Towards an Integrated and Inclusive Water and Biodiversity Governance

Prior to GreenWatersheds, most of the partner organizations (Fundación Defensores de la Naturaleza (FDN) in Guatemala, Pronatura México, the Centro Naturaleza in the Dominican Republic, the Unidad de Servicios Ambientales “Alejandro de Humboldt” (UPSA) in Cuba and OroVerde in Germany had a great deal of experience – but especially in the other central axis of CuencasVerdes: community processes and innovative measures for adaptation to climate change and biodiversity conservation. As a result, working on governance was a path with many challenges and lessons learned. However, having a clear vision of the situation, the difficulties and possible practical solutions in the field proved to be extremely valuable for building trust between the different local, political and economic actors, and contributed to devising truly inclusive governance mechanisms. Now, after almost six years of project implementation, the fruits of this comprehensive approach can be seen. 

In the Dominican Republic, the Consejo Noroeste Cuenca Baja Yaque del Norte (CONORYAQUE) has become an important benchmark for water governance in the northwest region of the country and even at the national level, bringing together more than 20 stakeholders from various sectors such as banana producers, community and environmental organizations, wind power generation, agricultural input marketing, universities and farmers. Regular planning sessions address challenges related to water use and ecosystem services, environmental education and training needs, among others. In addition, field visits, regular roundtables with congressmen from the four provinces of the northwest region and meetings with ministers are held. These meetings focused on, for example, the importance of establishing a clear legal regulatory framework for safeguarding environmental resources and services through water, land-use planning and payment for environmental services laws, while emphasizing a coordinated approach to the management and preservation of water resources. CONORYAQUE also played a key role in the regional consultation on the "Dominican Water Pact 2021-2036" and was among the co-signatories when it was approved in August 2023.