ACTO`s activities and role

4th. World Water Forum
Mexico City, March 18, 2006
ACTO’s activities and role
Rosalía Arteaga
Amazon Cooperation
Treaty Organization
First Part
ACTO Institutional
ACT
O:
In operation since
2003
(The Treaty was signed
in 1978)
Goal:
To protec the
environment of the
Amazon, a region of
strategic importance
for the 8 Member
States.
Interest:
To deal with themes of importance for the whole region instead of
problems particular to only one Amazon country.
Mission:
To reinforce and build technical and financing
mechanisms, as well as complementary joint policies
aimed at the establishment of a process of regional
integration and sustainable development, promoting
the active participation of the State Members and
regional and local actors in the preparation and
execution of plans, programs and projects, thus
increasing its capacity of negotiation in a global level
in themes important for the region.
ACTO’s sphere of intervention
¾Political dialogue (multi-thematic, multiinstitutional).
¾Support to the preparation and
implementation of strategies and regional
programs.
¾Implementation of initiatives and projects
of supranational character (strategic
approach).
Framework for development:
¾There are structural and historical problems which demand solution
in the long run.
¾Integrated action is need: executive and legislative branches of
the government at various levels, civil society, cooperation
agencies, etc.
¾The liberalization of global markets has contributed to the
increase of social and regional inequalities, owing to greater
vulnerability to which less competitive economies are exposed.
¾ The quest for a regional strategy must include themes which go
beyond national limits, stressing the importance of a regional
approach.
¾ Market alone has not been capable of distributing income or
regulating access to natural resources, leaving to the State a
important role in the management of territory.
Some challenges:
¾Demystify that the region is uninhabited and deserted
¾Understand its complexity
¾Turn its natural riches into economic opportunities to the
population, promoting income distribution.
¾Protect the natural resources for future generation
¾Promote social welfare
¾Adapt legislation to local reality: without an appropriated legal
basis, it is difficult to have a social organization conducive to
development.
¾Reinforce and integrate local institutions.
¾Involve local actors in all levels.
¾Promote sustainable planning.
¾Enhance management : reducing the gap between expectation
and actual results.
¾Flexible regional integration adapted to reality.
Strategic Plan:
Sustainable Development of the Amazon Region
Ejes Estratégicos
Plannig
Process
Conservation
and
Sustainable
Use of Nat.
Resources
Knowledge
Management
and
Technological
Exchange
Regional
Integration
and
Competitive
ness
Institutional
Strengthening
9Water
Programmatic
Areas
9Forests, Soils, Protectd Natural Areas
9Biological Diversity, Bio-technology, Biotrade
9Territory Ordering, Human Settlements and Indigenous
Affairs
9Social Infrastructure: Health and Education
9Transportation, Electric Power and Communication
Infrastructure
ACTO: Strategic Alliances
OAS:
Agreement on themes related to sustainable development and
hydrologic resources
CAF:
Elaboration of a proposal of a Solidarity Development Found
Andean Community Coordination agreement for regional and thematic cooperation
UNCTAD:
Biotrade
FAO:
Integrated Forestry Management, criteria of sustainability
UNAMAZ:
Reinforcement of the Amazon Universities Network
COICA:
Indigenous Community
BID (IADB):
Regional action plan for biological diversity
OPS/ OMS:
Endemic illness, epidemiological vigilance
Intl. Coop.
BMZ/GTZ, USAID, CYTED
Plata Basin:
Exchange of information
WWF
Preparation of a proposal for protected areas
ABC-Brazil
South – South cooperation on forests
PNUMA (UNEP)
Promote the report GEO AMAZON
Priorities for 2006
a) Policies on conservation and sustainable
development;
b) Reinforcement of the political and institutional
basis of ACT;
c) Influence on the formulation and compatibility of
policies;
d) Knowledge management and local political dialogue
for sustainable development;
e) South American integration; and
f) Financing of projects and use of resources.
Second Part
Challenges regarding the sustainable
use of hydrologic resources of
the Amazon
Challenges for the Integrated and Sustainable
Management of Transboundary Water Resources in
the Amazon River Basin
•
Largest hydrographic basin of the planet in extension
and water volume.
•
Integrated management of 8 countries, 4 official
languages and numberless indigenous populations
•
Transboundary division of the basin
•
Management of Andean and Amazon Plain zones (water
flow)
Largest hydrographic basin of the planet in
extension and water volume
MAIORES RIOS DO MUNDO EM DESCARGA (m³\s)
0
Mekong (Vietnã)
50.000
18.000
Mississipi (USA)
18.000
Paraná ( Bacia do Prata - Brasil-argentina)
Orinoco (Venezuela)
Yangtse (China)
Ganges (Índia)
Congo (África)
Amazonas (Brasil)
150.000
200.000
250.000
15.770
Lena (ex- URSS)
Ienissei (China)
100.000
19.990
22.800
28.700
31.350
43.800
46.200
209.000
Discharge of the largest rivers of the world
Total
Amazonas
Porcentaje
175.000
14,97
Congo
40.000
3,4
Orinoco
36.000
3,06
Misissipi
17.000
1,44
907.000
77,13
Demás ríos
FUENTE: Amazonía sin mitos.
