Para la creación y desarrollo de los PAMIC, diversas instancias de gobierno pertenecientes al sector ambiental unieron esfuerzos y diseñaron un proyecto muy vanguardista e innovador que surge de la sincronía de tres instituciones de gobierno federal y de un fondo privado. El INECC coordina la construcción de los planes (PAMIC); la CONANP consolida la gestión y operación en ANPs, y la CONAFOR implementa el esquema de Pago por Servicios Ambientales (PSA) del fondo de biodiversidad. Por su parte, el FMCN contribuye con su experiencia en el manejo de esquemas de financiamiento; mediante dichos arreglos interinstitucionales, se formaron dos fondos más para detonar efectos. Además, el diseño de gobernanza y coordinación interinstitucional incluye un Comité Técnico del Proyecto que supervisa y dirige la operación del C6; una Unidad Coordinadora del Proyecto y dos Unidades Regionales de Proyecto, las cuales tienen la responsabilidad de la coordinación diaria en temas técnicos y logísticos. Este diseño de coordinación interinstitucional es parte esencial para generar mayores alcances en el ordenamiento del territorio buscando impactos colectivos.

The Advisory Council serves as a vehicle to escalate up to the Commission local experiences and evidence of the benefits of ecosystem based adaptation. To address adaptation challenges, it is governed by several criteria, among them: identify and reduce the vulnerability of society and ecosystems; consider climate change scenarios in territorial planning; study and strengthen the resilience and adaptive capacity of natural and human systems; take advantage of opportunities generated by new climatic conditions and; promote food security, productivity and ecosystem conservation. To facilitate the consideration of technical matters, the Council established 4 Working Groups, the last one being that for Adaptation. This latter Group hopes to consolidate a space for exchanges and multidisciplinary synergies, where its members can advocate for EbA. The Council's contribution to governance for adaptation will depend on the mechanisms it is able to facilitate for the integration of grassroots and civil society organizations (ejidos). If it also adopted a basin-wide approach to territorial management, and collaborated with the other Working Groups, it could build an even more collegial, ecosystemic and resilient governance model.

The Climate Change State System is the permanent mechanism for communication and coordination of State entities and municipalities on climate change policies. It members are: Climate Change Inter-Secretariat Coordination Commission (CCISCC), Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC), State Secretary of Environment, federal delegations, mayors and state Congress.The CCISC is in charge of developing the adaptation and mitigation policies against climate change in the State of Chiapas and the CCAC is the permanent consultative body. Although the CCAC was established in 2014, it was inoperative, leaving a gap in the promotion of public participation in the formulation and implementation of CC policies.

IUCN conducted an analysis and interviews to identify the reasons behind it, which were: 1) lack of time due to the honorific (non-paid) basis of the Counsellor and 2) lack of an Internal Regulations with rules on removal from office due to prolonged absence. Counsellor lasts 3 years in office, thus IUCN and the State Secretariat of Environment used the momentum in 2017 to promote the appointment of new Counsellors by the CCISCC president and the elaboration of its Internal Regulation. They also made sure to include a Working Group on Adaptation.

To improve local governance in the Sumpul River, it was crucial to mainstream the ecosystem approach into land management, and train accordingly water local governance structures, local authorities, and farmers. Together they implement EbA measures to face drought and variability such as: soil conservation practices, protected spring water and implemented agroforestry systems.

Capacity building was delivered to: 

• >100 farmers through a "learning by doing" approach to attain demonstrative results in the field. The EbA measures implemented focused on the ecosystem services of water and soil, on productive diversification and on mitigating the impacts of climate change and variability (winds and extreme rainfall) on crops and goods and  improve water infiltration and availability in the area. 
• Water Committes on organizational and management skills as well as on integral water management, in order to influence their understanding of the importance of water ecosystem services.
• Leader and farmer women were trained on communication skills.
• Municipal officers were part of a regional climate change adaptation training and exchange of experience with other 30 local governements of Mesoamerica. 

Governance for adaptation requires flexible policy and legal frameworks. Therefore, the upper sub-basin’s governance platforms required management instruments that would enable those adaptation options and forms of governance that brought about the greatest socio-environmental benefits to be valued and institutionalized. The Internal Regulations of several ADESCO Water Committees and the sub-basin’s Binational Community Committee were drafted, with the latter also updating its Strategic Plan (five-year plan) and Annual Operating Plan.

The process took into account new dynamics and trends in the sub-basin, as well as the EbA approach. The formulation of municipal policies was also supported (Local Adaptation Plans for La Palma and San Ignacio, El Salvador). Given that adaptation to climate change is immersed in a series of uncertainties about future climate impacts and development trajectories, these frameworks and instruments must be constantly evolving, always taking into account lessons derived from field and governance experiences. In this way, adaptation to climate change can move forward under a flexible approach, and through iterative cycles, generate short-term strategies in view of long-term uncertainties.

Multilevel and multisectorial governance for adaptation implies working at multiple levels and with differente sectors. It requires creating connections for better articulation between territorial actors.

In the upper part of the Sumpul River sub-basin, this entailed working closely with grassroots (community-based) organizations to develop bottom up water resource management. This was done supporting the conformation of  Water Committees linked with Community Development Associations (ADESCOs), the Municipalities and the Binational Community Committee.

The capacities of 4 Water Committees and their supply systems were strengthened and were thereafter formalized under municipal governance.

Moreover, and following the multilevel governance approach, the Binational Community Committe was strengthened throught restructuring advice, trainings, new management tools, and greater links with municipal governments. This Committee is now leading community water issues to prevent conflicts around water use.