USAID CBJ FY 2002: Central American Regional

Summary: The strategic objective directly contributes to the objectives of Central American's Alliance for Sustainable Development (ALIDES) including: harmonization of environmental legislation, conserving biodiversity by promoting biological corridors and protected areas, strengthening regulatory capacity, development of common policies on environmentally friendly products and "green" certification, and promotion of sustainable development activities in transboundary areas.

The strategic objective also supports the continued implementation of the Central America-USA Agreement (CONCAUSA) and its commitments to biodiversity conservation and environmental legislation. It provides a mechanism for joint actions to meet each of the objectives under these two themes. It will also address, to a lesser degree, global climate change, mitigation of natural disasters through integrated management and conservation of water resources, and fire prevention and control. Thus, a specific themes to be addressed directly or indirectly under USAID's Strategic Objective Agreement with the Secretariat for Central American integration (SICA) include: biodiversity conservation, environmental legislation, global climate change, and reduction of vulnerabilities and disasters.

The Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (MBC) provides a unifying theme for achievement of these results. To the extent practicable, regional sites that transcend national borders or are situated in shared ecosystems will serve to focus activities. At the outset of the five-year strategy period, site-based activities will be implemented in protected areas, ecosystems, and watersheds that have a direct bearing on the ecology or socioeconomy of the following areas listed in the Convention for Biodiversity Conservation and Protection of Priority Natural Areas in Central America: 1) Gulf of Honduras; 2) Gulf of Fonseca; 3) Reserva de La Amistad, including the Caribbean coastal areas of eastern Costa Rica and western Panama (e.g. Gandoca-Manzanillo, Bocas del Toro); and 4) the Reserva de la Solidaridad, including the coastal-marine areas of northern Nicaragua and western Honduras. The indirect beneficiaries are the 36 million people of Central America, especially those who depend on the natural resource base for their livelihood.

Key Results: The strategic objective will be achieved by: 1) promoting the sustainable management of protected areas in key sites that are part of the MBC, 2) promoting regionally environmentally sound products and services, 3) enhancing compliance with harmonized environmental standards and regulations, and 4) fostering the increased use of less-polluting technologies.

Performance and Prospects: USAID is in the early procurement stages of this objective and implementation will begin later in 2001.

Of the $6,030,000 FY2001 DA funding, $1,760,000 will be used for improved protected area management in the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (MBC); $735,000 to expand the market access for environmentally sound products and services; $1,190,000 to harmonize environmental regulations; $1,470,000 to increase the use of less polluting technologies; and $875,000 to promote the creation of a sub-grants program.

Of the FY 2002 $5,342,000 in DA funding, $1,050,000 will be used to work with protected area management entities to test and disseminate the use of viable income sources such as environmental services provision. Some $800,000 will support the expansion of access to market for environmentally sound products. Another $892,000 will go to support the harmonization and application of environmental regulations, the participation in international and regional environmental agreements and the creation of a regional harmonized system for environmental auditing, registration and compliance certification. Another $1,600,000 will increase the use of less polluting technologies by both municipalities and private sector institutions, and $1,000,000 will go to finance the sub grants program.

Other Donor Programs: The MBC serves as a major focal point for donor assistance. The Global Environmental Facility (GEF) the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and the German Development Agency (GTZ) has provided funding through 2005 (US$ 15.6 million) to consolidate the MBC. This program aims to provide a regional protected area system that is interconnected and provides goods and services to Central American people. Through an agreement with National Aeronautic Space Administration (NASA), the Central American Commission for Environment and Development (CCAD) has obtained services worth US $12 million through 2003 to develop land use maps for Central America and improve the Geographic Information Systems available to decision makers in the region. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is planning to finance a project to control pollution from marine transport in the Gulf of Honduras (US$ 7 million). The Danish Development Agency (DANIDA) is funding a project to conserve the coastal marine systems of the Gulf of Fonseca (US$ 2.6 million through 2003). In El Salvador, the Rio Lempa watershed (which has sections in Guatemalan and Honduran territory) is receiving funds through IDB and USAID's Regional Mitch Special Objective to enhance management of the watershed. Finally, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras signed a treaty for the implementation of the Trifinio Plan, an action plan for the management of the Trifinio region that includes the "Reserva de La Fraternidad." This initiative has secured assistance from the IDB and Norwegian governments.

Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: SICA/General Environmental Directorate, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Central America Program: 596-006

U.S. Financing

(In thousands of dollars)

	Obligations		Expenditures		Unliquidated
Through September 30, 1999	0	DA	0	DA	0	DA
	0	CSD	0	CSD	0	CSD
	0	ESF	0	ESF	0	ESF
	0	SEED	0	SEED	0	SEED
	0	FSA	0	FSA	0	FSA
	0	DFA	0	DFA	0	DFA
Fiscal Year 2000	0	DA	0	DA
	0	CSD	0	CSD
	0	ESF	0	ESF
	0	SEED	0	SEED
	0	FSA	0	FSA
	0	DFA	0	DFA
Through September 30, 2000	0	DA	0	DA	0	DA
	0	CSD	0	CSD	0	CSD
	0	ESF	0	ESF	0	ESF
	0	SEED	0	SEED	0	SEED
	0	FSA	0	FSA	0	FSA
	0	DFA	0	DFA	0	DFA
Prior Year Unobligated Funds*	0	DA
	0	CSD
	0	ESF
	0	SEED
	0	FSA
	0	DFA
Planned Fiscal Year 2001 NOA	6,030	DA
	0	CSD
	0	ESF
	0	SEED
	0	FSA
	0	DFA
Total Planned Fiscal Year 2001	6,030	DA
	0	CSD
	0	ESF
	0	SEED
	0	FSA
	0	DFA
			Future Obligations		Est. Total Cost
Proposed Fiscal Year 2002 NOA	5,342	DA	16,828	DA	28,200	DA
	0	CSD	0	CSD	0	CSD
	0	ESF	0	ESF	0	ESF
	0	SEED	0	SEED	0	SEED
	0	FSA	0	FSA	0	FSA
	0	DFA	0	DFA	0	DFA

Central American Regional

Activity Data Sheet

Central America Program: 596-006

U.S. Financing