Annex 1

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
DANIDA
Final Report
Mid-Term Review
of
Environmental Education
in the buffer zone
of the
Indio Maíz biological reserve
Nicaragua
Nepenthes & Fundación del Río
May 2007
Table of contents
Abbreviations
Executive summary
1
2
3
4
5
6
Introduction and methodology .............................................................................. 1
Project Setting and Description of the Project ......................................................2
2.1.1 Project Setting................................................................................................................2
2.1.2 Strategy for the Danish support to the civil society in developing countries.......2
2.1.3 Other actors in the buffer zone...................................................................................3
2.2
Project description.............................................................................................................3
2.3
Project Design ....................................................................................................................5
2.3.1 Relevance of the Project...............................................................................................5
2.3.2 Designed Log-frame, strategic approach and Sustainability ...................................6
Project Performance...............................................................................................8
3.1
Project results (effectiveness)...........................................................................................8
3.1.1 Environmental education (Component 1):................................................................9
3.1.2 Youth Movement (Component 2): ...........................................................................11
3.1.3 Institutional strengthening of FDR (Component 3)..............................................16
3.1.4 Campaign : “Adopt a parrot tree” (Green Macaw campaign) ..............................19
3.2
Efficiency ..........................................................................................................................20
3.2.1 Efficiency in the design of the Project .....................................................................20
3.2.2 Disbursement of funds...............................................................................................21
3.2.3 Use of human and financial resources .....................................................................22
3.3
Administrative procedures and management ..............................................................24
3.3.1 Organisation and management..................................................................................24
3.3.2 Administration and accounting .................................................................................25
3.4
Participation y appropriation..........................................................................................26
3.5
The technical capacity of the FDR in the implementation of the components .....27
3.6
The technical assistance provided by Nepenthes for the FDR.................................28
3.7
Impact................................................................................................................................29
3.8
Sustainability .....................................................................................................................30
Conclusions.......................................................................................................... 30
Future development options for the FDR ........................................................... 32
Recommendations ............................................................................................... 34
Annexes
Abbreviations and acronyms
CAM
CBM
CCT
CDCA
CJM
CITES
CODESO
CODENI
CONADES
DANIDA
DKK
EA
ERP
FDR
GTH-NI
INAFOR
IPADE
MARENA
MIFAMILIA
MIFIC
MIGOB
MINED
MINSA
MRE
MTRT
NCA
NERPE
ONG
PAM
PASMA
PDM
PMS
POA
PRODESOC
SI-A-PAZ
TDR
UICN
Municipal Environmental commission
Mesoamerican Biological Corridor
Tropical Scientific Center
Extended District Committees Development
Municipal Youth Council
Convention of the International Trade in
Threatened Species of Fauna and Flora
Departmental commission of Sustainable
Development, San Juan River Nicaraguan
Coordinator of ONGs working with the
Childhood and the Adolescence
National Council of Sustainable Development
Danish International Development Assistance
Danish kroner
Environmental Education
Poverty Reduction Strategy
Fundación del Río
Wetlands Work group Nicaragua
National Forest Institute
Institute for the Development and the
Democracy
Ministry of the Environment and the Natural
Resources
Ministry of the Family
Ministry of Public Works, Industry and
Commerce
Ministry of Interior Ministry of Education
Ministry of Education
Danish ministry of Outer Relations
Danish Ministry of Foreign Affaris
Mid-Term Review Team
Nepenthes Central America
Rural Educative nucleus of Educative
Participation
Non Governmental organization
Municipal Environmental plan
Sector Program of Support to the Environment
(=ESPS)
Plan of Municipal Development
Project Sustainable Management in the Buffer
Zone of the Municipality of El Castillo
(subcomponent PASMA 5A)
Annual Operatiions Plan
Program for the Sustainable Development of the
Municipality of El Castillo, San Juan River
Integrated system of Protected Areas for Peace
Terms of Reference
World-wide union for the Conservation of
Nature
1 Executive summary
1.1
Introduction
The present report is the final product of the mid term review mission of the
“Environmental Education in the buffer zone of the Indio Maíz biological reserve” which is
implemented by the local NGO Fundación del Río (FDR) in partnership with the Danish
NGO Nepenthes. The Project is financed by Danida through the support frame for
development NGOs under the strategy for support to the civil society in developing
countries. The review work was undertaken from the 22 of April until the 11th of May 2007.
The objective was to assess the degree of achievement of the objectives, purpose and
expected results of the Project, and the constraints experienced during the implementation.
The development objective of the project is: “As a result of a greater awareness, economic activity
and advocacy /lobbying by the children and young people living in the buffer zone of the Biological Reserve
Indio-Maíz, the pressure on the biological reserve has diminished, and economic development has begun while
the environment is strengthened.”
1.2 Relevance
The Review Team confirmed that the Project is highly relevant for the direct beneficiaries
i.e. the teachers and pupils of the primary and secondary schools the great majority of which
come from families with scarce resources who are mainly dependent for their livelihood on
the natural resources, whose conservation the project pretends to promote.
2 Performance
2.1 Effectiveness:
The Project has implemented three components corresponding to the 3 specific objectives
are: 1. Environmental education in the primary and secondary schools of the municipality of
El Castillo 2. Youth movement (training and formation of young people) 3. Fundación del
Río has strengthened its management and influence for the development of sustainable
strategies.
A review of the Project achievements according to the planned results (outputs) was undertaken based on the work plans and progress reports carried out by the Project. The logical
framework suffers from a number of deficiencies, which makes assessment of performance
difficult. The Project Document has not been revised in order to improve the indicators, as
the need for a revision was not realized at the time of project inception. However, the
Review Team feels that a complete revision is not practical at this stage of Project
implementation, given the remaining timeframe of the Project. The Review team finds, that
the strategy is not clear, consistent or adequate for a project of this complexity and difficult
setting.
i
Environmental education: Except for orchards, this output has been successfully
completed. Regarding the integration of environmental education, the joint collaboration
agreement from 2002 between MINED and the FDR continues effective. The teachers of
the municipality have been trained to lecture on the subject and are using the educational
programs on a daily basis. Booklets and other educational materials have been elaborated. At
the end of Phase II, the MINED has assumed the responsibility of the programme, with the
exception of the evaluations, which still are in the hands of the FDR. The specific objective
2 has been achieved with the integration of the environmental education forming part of the
education curriculum in all the schools of the municipality of El Castillo. Factors exist that
can limit the sustainability of future environmental education, such as the high mobility of
the teachers and the increase in new teachers along with the increase in number of schools,
who are seeking better wages and conditions of life elsewhere, and new government policies.