Distribution of the countries in the Amazon basin
Vulnerabilities of the Amazon basin
Extreme events – Draughts and Floods
Climate’s vulnerability
Possible effects of Global Climate Changes
Third Part
ACTO’s role in the
Management of Water in
the Amazon basin
The ACT and the hydrological resources
ARTICLE V. Taking account of the importance and multiplicity
of the functions which the Amazonian rivers have in the
process of economic and social development of the region, the
Contracting Parties shall make efforts aimed at achieving
rational utilization of water resources.
The ACT and navigation
ARTICLE III. In accordance with and without prejudice to the rights granted by
unilateral acts, to the provisions of bilateral treaties among the Parties and to the
principles and rules of International Law, the Contracting Parties mutually guarantee,
on a reciprocal basis, that there shall be complete freedom of commercial navigation on
the Amazon and other international Amazonian rivers, observing the fiscal and police
regulations in force now or in the future within the territory of each. Such regulations
should, insofar as possible, be uniform and favor said navigation and trade.
ARTICLE VI. In order to enable the Amazonian rivers to become an effective
communication link among the Contracting Parties and with the Atlantic Ocean, the
riparian states interested in any specific problem affecting free and unimpeded
navigation shall, as circumstances may warrant, undertake national, bilateral or
multilateral measures aimed at improving and making the said rivers navigable.
PARAGRAPH: For this purpose, they shall carry out studies on the means for
eliminating physical obstacles to the said navigation as well as the economic and
financial implications so as to put into effect the most appropriate operational
measures.
The ACT and water, population and
health in the Amazon basin
ARTICLE VIII. The Contracting Parties decide to promote
coordination of the present health services in their respective
Amazonian territories and to take other appropriate measures to
improve the sanitary conditions in the region and perfect methods for
preventing and combating epidemics.
Resolution issued at the 9th. Meeting of
Foreign Ministers, in Iquitos (November 2005)
Resolution no. 10/IX MRE
RESOLVES:
TO REGISTER with satisfaction
OTCA/PNUMA/OEA Project;
the
beginning
of
the
GEF
Amazonas
TO OFFER support, both technical and political, to guarantee the satisfactory
execution of the said project and to make advances in the sustainable management
of water resources in the Amazon Basin which correspond to one of the strategic
resources of the Amazon countries.
ACTO’s direct accion
GEF AMAZONAS PROJECT
Integrated and Sustainable Management of
Transboundary Water Resources in the
Amazon River Basin
ACTO – GEF – UNEP - OAS
Goal
The goal of this project is
to strengthen the
institutional framework
for planning and
executing, in a
coordinated and coherent
manner, activities for the
protection and sustainable
management of the land
and water resources of
the Amazon River Basin
Amazon basin
Integrated management of 8
countries,
4 languages and
numberless indigenous
populations
The importance of the project
The project started in October 2005 and is supported by the
Global Environmental Facilities (GEF), the United Nations
Environmental Programme (UNEP which works as GEF
implementing organization) and the Organization of American
States (OAS, which is the international executing organization).
ACTO is responsible for the project direction at regional level.
The initiative is of major relevance to the Amazon region since it
shall prepare a program of strategic actions to water
management, based on a consensual view shared by the basin’s
countries.
Phases of the
projetc
.
public participation for
the management of hydrological
resources
Integrated and sustainable
management of water use
Forecasting the hydrological impacts
of climatic variation and
adaptation to change
Institutional Strengthening and Capacity
Building for Integrated Water
Resource Management
Vision for the Basin and Transboundary
Diagnostic Analysis process
Main Problems related to the use of hydrological resouerces and of
the soil in the Amazon
•Impacts
of climate variation – droughts and floods
•Lack of basic sanitation and its relation to illnesses of
hydrological transmission
•Uncontrolled use of underground water
•Irrational exploitation of water resources
•Environmental impacts of hydroelectric production
•Heavy metal pollution
•River navigation impacts
•Impacts of deforestation
•Impacts of crude oil exploitation
Action for the prevention of extreme events
(draughts and floods)
• Assure availability of drinkable water, food and medicine to the
population affected
• Increase de use of underground water
• Keep in operation system of alert on radio and TV, keeping the
population well informed
• Keep diseases under control, especially those transmitted by
water
• Information system about water for extreme events in the
Amazon
• Vulnerability charting for extreme events – droughts and floods
• Emergency plans against droughts and floods – with public
authorities and civil society
1st Meeting of National Coordinators of
the project
The 1st Meeting of National Coordinators of the project was held on
February 15th and 16th at the headquarters of the Permanent Secretariat
to the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) in Brasilia.
The meeting aimed at discussing, among other topics, the view to the Basin
and the analytical transboundary diagnosis; institutional strengthening and
training to the integrated water resources management; the hydrological
impacts of the global climatic variation and adjustment to climatic changes;
integrated and sustainable management of water use and public
participation in the public management of water resources.
The national coordinators are members of
the staff of water resources authorities
in the eight Country Members.
Bolivia – SENAMHI: Carlos Díaz Escóbar
Brazil – ANA: Paulo Varella
Colombia – IDEAM: Hebert Gonzalo Rivera
Ecuador – CNRH: Víctor Mendoza Andrade
Guyana – Dilip Jaigopaul
Peru – Miguel Herrera
Suriname – Margaret Kerkhoffs-Zerp
Venezuela – Rodolfo Roa
Thank you
www.otca.info