Regional Climate Innovation Hub
Innovative climate actions
Hydro-Environmental Monitoring and Early Warning System in Cañas (SIMATH)
The canton of Cañas is located in the North Pacific of Costa Rica. It is part of the dry corridor, a situation that aggravates drought conditions during the dry season and extreme rains during the rainy season. In addition, the Cañas river basin is prone to flooding, a situation that is aggravated by the lack of urban planning and the accumulation of solid waste in the riverbed.
The combination of geographic and climatic conditions, intensified by climate change, makes the region highly vulnerable. The heaviest rains have caused flooding in the river basin, causing damage to housing, public and private infrastructure, and have caused economic and social losses affecting the quality of life of the canton's inhabitants.
The vulnerability of Cañas to climate change is reinforced by the fragility of its population, whose economic engine is agriculture and livestock farming, closely linked to climatic conditions, as well as a large representation of households headed by women.
The Hydro-Environmental Monitoring and Early Warning System (SIMATH) is an initiative promoted by the local government, and arises as a response to the needs raised by the Municipal Emergency Committees. Its main objective is to strengthen the communities' capacity to respond to climatic phenomena through an early warning system that allows the implementation of preventive actions and mitigate the impact of these events in the canton.
This system incorporates the use of advanced technologies, such as water level sensors, surveillance cameras, warning sirens, digital communication systems, and renewable energy systems, which guarantee continuous and effective monitoring of the watershed. It also has real-time data integration, which streamlines decision making. Finally, this system will be linked to a mobile application of the municipality, facilitating the dissemination of alerts to the population.
Its implementation will be accompanied by education and training processes for the communities, in order to ensure the proper functioning of the system and that communities respond appropriately to alerts.
The project was formulated within the framework of the "Munis Disruptivas" Program, promoted by the Institute for Municipal Development and Promotion (IFAM) and the Ministry of Economy and Trade of Costa Rica, and supported by the German Development Cooperation GIZ.
The project was the winner of its category, “Cantons Resilient to Climate Change” and will be implemented in 2025 thanks to the GIZ Climate Action III Project and financing from the International Climate Initiative and IFAM funds.
- SIMATH is expected to reduce the vulnerability of communities affected by floods by anticipating and managing flood risks effectively.
- A reduction in institutional costs for emergency response.
- The reduction of material and human losses in areas of high vulnerability.
- Strengthening the response capacity of communities, thus reducing the social and economic impact.
- Strengthens adaptation to climate change and reduces the vulnerability of communities, since real-time monitoring of watershed behavior allows for better understanding and risk management.
- Improves community adaptation to climate change by strengthening disaster response capacity and future risk reduction.
- Promotes citizen participation and the implementation of community education and awareness actions.
- Reduces damages and losses in the event of extreme events.
- Make alliances with local and national institutions such as the National Emergency Commission (CNE), the National Meteorological Institute (IMN), the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) and others that can contribute knowledge and/or resources for the design and implementation of the early warning system.
- Accompany the implementation of SIMATH with the development of protocols for emergency response.
- Include training in risk management and resilience, since training and awareness helps the community to better understand their exposure to risk and teaches them how to act in case of an emergency, improving their response capacity.
- Promote emergency drills
- It is recommended to involve the community, ensuring that the proposed solutions respond to specific problems in the canton.
- Include a gender approach in the planning and execution of the project, encouraging the active participation of women in the Emergency Committees and in the trainings carried out.
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Thematic approach:
Water and adaptation
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Institution/implementing organization:
- Municipalidad de Cañas
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Contact:
Catalina Molina Bustamante
Coordinator of the "Munis Disruptivas" Programme
GIZ
- Relevant information:
