Increasing environmental and social resilience based on forest cover and water
"Action learning" and monitoring to increase capacities and knowledge
Strengthening governance for adaptation
Strengthening governance for adaptation
Members of the Conquista Campesina ejido
IUCN @ Paul Aragón
Mangrove restoration as an EbA measure
IUCN @ Didier López
Within ejido community structures, the ejido assembly acts as a governance platform and is the highest decision-making body. Achieving the approval of the assembly was a key step to initiating and then increasing mangrove restoration efforts in the Conquista Campesina ejido. A community program was developed for the conservation of wetlands and aquatic systems through the voluntary conservation of lands nominated as "ecological easements". Thanks to its work around the mangroves, the ejido’s organization has improved and generated more institutional linkages, both with state and federal entitites. This also opens up opportunities to up-scale adaptation needs to higher levels of government. With this aim of political advocacy, ejido members participated in the VII National Congress on Climate Change Research, sponsored by the recently re-activated Chiapas Climate Change Advisory Council, to present the benefits of EbA as well as proposals for their priorities to be taken into account in the State’s climate change policy. Assisting the ejido’s social organization therefore helped to enhance governance for climate change adaptation from the local to the state level.
The support of the ejido assembly favours the implementation and monitoring (M&E) of EbA measures. This is a social reseach with household surveys that is to be applied during rainy and dry season.
The National Congress on Climate Change Research, involving the newly re-activated Chiapas Climate Change Advisory Council, offers a window of opportunity for stakeholders, such as the ejidos, to present their needs and proposals related to climate change, before different state entities.
The ejido’s organization and the technical support were key for the implementation of restoration and monitoring actions, and also in the adoption of agreements, the up-scaling of EbA, and the accessing of financial resources under federal programs (CONAFOR’s Payment of Environmental Services).
Given the mosaic of property regimes that exist on the coast of Chiapas, the best alternatives for protecting coastal ecosystem services and local livelihoods are those derived from conservation mechanisms for which the main driving force is the active participation and empowerment of the users and owners of the natural resources.
Planning activities around forest reparation and accessing incentives
IUCN @ Paul Aragón
Reforestation in water recharge zones, Esquichá Microbasin
IUCN @ Paul Aragón
Under an ecosystem-based adaptation approach and a micro-basin vision, efforts in Esquichá focused on improving livelihoods and ecosystem resilience in order to reduce climate change vulnerability. Tropical storms and hurricans such as the Stand affected communities in the past (water infraestructure, erosion or loss of water springs). Applying an ecosystem approach was part of strengthening governance for climate change adaptation in the Esquichá micro-watershed.
Measures implemented are:
protection and recovery of forests in water recharge zones. E.g. protection of pine forests (Abies guatemalensis) that harbour water sources that supply populations in the lower part of the micro-basin.
Restoration of degraded lands and stabilization of slopes
Implementation and optimization of agroforestry systems.
Additionally, there was broad acceptance of the need for a more integrated approach to water resource management, partly due to the water scarcity that communities suffer during the dry season and in the upper parts of the micro-basin. The concept of environmental social responsibility was also promoted among communities, whereby upstream communities take measures that benefit downstream communities.
Climate change, and in particular the availability of water, are factors of concern to most micro-watershed stakeholders, which increases their willingness to prioritize actions that favour water recharge zones and disaster risk reduction. In Esquichá, the occurrence of extreme events in previous years had strongly impacted several communities, causing damage to both assets (crops, housing, productive infrastructure) and water resources.
In order to proof the effectiveness of implemented EbA measures contributing to the climate change resilience of communities, and thereby building confidence in the strategy adopted, the first step was to promote reforestation in the upper parts of the micro-basin (where water sources are found) or in areas affected by landslides, as well as community work around forestry nurseries. These actions helped to consolidate the concept that forest cover is a "collective insurance" in the face of climate change.
Valuing the ecosystem services of the basin helped to see adaptation as a task for all communities, a way to obtain benefits for both the Esquichá micro-basin as well as other communities located further down in the Coatán River basin.
Identifying and reviewing adaptation options with communities
IUCN @ Milton Navarro
Map communities in the Esquicha river basin / Mapa de comunidades presentes en la microcuenca Esquichá
IUCN
Governance options and responses for adaptation to climate change are new and must be constantly evolving; desicions and governance pklan need to be flexible; hence adaptation must move forward under a flexible approach. This is possible with the application of EbA measures with a "learning by doing" while using best available sicientific information on climate scenarios and informing policy local and national instruments.
Climate vulnerability in Esquichá was assessed using the CRiSTAL tool ( “Community-based Risk Screening Tool – Adaptation and Livelihoods.")
After a first planing of EbA activities, actions for integrating flexibility were:
The periodic evaluation of field EbA actions and the adoption of short-term decisions
Monitoring and evaluation results will be key to include important adjustments
Inclusion of EbA measures in the Microbasin Management Plan
Assessment of measures to inform the municipality Development Plan.
Informing of results to competent authorities as the municipality of the Forest Institute (INAB). This has lead INAB to seek tools to improve the way incentives are assigned and to identify communities located in key water catchment areas.
