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Honduras Watershed Development - MIRA - n/a Environment: Forestry, Energy & Environmental Services Honduras 2004 - 2006 USAID |
Managing and Protecting Watersheds in Honduras
RATIONALENatural resources—land, water, flora, and fauna—are major sources of wealth and power in Honduras. Natural resource-related sectors represent a significant percentage of the country's gross domestic product. In addition, the great diversity of wildlife offers the potential for significant development of the ecotourism industry. Approximately 75 percent of the country has slopes steeper than 15 percent, as well as highly seasonal rainfall and frequent storms. Current land-use patterns, resource exploitation, and population pressures cause problems including deforestation, erosion, catastrophic flooding, and unsustainably managed watersheds and river basins. The competition for water for domestic, commercial, agricultural, and industrial use is growing.
OBJECTIVES
As a partner in a project called MIRA (the Spanish acronym for Integrated Management of Natural Resources), Winrock will help improve the management of critical watersheds in Honduras and promote economic growth through environmentally sound, legal practices. In its work, Winrock will assist municipalities, communities, traditional and non-traditional academic institutions, private organizations, and others involved with environmental issues. MIRA target areas are the Southern Corridor, consisting of the entire Choluteca watershed and the portion of the neighboring Rio Negro basin in Honduras; the Olancho region, including Agalta National Park; and the Bay Islands in the watershed Islas del Atlantico. MIRA's key principles are to encompass all segments of society using participatory approaches; to link natural-resource management to disaster prevention and mitigation; to strengthen the roles of women, indigenous groups, and other vulnerable groups; and to treat natural-resources management as a continuous and evolutionary process.
ACTIVITIES
Winrock will target the specific geographic areas to be encompassed by the project, and will create timetables and identify and prioritize activities. Winrock will also facilitate improved compliance with environmental and emergency contingency laws and regulations, as well as improved management of parks and other protected areas. Alliance building among groups involved in resource management is a an important aspect of the approach for MIRA.