Youth movement: As a result of the support to the youth group consolidation their
organization is becoming more visible in the communities, as they now participate in local
authority decision making fora. It seems very likely that through participation in the
ecological brigades (now termed services), preparation of education materials, and the
environmental and sanitary improvement in the homes, the young people have strengthened
their identity (Objective 1). The student scholarships have supported young people to
continue and to conclude their secondary school studies. The radio station is bound to have
a strong impact in the communities. There is however, a high turnover in all the groups, with
up to 40% of the members being replaced annually. This puts a strain on the “older”
members, and necessitates much more follow up by the Project and new training sessions
for the groups, which could jeopardize the sustainability of the actions.
Regarding micro-enterprises, The Review Team concludes that the end of Project
expectations presented in the Project document were too ambitious as it was not realistic to
expect groups of young people to manage and maintain environmentally and economically
sustainable productions. The Project has stopped working with school orchards mainly
because it was not possible to maintain them during vacations etc. We also feel that the
Project should stop working with support to the commercially oriented orchards run by
youngsters.
Institutional strengthening: A Strategic Plan of the Foundation has been updated through
a consultancy that has focused on a rejuvenation plan for the members of the organisation
(especially through incorporation of young people from the youth groups), and it constitutes
an ordered proposal for the areas and strategies of work of the organisation, which serves as
a reference for its members. On the other hand, the financial strategy plan for future
sustainability was not elaborated, nor was the preparation of a dissemination plan. The FDR
participates in networks for the development of socio-environmental actions, with
government and civil actors, local as well as national, which has permitted the generation of
synergies in connection with implementation of projects or isolated actions. Coordination
and participation in these fora has been important and successful.
Incidence (advocacy and lobbying) is the main role of the FDR and one of the strong
fields of work. In this respect, the FDR is being recognized by different actors particularly in
relation to its role as a “watch dog” over the environment in the Southeast of Nicaragua.
The youth movement has strengthened and complemented the incidence capacities of the
ii
FDR, which will be further strengthened by the radio programmes. But there has been little
emphasis on publishing the successful experiences.
2.2 Efficiency:
The Review Team is of the opinion that the Project has been stretching its resources in an
effort to respond to too many activities which in turn becomes less cost effective. This has
also tied up the resources of the Project Director in logistical and planning exercises, while
her capacity could have been spent more efficiently contributing more to the strategic
planning and development of extension methodologies (cf. Component 3).
Organisation and management: At the moment the Fundación del Río has 53 members
the majority of which do not receive any remuneration. In general, the FDR has good
experience in management and organisation. There is a Manual of Functions and there is a
professional sense to the management and administration of the Foundation, but there
continues to be a problem with the concentration of the management in few hands.
Although the FDR recognizes this weakness, it is difficult to avoid given that the the
member base on which to select persons willing to assume leadership positions is limited
(the nature of the ONGs means dependence on a few active people within the membership).
Project accounting follows the established routines specified in the Procedures Manual of
the Project in good order.
Technical capacity of FDR and inputs by Nepenthes:
The FDR has shown competence and technical quality in the Environmental Education
Component, acting as promoters and in capacity building of teachers and pupils, showing
good coordination and interaction with different actors in environmental education.
Nevertheless, the FDR must overcome some technical and administrative weaknesses related
to projects of major scale such as the present Project which consists of several components
requiring different strategies and organisation. An apparent weakness of the organisation is
the apparent lack of strategic planning and capacity to systematise experiences. The Review
Team considers that the FDR must make the best of taking advantage of their valuable
socio-environmental experience: education and lobbying for the sustainable environmental
management in its area of influence.
The Review Team considers that the technical assistance of Nepenthes to the FDR has been
appropriate and opportune to support and to facilitate most activities and key processes of
the project. Nepenthes has accompanied the FDR by supporting the formation and
consolidation of relevant subjects. Although Nepenthes has managed to efficiently
accompany the FDR in strengthening and complementing its capacities in precise subjects,
reviewing and advising on business plans, education and productive activities, it has played a
limited role in strengthening the organisation through support to strategic planning, decision
making and management of the project.
3 Impact
It is undoubtful that the environmental education activities will have an impact in the
medium term. The fact that all schools in the Municipality are giving environmental classes is
iii
in itself a huge step forward to ensuring the existence of the biological reserve when the next
generation starts to influence the society in the buffer zone.
The work with actively involving young people in environmental actions and the
environmental radio programmes are bound to add further to the impact of the permanent
education in the schools.
4 Conclusions
The REVIEW TEAM concludes that the environmental education component has been
effective and is going to have an impact in the Municipality of El Castillo and the Southeastern region of Nicaragua, and potentially at the national level. The good coordination
between the FDR and MINED has permitted the planning and effective implementation of
the training courses for the teachers of the Municipality and has succeeded to introduce the
subject environment and natural resources in the school programs at primary and secondary
level. The changes required to the Project Document, the adaptation of the Project
organization, the revision of the log-frame, and the strategies are necessary, but not very
relevant given that the project will be concluded in a few months time. For that reason the
evaluation mission concludes that he will be more opportune to close the project, after an
extension phase.
5 Future development options for the FDR
There will be about 1.4 mill. DKK left by the 1st of September 2007. This can be used to
design an exit strategy for the productive activities, and facilitate the systematisation of
experiences including the preparation of a “replication package” for the environmental
education to other areas within the region and/or the national level. It is obvious that the
future actions of FDR should also concentrate on the strengthening of the youth movement
and the lobbying and incidence work that has shown great promise, even though it is in an
early phase of development.
6 Recommendations
1.
To extend the present Phase II until the 1 of March 2008, in order to consolidate the
successful activities.
2.
It is recommended that there is no third phase under the present Project document
concept and strategy - it is recommended instead to prepare new proposals in the framework
of the strategic planning of the FDR, based on the successful experiences of the Project.
For specific recommendations on the project components, please refer to the pertinent
sections of the main report.
iv
1 Introduction and methodology
The present report is the final product of the mid term review mission of the
“Environmental Education in the buffer zone of the Indio Maíz biological reserve” which is
implemented by the local NGO Fundación del Río (FDR) in partnership with the Danish
NGO Nepenthes. The Project is financed by Danida through the support frame for
development NGOs under the strategy for support to the civil society in developing
countries. Both NGOs have a long trajectory working with environmental awareness raising,
nature conservation and sustainable development.
The review work was undertaken from the 22 of April until the 11th of May 2007, which
included a field visit to the South Eastern Region of Nicaragua where the project is being
implemented from the 25th of April until the 5th of May. The specific tasks and objectives of
the midterm review were defined in the Terms of Reference (Annex 1), and the list of
persons met during the mission can be found in Annex 2 of this report. A map showing
community locations within the buffer zone is attached as Annex 14.