Political interest in mainstreaming EbA and water security criteria into forest incentives programs has grown.
Political interest of the municipality of Tacaná.
Tecnical capacity of the municipality of Tacaná.
The information must integrate the sciences (physical, biological, economic and social) with traditional and indigenous knowledge.
The "action learning" or “learning by doing” approach is a key part of achieving flexibility in adaptation governance. Constant improvements should always be sought and those practices, strategies and policies that contribute to increasing socio-environmental resilience should be appraised. As a result of this approach, members of the Esquichá River Microbasin Council are more aware, on the one hand, of the legal and policy frameworks that facilitate multidimensional governance and the articulation required to address climate change and, on the other, of the need to monitor and evaluate, over time, the benefits that ecosystems bring for adaptation and local livelihoods.
Women managing the communal forestry nursery (Esquichá Microbasin)
IUCN @ Paul Aragón
Youth representative taking part in forest monitoring
IUCN @ Paul Aragón
To strengthen governance, improvements needed to be made in the participation of government and local stakeholders in the management of the micro-basin.
At the local level, the organizational base of the communities was reinforced, through community leaders and their understanding of the importance of water recharge areas. It was further supported by the Communal Forestry Nursery Commissions, generally administered by women; and the Community Development Councils, which were more strongly integrated into the Esquichá River Micro-basin Council. Thus, participation was catalyzed from the bottom up, notably with youth also participating, especially in reforestation events that entailed >1000 people.
The role of the state also increased through dialogues and agreements with municipalities, and access by communities to forest incentives. The greatest added value was a local empowerment achieved by social mobilization (including women), "action learning" (process that involves the implementation of EbA activities, coupled with a practical capacity building program), organizational capacity, community and micro-basin governance processes. What has been achieved is a reflection of a strong community commitment thanks to participatory governance.
Climate change related impacts, and in particular the availability of water, are factors of concern to most micro-watershed stakeholders. This awareness increases their willingness to participate in dialogue processes, constant learning, the search for solutions and joint actions. In Esquichá, extreme weather events in previous years had strongly impacted several communities, causing damage to both assets (e.g. crops, housing, productive infrastructure) and water resources.
The Esquichá River Micro-basin Council brings together: municipalities, COCODEs (Community development councils), Communal Forestry Nursery Commissions and municipalities representatives. Pledging to strengthen these communal structures was highly effective, given that the greater organizational capacity and female leadership in the communities helped to consolidate the governance of the Micro-basin Council.
The empowerment of women benefits the management of natural resources and the social cohesion of communities. In the arena of the Communal Forestry Nurseries Commissions, women felt they had much to contribute and having taken ownership of these spaces, their confidence to take part in other structures increased as well.
Women learnt that they can take action, and are key actors in promoting forest restoration for water recharge. They learnt that collective action and leadership is needed for restoration scale actions.
Achieving multi-dimensional governance for adaptation
Instancias de gobernanza en múltiples niveles
IUCN
Showcasing the work of the Esquichá Micro-basin Council
IUCN @ Milton Navarro
The Esquichá River Micro-basin Council acts as a platform for dialogue, advocacy, capacity building and appropriation of lessons learned and tools; therefore, it is a key means for up-scaling EbA to different levels. With a view of vertical scaling, lessons of its work have influenced different levels:
the Municipality of Tacaná that will include EbA measures into municipal planning.
the Coatán River Council (only with national Guatemalan authorities) which facilitates inter-sectoral cooperation and management with a basin-wide vision, beyond the mere political-administrative sphere.
the Coordinator of Natural Resources and Environment of San Marcos Department (CORNASAM). CORNASAM coordinates the efforts of governmental actors and NGOs, as well as the municipalities of the Department of San Marcos.
the National Secretary of Planning (SEGEPLAN) in order to improve guidelines given to municipalites planning.
the Ministry of Environment (MARN), that is using lessons learnt to scale up a Green Climate Fund project that implements EbA measures.
the Forest Institute (INAB)
Further work is needed to have a binational coordiantion of the Coatán river basin, shared among Guatemala and Mexico to have a higher impact on the benefits of EbA.
Using traditional knowledge and local experiences to select EbA measures, enabling the application of EbA
The participatory structure of the Esquichá River Micro-basin Council, which is made up of the Community Development Councils of local communities, fostered the possibility of working in an organized manner and influencing higher levels (e.g. Municipal Councils).
The existence of CORNASAM since 2004 was an enabling factor, since the purpose of this platform aligns well with the objective of improving adaptation capacities in the micro-basin
Platforms such as CORNASAM are ideal for strengthening adaptation governance, since they bring together national and sub-national institutions and authorities from different sectors (vertical integration). CORNASAM seeks to reduce isolated approaches and aims to facilitate the identification of mutual benefits and synergies between sectors and their adaptation needs (horizontal integration).
Governance for EbA must promote open, equitable, respectful, and effective participation, so that planning and decision-making processes are enriched by the participation and the results are accepted by all parties involved.
