 ton/ha in 2016 to 23.5 ton/ha in 2019) and agricultural pollution (Nitrogens -80%, Chlorides -30% and Nitrates -42%); 

-    7 Micro-Basin Committees (CdMC), a River Basin Committee (CdC), 22 Water Supply and Sanitation Committees (CAPS) and a network of 300 community promoters organized, trained and accredited;

-    The basin's Integrated Water Resources Management Plan (IWRM) has been drawn up and approved; 

-    5’000 people with access to drinking water (16 water systems, 85 cistern wells and 600 rainwater collection systems).

GOPA Consultants 

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH GIZ

Centralamerican Comision for Environment and Development CCAD

SDC: AGRIADAPTA; Cosecha de Agua; Donors: GIZ-EU (PROATAS) 

International and regional organizations: Global Water Partnership-GWP, CCAD. 

Government: National Water Authority-ANA; Social Emergency Investment Fund - Nuevo FISE; Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources-MARENA, Nicaraguan Institute of Territorial Studies-INETER; Nicaraguan Company of Aqueducts and Sewers-ENACAL,

Municipalities of Ocotal and Dipilto.

Fase 2 01.06.2020 - 31.12.2023   (Completed)