Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean

1. Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean Climate Change Assessments and Capacity Building in Latin America and Caribbean Science, Education and Policy for People: Putting Knowledge into Practice Second AIACCMeeting for LAC, Argentina Aug. 24-27, 2004 Emilio Sempris, Director Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean www.cathalac.org

2. Regional and International Centers under UNESCO IRTCUD IHE IETCUD IRTCES RCTWSA HTHCSA CATHALAC is an autonomous regional center of excellence dedicated to improve the knowledge about the water cycle and to promote sustainable development through integrated water resources and environmental management.

3. GEF Climate Change Assessments and Capacity Building in Latin America and Caribbean • Capacity Building for Stage II Adaptation to Climate Change in Central America Mexico and Cuba • Mesoamerican Regional Visualization and Monitoring System & Mesoamerican Environmental Information System

4. Findings of First Generation V&A Assessments • As a whole, the region is not adapted to current climate; • Differentiated vulnerability to climate events; • 200 climate related deaths;

5. Findings of First Generation V&A Assessments (2) • Weak institutional frameworks to address climate change, modernization of weather services is a must; • There are great uncertainties attached to the results of the assessment due to the unavailability and quality of climate system data; • Political willingness & stability issues that makes the region even more vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.

6. Capacity Building for Stage II Adaptation to Climate Change in Central America Mexico and Cuba

7. UNFCCC Background • Initial Guidance from the COP on Adaptation and Governmental Support: - Decision 11/CP1 on Stage II Adaptation: “Measures, including further capacity building which may be taken to prepare for adaptation as envisaged in Article 4.1(e)”; - Decision 2/CP4 “…..to strengthen climate change regional centers of excellence.” - UNDP-GEF NCSP Workshops 1999-2002 - Ministerial endorsement in 2001-2002; • Builds upon first generation of I,V&A assessents under the UNFCCC-NC process.

8. Capacity Building for Stage II Adaptation to Climate Change in Central America Mexico and Cuba • Participating Countries: Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama; • GEF Funding + Swiss Gov: 3.2 M USD, (UNFCCC-NAI eligibility for Enabling Activities) • Duration: 3 years • Implementing Agency: UNDP • Systems addressed: Agriculture, Water Resources, Human Health and Coastal Zones.

9. Institutional Arrangement • National UNFCCC Focal Points • Cuba: Meteorology Institute of the MSTE • Mexico:SEMARNAT’s INE • Guatemala:MARN’s CCU • Honduras: MNRE • El Salvador: MARN’s CCU • Nicaragua:MARN’s CCO • Costa Rica: Meteorological Institute • Panama:ANAM’ NPCC • At the Regional & International Level • CATHALAC • UNDP-RBLAC & UNDP-GEF NCSU

10. Development Objective • The project aims to strengthen the adaptive capacity of human systems to reduce vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, including climate variability, risks and extreme events for priority systems throughout the Central America, Mexico and Cuba Region.

11. Immediate Objectives and Outputs • Immediate Objective 1 • To strengthen systemic, institutional and individual capacity of stakeholders to further assess vulnerability and adaptation to the impacts of climate change, including climate variability, risks and extreme events, in priority systems at the regional, national and local level. • Outputs • Assessment of vulnerability to current climate variations for priority systems in each country; • Assessment of vulnerability to future climate for a priority system in each country; • Improved knowledge of current and future vulnerability shared and disseminated widely.

12. Immediate Objectives and Outputs • Immediate Objective 2 • To strengthen systemic, institutional and individual capacity of stakeholders to develop strategies and to implement policies and measures to prepare for adaptation at the regional, national and local level. • Outputs • Adaptation strategy identified, with innovative policies and measures evaluated and prioritized for each priority system; • National plans with recommendations to incorporate adaptation into development. Improved knowledge of current and future vulnerability shared and disseminated widely; • Improved knowledge of national plan for adaptation shared and disseminated widely.

13. SCOPE PROJECT ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT VULNERABILITY CHARACTERIZE FUTURE VULNERABILITY STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT INCREASE ADAPTIVE CAPACITY PRIORIZE POLICIES & MEASURES PREPARE FOR ADAPTATION Project Implementation Strategy

14. Selected Exposition Units • Mexico: El Estado Tlaxcala • Guatemala: Guatemala, Departamentos Chiquimula, Jalapa y Jutiapa • Honduras: Honduras, Cuenca del Rio Aguan • El Salvador: El Salvador, Bajo Lempa • Nicaragua: Cuenca 64 (Leon y Chinandega) • Costa Rica: Costa Rica, la zona noroccidental de la region Central • Panama: Cuenca del Rio Santa Maria • Cuba: Provincias Holguin y las Tunas

15. Mesoamerican Monitoring and Visualization SystemBackground • The Presidents of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and the USA, and the Prime Minister of Belize, met at San Salvador on March 24, 2002 to announce the continuation and expansion of the Joint Central America-United States Declaration (CONCAUSA) • The CONCAUSA Plan of Action includes: • To strengthen Central America's ability to prevent and manage disasters; • To strengthen the Central American countries' capacity to adapt to climate change and to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions; • To increase the region's competitiveness in world markets….. using a comprehensive approach; • To achieve greater harmonization of environmental legislation, enforcement and compliance…..

16. Urban and Rural Planning Energy and Water Balances ForestFires Carbon Cycle EWS and DSS MEIS (SIAM) WeatherForecast IWRM CATHALAC ICZM Climate Scenarios CCAD

17. SIAM Mesoamerican Environmental Information System CATHALAC-CCAD BEL GUA ELS HON NIC CR PAN TC SIAM LIC-BEL SINIA-ANAM SIA-MARN GUA SINIA SIA SIG-SINAC SIA-MARN ESL SINIA-MARENA SINA-SERNA • Governmental Institutions • -I G N • -METEOROLOGIA E HIDROLOGIA • BIODIVERSIDAD (SERVICIOS FORESTALES, AREAS PROTEJIDAS) • AGRICULTURA • PREVENCION DE DESASTRES • CAMBIO CLIMATICO • Fiscalía Ambiental • Private Sector and NGOs • INSTITUTOS DE INVESTIGACION • UNIVERSIDADES • ONG’S • Others CCAD,2003

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22. APRIL 2004 (UP TO APRIL 29)

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27. APRIL 2004 (UP TO APRIL 29)

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29. JANUARY 2004

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32. APRIL 2004 (UP TO APRIL 29)

34. SIAM Mesoamerican Environmental Information System C C A D BEL GUA ELS HON NIC CR PAN TC SIAM LIC-BEL SINIA-ANAM SIA-MARN GUA SINIA SIA SIG-SINAC SIA-MARN ESL SINIA-MARENA SINA-SERNA • Governmental Institutions • -I G N • -METEOROLOGIA E HIDROLOGIA • BIODIVERSIDAD (SERVICIOS FORESTALES, AREAS PROTEJIDAS) • AGRICULTURA • PREVENCION DE DESASTRES • CAMBIO CLIMATICO • Fiscalía Ambiental • Private Sector and NGOs • INSTITUTOS DE INVESTIGACION • UNIVERSIDADES • ONG’S • Others

35. Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean Climate Change Assessments and Capacity Building in Latin America and Caribbean Science, Education and Policy for People: Putting Knowledge into Practice Second AIACCMeeting for LAC, Argentina Aug. 24-27, 2004 Emilio Sempris, Director Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean www.cathalac.org