The review work consisted of the following phases:
• Study and analysis of documentation available
• Field work in Nicaragua, including a trip to the project areas in San Carlos and Boca
de Sábalos, and communities in the buffer zone. Meetings were held at regional level
(San Carlos) on the 3rd and 4th of May, and at central level from the 23-25th of April,
and again from the 7th to 10th of May
• Debriefing in Managua
• Analysis and processing of the data.
• Report Writing.
In its work the Review Team has used evaluation methods generally applied to external
reviews and evaluations of development projects within the international development
cooperation. The Team used primarily structured interviews, group discussions and
observation, and individual interviews. The work in the field was carried out according to a
program prepared by the FDR, which mainly consisted in presentations of the different
project components and/or themes in which the organization is involved (see Annex 3).
Most of the presentation were assisted by the FDR Project Director and sometimes with the
new director of the project department of Nepenthes, who accompanied us during most of
the mission.
The Review team consisted of the following specialists:
Mr Michael Thurland, team leader, specialist in natural resources management, project
management and administration.
Mrs Melany Machado, environmental education
Mr. Eduardo Zamora, agricultural economics and institutional specialist
The report is the outcome and product of joint reflection and analysis of the strengths and
weaknesses of the Project. The opinions presented in this Report are of the authors and do
1
not necessarily coincide with those of the two Governments. The authors wish to extend
their gratitude to all those who collaborated with the Review Team and contributed to their
work, particularly the staff of Fundación del Río who prepared the field program.
2 Project Setting and Description of the Project
2.1.1 Project Setting
The municipality of El Castillo is one of the 6 municipalities in the Department of Rio San
Juan covering an area of 1656 sq. km of which 39% is part of the biological reserve IndioMaiz (648 sq. km) and the rest of the buffer zone comprises the buffer zone. With a
population of 22,000 inhabitants (13 per sq. Km) it is a zone of immigration and of families
looking for land which is part of the reason for the accelerated population growth
There are 42 “comarcas” (districts) grouped in 6 Municipal Territorial Units (UTOMs)
which constitute sub-municipalities (sub-alcaldías) that analyse joint territorial problems and
make proposals for the municipality and others. The districts organise themselves in CDCAs
Expanded District Development Committees (Comités de Desarrollo Comarcales
Ampliados), which include church leaders, health brigades, and representatives of other
community based organisations. These are represented in the UTOMs.
The high mobility of the population internally and externally of the country and the lack of
cultural roots and relation with the communities results in weak organisation in the defence
of the natural resources. The temporary migration to Costa Rica in search of work
opportunities is part of the daily life of the youngsters in the municipality, and although the
women have more permanent presence in the communities, they take little part in
community decision making.
The problems are related principally to the population increase combined with the low
family incomes and poor living conditions which cause increased pressure on the natural
resources and the Biological Reserve Indio-Maíz. The marginalization, poverty and
environmental degradation is linked to inappropriate agricultural practices that are not
compatible with the agro-ecological limitations in the area, and lack of well developed
markets and access to these, combined with low valuation of forest lands which has resulted
in continued deforestation and low family incomes. The high child mortality rate caused by
lack o personal hygiene and the areas of the housing has as one of its causes the low level of
education and the lack of social support programs.
2.1.2
Strategy for the Danish support to the civil society in developing countries
The collaboration and support to the civil society in the developing countries has always
been important within the Danish development aid due to the role that this support has
played historically in the democracy development in Denmark. The civil society
organisations that Denmark wishes to support, are those that contribute towards
democratisation and more transparent governance. Emphasis is on supporting the popular
participation in the development process, particularly those that contribute to promoting the
2
interests of the most marginalised. According to the strategy 1 , financing activities of Danish
NGOs in developing countries should involve 1) capacity building of the civil society partner
in the recipient country 2) activities within education, health and agricultural advice 3)
international lobbying / advocacy activities. Specifically in relation to 1) above, the Danish
NGO must be able to document insight and knowledge of capacity development and
institution building, preferably through networking and experiences from elsewhere. In
relation to 2) above, support for capacity development will often start with the
implementation of project activities, but it is important to respect the roles of state
institutions and local organisations, so that overlap in activities and parallel structures are not
created unnecessarily.
“The scope of projects must be suitable for the capacity of the partner organisation and
character so that the partner organisation can maintain its main focus in relation to the
purpose and vision of the organisation”. (p,53 Strategy..) “Under all circumstances long term
sustainability and cost efficiency must be strived for, and a phasing out strategy and
replication scheme for the support must be prepared”
The review mission has used this strategy document, among others, as a guidance tool in
assessing the performance of the Project.
2.1.3 Other actors in the buffer zone
A summary of the political situation, the stakeholders working in the buffer-zone and trends
affecting developments in the region are presented in Annex 4.
2.2 Project description
The first phase of the Project “Environmental Education in Nicaragua in the buffer zone of
the Biological Reserve Indio-Maíz“ was implemented between January 1999 and December
2001, with an extension until August 2002.
Between August 2002 and until the 1st of September 2003, a bridging phase extended Phase
I. During this period, an external evaluation was made by Danida (May 2003), which
included a validation of a proposal for the second phase of the Project. The second phase
began on the 1st of September 2003 and will finalise on the 1st of September 2007.
The Project is implemented in the buffer zone of the Biological Reserve Indio-Maíz, and is
administered from the office of the Fundación del Río in San Carlos.
The development objective is:
1
“Strategy for the Danish support to the civil society in developing countries”, Min. of Foreign Affairs,
Danida, October 2000.
3
“As a result of a greater awareness, economic activity and advocacy /lobbying by the children and young
people living in the buffer zone of the Biological Reserve Indio-Maíz, the pressure on the biological reserve has
diminished, and economic development has begun while the environment is strengthened.”
The 3 specific objectives are:
1. Environmental education taught both at the practical as well as at the theoretical level in
the primary and secondary schools of the municipality of El Castillo through the
consolidation of environmental activities and the subject environment and natural resources.
2. Young people are better trained and educated, and participate in the local economy
through the development of alternative sustainable production.
3. Fundación del Río has strengthened its management and influence for the development of
sustainable strategies of the Southeastern of Nicaragua.
The Project document describes 13 expected results (and 41 activities) which are:
1.1 The achievements of the first phase of environmental education in the schools have been
consolidated.
1.2 The subject environmental education and natural resources has been integrated in the
curriculum of primary and secondary education in the schools of the municipality El Castillo
1.3 33 teachers have obtained their titles
2.1 A network of young people has been created to strengthen the social and cultural identity
between the young people and this network contributes to the local management and
protection of the natural resources in the municipality of El Castillo.
2.2 A study has been made on possible alternative production and their markets.
2.3 90 young people trained in the organization of micro- enterprises that allow them to
generate income for their families.
2.4 Around 500 young people of 5 secondary schools show greater interest in environmental
improvement and sustainable productions.
2.5 At least 132 young people of the municipality the Castle have improved their level of
education and have strengthened their possibilities of development.
2.6 The results and experiences of micro-enterprises have been systematized and evaluated
with the objective of extending them in the future.
3.1 The organization has greater executive capacity in the development of its strategies for
the Southeastern part of the country and has influence at national level.
3.2 The organization has greater presence in national and Central American fora of
coordination and collaboration with actors who take part in the sustainable development.
3.3 The decision makers feel pressed to protect the environment and the sustainable
management of the natural resources.
3.4 A strategy developed for the replication of EA to other areas of the buffer zone.
The Project operates in a normal way under the Danish strategy of support to the civil
society, with Danida funds being transferred through the Danish ONG Nepenthes for
implementation of the Project by the local ONG Fundación del Río under an agreement
between both partners. Part of the Danida funds are retained by Nepenthes, who in turn
exerts the financial control and supervision of the Project activities.
4
The human resources of the project are Nicaraguan members or partners of the Foundation,
attended by advisers of Nepenthes in specific subjects as determined in the Project
document (up to 11,25 months of consultant's inputs). The national personnel of the Project
(according to the Project document) financed by Nepenthes constitutes:
1 Project director
4 technical staff with university degree (biologists, agronomists)
1 accountant (half time)
1 Secretary (half time)
2 support staff
1 driver
7 promoters (are budgeted under Activities and Operations)
Further, the Project finances the salary (half time) of the Execuitve Director of the FDR.
2.3 Project Design
2.3.1 Relevance of the Project
In this chapter an analysis is made on how well the Project can be justified on the basis of
the needs of the main beneficiaries and whether the global objective, project purpose and
expected results that were originally designed, remain relevant to the beneficiaries and to the
project environment as whole.
An analysis of relevance needs to start from the definition of the beneficiaries. According to
the Project document, the Project will benefit in the short term as the direct beneficiaries,
the pupils and the teachers of the rural schools, through upgrading of their curriculum and
materials used in teaching environmental awareness. The Project document also defines as
intermediate beneficiaries the local governments (municipal authorities and departmental
administrations). As indirect beneficiaries are the men and women of the rural communities
in the municipality and the population in the Department of Río San Juan, who will benefit
and have access to the development potential of better conserved and managed natural
resources within the municipality.
The MTRT considers worth while mentioning –as direct beneficiaries- the technical staff of
the FDR among them the technicians who have particularly benefited from the Project in
form of training in Phase 1 that has improved considerably their working conditions and
possibilities to carry out their work.
5
Beneficiaries of the environmental education project
Type of beneficiary
Direct beneficiaries
Intermediate
Indirect
Others
Represented by
Students of primary
schools
Students of
secondary schools
Teachers
Local governments
Municipal
population
Communities
Population of the
department
Number of persons
6276
500
227
2 local governments
22,000
13
97,000
The MTRT confirmed that the Project is highly relevant for the direct beneficiaries i.e. the
teachers and pupils of the primary and secondary schools the great majority of which come
from families with scarce resources who are mainly dependent for their livelihood on the
natural resources, whose conservation the project pretends to promote.
The project is very relevant at the local level because it creates better environmental awareness
in the youth population of the importance of the biological reserve and management of the
natural resources through training in environmental themes and in their capacity for
organisation and management.
A the regional level, for the municipal authorities, because the Project operates within the
priorities of the regional policies which is principally the conservation of the environment
and the sustainable development. At the community level the youth groups are also gaining
confidence in participating in the local society through participation e. g. they participate in
the local district committees as observers.
At the national level the Project is considered very relevant because environmental education
forms part of the national education policy - which is confirmed by the law of citizen
participation, which introduced the subject environmental education in the schools as part of
the national curriculum for primary and secondary schools.
2.3.2 Designed Log-frame, strategic approach and Sustainability
The design of the second phase of the Project is the result of an application prepared by
Nepenthes for Danida. The project document is in line with the criteria for support to the
civil society as presented in the strategy paper mentioned in section 2.1.2. The immediate
objectives correspond well to the areas supported by the strategy, i.e. education,
organisational strengthening, capacity & institution building etc.
6
The log-frame that is included with the Project document shows inconsistencies that has
limited its use as a practical working instrument during project implementation. Some of
these are:
•
•
•
•
Some results are presented as indicators in that they are quantified
The Project organization was established around components which are based on
each of the objectives. At the time of the Review, the organization had changed so
that the second objective comprises two components which the Project is now
working according to.
The Project has now interpreted the first component (environmental education) as
only concerning primary schools, while component two considers only secondary
schools (a distinction which is not apparent in the Project document)
There is a lack of prioritization of the activities according to the scope of the actions,
e.g. the installation of the radio station (“La voz Juvenil” – the Voice of the Young)
which is in fact a major undertaking, appears as a minor activity mixed in with other
activities.
During project implementation the log-frame was not revised and adjusted in order to serve
better as a guide and reference for project operation and therefore it did not become a
practical working tool. The de facto change in focus (which according to the technical staff
was discussed early on) involving the phasing out of the environmental education
component and concurrent upgrading of the youth-component, was not reflected in an
adjustment of the logical framework and was not accompanied by a corresponding change in
indicators and activities of the log-frame.
Some examples of the inconsistencies in the designed log frame are:
1. In general, the log-frame does not retain consistency of the expected outputs
(qualitative or quantitative) to be achieved in the different actions proposed.
2. The logic coherence of some of the indicators, activities and expected results does
not correspond one among other
3. The number of schools (and communities) to be attended by the Project is not
determined. Focus has been on the schools in practice.
Other examples could be mentioned, such as the lack of a definition or inaccuracy in the
number of training camps expected (10 or 20?), the number of national and international
youth festivals/interchanges etc. In practice, the budget has set a natural limit.
However, although the log frame analysis is deficient, the MTRT feels that a complete
revision is not practical at this stage of Project implementation, given the remaining
timeframe of the Project.
Strategic approach
The project document presents the approach and strategy to be followed by component
which covers 8 pages in the document. The MTRT finds, however, that the strategy is not
7
clear, consistent or adequate for a project of this complexity and difficult setting. It should
be mentioned here that the strategy and operational organisation has changed over the
course of the duration of Phase II, in part as a consequence of achieving the goals of the
environmental education component, which meant that less resources are used for this
component than at the start of phase II. Thus at the start of Phase II, the project was
organised in favour of the first of the three components, Environmental education, with
Youth Groups and institutional strengthening given less priority. At the end, direct support
to environmental education has diminished and the project is de facto operating with and
prioritising 1) youth group strengthening, 2) advocacy/lobbying, 3) micro-enterprises, 4)
family orchards, and 5) campaigns (e.g. the “lapa verde” or green macaw). The territorial and
internal organization of the technical teams has been changed accordingly (but not until
2007).
The Project Document specifies a number of end-of-project goals that, if achieved, are
assumed to ensure sustainability of the actions. It is expected that through Project actions
and processes aiming at increasing awareness and knowledge of how to conserve and use the
natural resources and the rich ecosystems of the area, and mobilising the population in
general in the defence of the natural resources and peoples rights, it will result in changes in
the beneficiaries’ attitudes favouring the environment. It is also expected that working with
environmentalist youth groups in developing replicable experiences of sustainable resources
use by promoting micro-enterprises administered by the same groups, the project will have a
multiplier effect in environmental issues and alternative production.
The MTRT recommends:
It is recommended that the project hires a consultant / facilitator with good logical
framework expertise to assist in reviewing and focusing the results and indicators for
the selected actions/components to be consolidated/replicated in the remaining
period and extension of the project. (but without remaking the entire logical
framework)
3 Project Performance
3.1 Project results (effectiveness)
A review of the Project achievements according to the planned results (outputs) was undertaken by the Review Team based on the work plans and progress reports carried out by the
Project. As mentioned above, the logical framework suffers from a number of deficiencies,
which makes assessment of performance difficult. The Project Document has not been
revised in order to improve the indicators, as the need for a revision was not realized at the
time of project inception.
The reporting format, submitted monthly, presents progress based on each component
presented as a matrix corresponding to the annual operational plans. This is based directly
on the original log-frame components, but due to the abovementioned shift in focus the
8
assessments presented below, we have sub-divided the outputs according to the
interpretation of the log-frame that the Project is actually using, while adhering to the
original output numbers presented in the log-frame. As a consequence of this, and given the
fact that there are also 41 activities in the log-frame, which would be difficult to deal with
within the 30 page report limitation, we present summaries at the Project result-level in this
section, while performance at the activity level is annexed. (Annex 16). Reference is made to
this annex for further detail
3.1.1
Environmental education (Component 1):
This component pertains to the immediate objective no. 1: Environmental education is being
taught both at the practical as well as at the theoretical level in the primary and secondary schools of the
municipality of El Castillo through the consolidation of environmental activities and the subject environment
and natural resources.
This component has three outputs covering both formal and informal education, with
practical and theoretical elements. The activities associated with these concern ecological camps,
festivals, environmental competitions and sanitary improvement. During this phase 44 educational
camps have been made with the participation of 1.152 students, and parents, which exceeded
the goal for the project. In the camps training has focused on subjects that improve
theoretical and practical knowledge in environmental conservation and sustainable
production: a) Importance of the water, b) ecological evaluation of water sources, c) botany,
d) biodiversity of the humid tropical forest, e) biology and conservation of the green macaw.
The camps which have been very popular, are carried out the at the El Quebracho centre,
property of the FDR.
A number of festivals with primary school students have been made, such as “Celebration of
the week of the childhood and the environment”. Also 4 special festivals have been made on
the conservation of green macaw.
The project has carried out sanitation courses in 59 schools in the municipality. The
MINED, the NERPE and the Project jointly designed a checklist to follow up on progress
which is applied in all the participant schools, including in 6 NERPE. There has been
improvement in 23 schools. The schools have also made competitions such “My school is
beautiful”, oriented to improve the hygienic and agroecological conditions. The NERPE are
actively working to maintain the sanitary programme.
School orchards fall under this component (output 1.1). At present time there are very few
orchards functioning in the schools (and other small agroecological activities). These
initiatives are taken care of by 4 young people facilitators. Much like the sanitary programme,
a checklist has been elaborated for monitoring progress. Performance has been below
expectations, for which reason the Project has shifted strategy. At first, orchards were seen
as a practical part of environmental education, and at the same time they were seen as an
income generating activity for the juvenile groups. This was not successful, and at the
moment, some orchards are supported with adult families with a commercial purpose.
9
Regarding the integration of environmental education (output 1.2), the joint collaboration
agreement from 2002 between MINED and the FDR continues effective. The teachers of
the municipality have been trained to lecture on the subject and are using the educational
programs on a daily basis. Booklets and other educational materials have been elaborated. At
the end of Phase II, the MINED has assumed the responsibility of the programme, with the
exception of the evaluations, which still are in the hands of the FDR.
Factors exist that can limit the sustainability of future environmental education, due to the
high mobility of the teachers, who are seeking better wages and conditions of life elsewhere.
Also, the recent change in government has imposed new policies affecting the NERPE that
will not retain financial autonomy which they have enjoyed until recently. This may
jeopardise the viability of the work that has been implemented by the Project.
Outputs
1.1 The achievements of the first phase
of environmental education in the
schools have been consolidated.
1.2 The subject environmental
education and natural resources has
been integrated in the curriculum of
primary and secondary education in the
schools of the municipality El Castillo
1.3 33 teachers have obtained their
titles
Achievement 2007
Except for orchards, this outputs has been
successfully completed
Successfully completed
Completed
The ecological camps, festivals and environmental competitions appear to have contributed
to the creation of cultural values and identity of the children and young people in relation to
the Biological Reserve Indio Maíz. The school orchards have not been successful and the
actions of sanitary improvement have achieved limited success.
The specific objective 2 has been achieved with the integration of the environmental
education forming part of the education curriculum in all the schools of the municipality of
El Castillo.
Support to teachers’ professional titles is important to raise the quality of teaching in the
zone, but it is not considered the mandate of the Project (it was in fact “inherited” from
earlier phases as it formed part of an earlier programme which was recommended by a
Danida mission to be continued and it should in our opinion not have formed part of the
second phase.
Recommendations:
- it is recommended not to continue supporting the development of school orchards
due to the low effectiveness with limited resources to attend to them in a disperse
territory,
10
- it is recommended not to continue the sanitary improvement programme in
schools, MINED must take steps to take over control of the sanitary programmes in
the schools.
- The successful experience of incorporating environmental education in the school
curriculum should be widely disseminated at national and regional level. It is
recommended that the Project reviews and continues systematisation of the
experiences already started and expose them to the institutions that have the legal
mandate to take control of this experience to ensure their replication in other regions
with similar characteristics.
3.1.2
Youth Movement (Component 2):
This component addresses objective no. 2 “Young people are better trained and educated, and
participate in the local economy through the development of alternative sustainable production.”
The component has three main results - however, the results 2.4 and 2.5 are in fact
indicators (see e.g. result 2.5 “At least 132 young people of the municipality the Castle have
improved their level of education ..“). Part of the component results are concerned with
“entrepreneurship” activities which are considered a separate (sub)-component by the
Project and therefore dealt with separately (results 2.2, 2.3, 2.6).
The activities deal with strengthening youth organizations through environmental actions,
such as cultural activities, training in environmental subjects and environmental legislation,
and participation in national networks. It also promoted the establishment of a youth centre
and a radio station with environmental programs.
They have organized and consolidated 12 youth groups in the same number of communities,
promoting cultural activities (folklore dances, theater and sports activities with the
participation of girls and boys), which supports consolidation of the groups and contributes
towards the strengthening of Nicaraguan cultural identity.
The groups have participated in two bi-national conservation events (green macaw),and have
also received training and support by the FDR to conduct various forms of supervision
actions and in denouncing illegal environmental actions in the municipality. They have also
been trained in environmental legislation.
The Project has supported the creation of a Municipal Youth Council (CJM) and it has
supported the members in improving their capacities in the organization and facilitation of
meetings etc. In 2005, with support from the Fundación Deasfios, the “Youth Agenda”
(Agenda Jóven) and the Plan of Youths of the municipality El Castillo was prepared. The
Project has also facilitated participation in national and regional events and other spaces for
interchange of experiences for young representatives of the CJM and the community groups.
The youth groups now have the premises and house for the radio (which is located on land
of the FDR) in Sábalos. This also houses the youth centre which also has a small organized
11
library, serving students and other members of the community. Another bigger library is
located in Buena Vista.
As they lack their own transmitter (as of now), the CJM rented broadcast time, to air the
program “Young Environment”. 17 young people participate and plan their activities
monthly with subjects of interest for the young radio listeners. To date 42 radio programs of
30 minutes duration each and 5 videos have been made that have been transmitted in local
and national channels. However, the authorization for the frequency and the acquisition of
the FM radio transmitter is still pending.
483 scholarships have been granted to the organised youth group members (including
promoters) in 6 secondary schools of the municipality. The grantees are selected by
consensus in a Scholarship Committee which constitutes school directors, students, Project
technicians, and parents.
Outputs
2.1 A network of young people has
been created to strengthen the social
and cultural identity between the young
people and this network contributes to
the local management and protection
of the natural resources in the
municipality of El Castillo.
2.4 Around 500 young people of 5
secondary schools show greater
interest in environmental improvement
and sustainable productions.
2.5 At least 132 young people of the
municipality El Castillo have improved
their level of education and have
strengthened their possibilities of
development.
Achievement 2007
The network has been created
Exact number is unknown, but it must be close
to the target.
The Project has granted 483 scholarships
As a result of the support to the youth group consolidation their organization is becoming
more visible in the communities, as they now participate in local authority decision making
fora. It seems very likely that through participation in the ecological brigades (now termed
services), preparation of education materials, and the environmental and sanitary
improvement in the homes, the young people have strengthened their identity (Objective 1).
The student scholarships have supported young people to continue and to conclude their
secondary school studies. The radio is bound to have a strong impact in the communities.
There is however, a high turnover in all the groups, with up to 40% of the members being
replaced annually. This puts a strain on the “older” members, and necessitates much more
follow up by the Project and new training sessions for the groups, which could jeopardize
the sustainability of the actions.
12
Recommendation
The MTRT recommends that the radio equipment is acquired as soon a s possible
under the assumption that the ongoing application for the frequency will fare better
under the new government and political climate.
A plan for the consolidation of the youth networking activities should be drawn up in
order to propose a future strategy for support of this component.
Sub-component micro-enterprises (“Emprendimientos”) including orchards.
As mentioned, the outputs concerning “entrepreneurship” activities are considered a
separate (sub)-component by the Project and therefore presented here separately:
The micro-enterprise component results and associated activities feature prominently in the
Project document. The activities proposed comprise a feasibility study into potential
alternative income generating production, studies into the level of interest and possibility of
creating small scale enterprises among the youths, preparation of a method to work in the
future with income generating activities for the youth, and systematization and plans for the
expansion of the of the enterprise experiences developed.
Also, it is expected that at the end of the project, the youths have “greater capacity to
manage and maintain environmentally and economically sustainable productions and that
they are organized around a number of micro-enterprises”, and “FDR has the experience
necessary to expand its activities of alternative production to improve the stability and the
socioeconomic situation in the South-eastern region of Nicaragua” (Project document p.11,
Sp. version). The Project strategy further proposes to establish micro-enterprises which will
generate income complementary to the subsistence agriculture, it will ensure stability in the
zone and the population will better understand the nature values and relation between
sustainable use of the resources and economic development. The establishment of
sustainable productions is also expected to motivate the young people to stay in the
communities.
At the start, the project would prepare the feasibility study, then it would proceed to
coordinate activities with the PMS project regarding income generating activities
complementing each other towards the objective of sustainable development in the zone. In
the area inland from the river, the Project would give priority to work with forestry and
along the river with tourism.
The results achieved indicate that it has not been that easy to reach the objectives in this
component. The market study was in reality not a feasibility study, as intended in the project
document, and in any case the report did not turn into the expected baseline for alternative
productions, and it did not become a reference for the business plans as expected.
The group of youngsters working with micro-enterprises is minimum perhaps only 10% of
the target. Focus of the Project has now shifted from the youth groups towards other groups
and individuals more inclined to embark on private business (several entrepreneurs were
visited, many of whom already had had some experience in business such as handicrafts,
13
shoemaking, souvenirs shops etc.), but the Project also supports farmers with family based
orchards run for commercial purposes. The activities concerning orchards did not have any
corresponding indicators to achieve in the logical framework. The strategy concerning
orchards changed from working with school orchards or vegetable gardens (with an
educative purpose) to working with youth groups and adult farmers with a commercial
approach (expected to evolve into businesses). In effect the number of orchards was reduced
during the Project lifetime from 78 to 17. The best commercial results in orchards/vegetable
gardens has been in Buena Vista-Gordiano, which coincidentally has most experience and
knowledge in this field, but also better market access (mainly perennial crops; annual crops
such as watermelon and tomatoes can only be grown in the dry season with luck).
The project has provided technical courses for about 200 persons in forestry, honey
production, farm management etc. as a basis for the income generating activities. However,
this is seen to not be well integrated with the business plan development supported by the
Project. This follows a scheme called CEFI, but this has presented a complexity which has
hampered its practical usefulness. The number of people involved in business development
is 32, with only 13 plans developed.
Outputs
2.2 A study has been made on
possible alternative production
and their markets.
2.3 90 young people trained in
the organization of microenterprises that allow them to
generate income for their
families.
2.6 The results and experiences
of micro-enterprises have been
systematized and evaluated with
the objective of extending them
in the future.
Achievement 2007
The study was completed, but is of low value.
Training courses have been held and some plans have
been prepared, but it is not seen as being very successful
Some experiences are taking form, but this output
remains to be executed.
The Review Team concludes that the end of Project expectations presented in the Project
document were too ambitious as it was not realistic to expect groups of young people to
manage and maintain environmentally and economically sustainable productions. First,
because most do not have an inherent notion about business management and second, as
young people, they have a more “ephemeral” approach to business. They might become
involved in business planning for a short while, but then they may decide to study or move
outside the region in search of “easier” income.
Regarding the question of what and how to sustainably grow crops in the area, the strategy
suggested that in the scope of 4 years of implementation, the FDR has the experience to
expand activities of alternative sustainable production to improve the socioeconomic
situation in the South Eastern region of Nicaragua, a feat which few other organisations or
14
institutions have been able to achieve during the past decades. A model for sustainable
agricultural production in the bufferzone is still badly needed 2 , without which most
initiatives have been experimental in nature, which is not appropriate for the beneficiaries.
The past initiatives have not detained the conversion of forest to grasslands, on the contrary,
the forest resources have continued declining and there are no longer any large areas of
forest left in the buffer zone (see e.g. map Annex 13 from year 2000), which is need for
proper forest management, and very few agroforestry options (perennial crops such as
cacao) remain as the tree cover is needed in order to retain the number of options – annual
crops are not an option. That means the “solutions” to generate increased cash income have
to be long term (based on forestry/agroforestry or perennial crops) and therefore they are
not very attractive to the target groups, especially for young people (cacao takes four years to
mature).
We feel that the weak strategy and unrealistic expectations in the Project document made it
difficult for the Project to produce sensible results in this component. The school orchards
do not fit well with the concept of micro enterprises, and alternative productions (natural
resource based) do not fit well with the youth groups. At the same time, it seems
inappropriate to isolate the alternative production activities of the youth groups from their
family production system, and it is wrong to group these activities with other small scale
activities like lotteries etc. The Project should separate the resource based activities from the
lotteries and other fast cash generators. These on the other hand seem to have much better
prospect of succeeding, although on a smaller scale and for “pocket money” only.
The Project has stopped working with school orchards mainly because it was not possible to
maintain them during vacations etc. We also feel that the Project should stop working with
support to the commercially oriented orchards run by youngsters. The remaining
commercially run orchards are likely to succeed even without Project support, and should
therefore not be supported either.
In the business plan development, there has been a slide in the original purpose which was
to train and support young people only who did not have any business experience , while in
practice, the Project has resorted to supporting also people who already have experience in
doing business.
Recommendations:
- ensure that the initial purpose of the business plans is adhered to so that the
purpose is not compromised (i.e. supporting young people), and then only
considering activities which generate pocket money/income for specific
events etc.
- make adjustments to the CEFE methodology and training, based on lessons
learned from the first group, in order to make it more practical and relevant
for the type of business chosen
- systematise and publish the successful experiences (if found)
2
The PMS has carried out studies and have produced proposals for sustainable agricultural production
(including agroforestry and forestry), apart from cacao, in earlier phases of that project, These studies have
included community intervention strategies and operational planning. However, requests by the MTRT to the
PMS for documentation from the current PMS phase in order to update the progress within this field was not
successful during the review mission.
15
-
3.1.3
prepare an exit strategy for the commercial orchard operators supported by
the Project ; a suggestion could be for the orchard operators to network with
the existing successful orchard owners of the Buena Vista-Gordiana area, in
order to plan and coordinate the marketing of their production, once support
from the Project stops.
Institutional strengthening of FDR (Component 3)
This component relates to the 3rd objective: Fundación del Río has strengthened its management and
lobbying/influence capacity for the development of sustainable strategies of the Southeastern of Nicaragua.
It has 4 outputs, the first of which is concerned with institutional strengthening of the FDR,
while the three remaining are concerned with the lobbying (advocacy) role of the FDR. The
activities 3 of the institutional strengthening output are:
1. Professional advice (the board has access to advisers) for the board of the FDR in
(definition of) strategic planning, decision making and related technical issues
2. Revise and follow up on the strategic plan
3. Elaboration of a financial strategy for the FDR (for sustainability)
4. Prepare a plan for the dissemination of the experiences and results of the
organisation
5. Publication of the educational “El Tucan” 4 times (2 times ) a year
6. Publication of 4 articles and 6 radio spots a year
There is no description of this output in the project document strategy, other than stating
that the representative of Nepenthes will strengthen the organisation where required
(financial sustainability, planning and organisation). Apart from this, it is stated that “no
other means of strengthening the FDR has been foreseen as it is assumed that FDR already
has acquired a level sufficient to revise its strategies and develop capacity internally” (P.doc
p. 23). In fact, this activity was not even budgeted – there is an indication of this in the
Project Document (Spanish version, section 3.1.1, p. 18).
The Strategic Plan of the Foundation was, however, updated through a consultancy that has
focused on a rejuvenation plan for the members of the organisation (especially through
incorporation of young people form the youth groups), and it constitutes an ordered
proposal for the areas and strategies of work of the organisation, which serves as a reference
for its members.
On the other hand, the financial strategy plan was not elaborated, which could have
permitted the ordering of the rich patrimony in the hands of the FDR (see Annex 15), and
establishing the strategy for future sustainability through support to the organisation. This
activity continues being on a level of general concepts.
The preparation of a dissemination plan has not materialised. Some experiences are being
documented, such as “The Environmental Education in the buffer zone”, but FDR does not
3
The activities and indicators of this output differ slightly between the Project document and the log-frame
(as is the case with the other components of the log-frame).
16
count on a permanent plan for dissemination of activities/results (e.g. MARENA does not
have information of the experience in environmental education). The educational
publications “El Tucan” and radio programmes have been published with regularity.
Sub-component lobbying (“Incidencia”)
Output 3.2 concerns the presence and collaboration by the FDR in networks promoting
sustainable development.
The FDR participates in networks for the development of socio-environmental actions, with
government and civil actors, local as well as national, which has permitted the generation of
synergies in connection with implementation of projects or isolated actions. The networks
and spaces of participation in which it participates or is formally integrated into are shown in
Annex 5. Coordination and participation in these fora has been important and successful.
The FDR has established coordination with other projects in the municipality of El Castillo,
such as PRODESOC financed by Austria, particularly related to its agroforestry component
which is managed by IPADE. The relation however does not imply a joint implementation
of agroforestry actions, rather, some of the youths supported by the Project come from the
same families that are attended by PRODESOC. The coordination with PMS of Danida
concerns the campaign of the green macaw, in that most of the participating small scale
farmers in this campaign are attended by the PMS in production of cacao. The green macaw
campaign supports protection of the habitat of this threatened bird species, and promotes
the creation of private reserves among the population living near the Biological Reserve
Indio-Maíz.
This campaign is also part of a bi-national action between Nicaraguan and Costa Rican
organisations that serves as an interchange point for information of the species and on part
of the FDR the progress on the environmental education.
The last output (3.4) concerns a strategy developed for the replication of EA to other areas
of the buffer zone and its associated activity is “the preparation of a planning document for
future actions for FDR and Nepenthes in the buffer zone”. This output has not materialised,
whether it is understood as only concerning the extension of the environmental education
programme, or seen in a wider perspective of replicating also other successful experiences of
the Project in the future.
Outputs
3.1 The organization has greater
executive capacity in the
development of its strategies for the
Southeastern part of the country and
has influence at national level.
Achievements 2007
Limited success (only the Strategic Plan has been
elaborated in December 2006).
17
3.2 The organization has greater
presence in national and Central
American fora of coordination and
collaboration with actors who take
part in the sustainable development.
3.3 The decision makers feel pressed
to protect the environment and the
sustainable management of the
natural resources.
3.4 A strategy developed for the
replication of EA to other areas of
the buffer zone.
Successful (but results and experiences should be
documented)
Yes
This has not materialised – but remains of great
importance
Advocacy and lobbying is the main role of the FDR and one of the strong fields of work. In
this respect, the FDR is being recognized by different actors particularly in relation to its role
as a “watch dog” over the environment in the Southeast of Nicaragua. Its regional image has
been projected to become also a nationally known. In some cases its role at municipal level
has been that of a specialised environmental corps (e.g. it has assisted the San Carlos
municipality in a environmental case of a petrol station), and it has produced concrete results
in the “no mining” campaign in the buffer zone, the decree protecting the green macaw etc.
FDR is quick to denounce illegal or environmentally damaging activities in the region. Often
the local institutions inform FDR of suspicious activities (an indication of their good
standing and/or collaboration agreements with these). For example, during the Review, a
letter was received through the municipality of San Carlos. An ex-employee of MARENA (!)
had presented himself as a natural resource company wishing to explore for minerals in the
buffer zone (which has been prohibited by agreement of all actors in the buffer zone,
promoted by the FDR). This was immediately denounced by the FDR in the newspaper “El
Nuevo Diario”.
The youth movement has strengthened and complemented the advocacy capacities of the
FDR, which will be further strengthened by the radio programmes. But there has been little
emphasis on publishing the successful experiences.
Recommendations
Institutional strengthening:
- in the last months of the Project, prepare a planning document of future
possible collaboration options and project opportunities with Nepenthes
(and other donors/partners). Hand in hand with this, a financial strategy
should be prepared (financing sources for future actions). Within these
actions, a plan for continuation of the work with the youth groups has high
priority.
18
-
3.1.4
ensure the systematisation and dissemination of the successful experiences
through the elaboration of a permanent plan for dissemination of
activities/results
continue the work on internalising the strategic Plan prepared in December
2006 among the members of the organisation, to ensure that this serves as a
basis for planning new actions/projects
Campaign : “Adopt a parrot tree” (Green Macaw campaign)
The campaign to support the green macaw’s habitat was initiated in 2001 and also involves
the Centro Científico Tropical (CCT) of Costa Rica and Fundación del Río in a binational
strategy of cooperation and collaboration. In the second phase the campaign was extended
to Denmark with the purpose of informing about this species and collecting funds. The
campaign was prepared as a separate project (annexed to the document of the Project) with
its own budget for the activities in Denmark (237,000 DKK) and actions to be executed in
Nicaragua (with a budget of 33,900 DKK). The strategy of the campaign is based on
economic incentives given to the farmers in the buffer zone, who are interested in
conserving the forest habitat. At the same time FDR lobbies politically to counter the
encroachment into the biological reserve.
At the moment there are 17 farmers involved in the campaign; each one receives 20 dollars
per manzana to conserve the forest initially for three years in which they cannot destroy
trees; also they receive 50 dollars by trees with nests. Because of limited funds, FDR
restricted the maximum size to be conserved to 40 mz per farmer, and the number of
farmers to 20. The intention is to register the conserved areas in the network of private
reserves (which requires a registered title and involves conserving the forest in a period of at
least 10 years,). The involved farmers will receive their first payment (in 2007) after a year of
“test”. There is a certain scepticism whether the Project is going to pay or not, but
nonetheless there is an interest to participate with this initiative.
The achievements of the campaign have been:
• Local advocacy: (the municipal government signed a decree that declares to the green
macaw the bird emblem of the municipality).
• MARENA includes the Almendro tree (Dipteryx panamensis) within appendix III of
CITES.
• The Municipal Environmental Commission (CAM) reconsiders the subject of the
conservation of the green macaw.
• The subject is included in the environmental education, workshops and binational events.
The campaign was not so successful in Denmark, which has caused limitations in the
application of the incentives program , due to lack of funds. Another part of funds comes
from sale of stickers, sponsors, t-shirts etc. It can be argued that the incentive amount to
finance is very high, considering that a typical farmer has 40 manzanas; perhaps with less
money it had been possible to obtain the same degree of participation. The farmer that was
19
interviewed was participating with the PMS, and had two pieces of land (one with his father)
and kept his own land as a reserve.
At the same time, the campaign of the green macaw was not included within the logical
framework, reason for its programming and budget being underestimated; in fact, several
activities related to the campaign have been financed through the funds for the
environmental education, but the number of events related to the green macaw campaign
charged to the project in the component of environmental education (wages, transport and
costs of activities) is not available.
The mission concludes that until now, the campaign has been successful in its
implementation because they have managed to raise awareness of the local settlers on the
environmental and cultural value of the species and have initiated conservation of its habitat,
but has influenced the efficiency of the operation of the project by not being appropriately
planned. The plan was to integrate more producers, but financing is not guaranteed due to
the relatively high costs involved, making it difficult to sustain the programme once the
Project is concluded.
The conservation of the habitat of the almond tree (and the logging moratorium) have
caused rejection among some producers involved in sustainable forest management
programs in the buffer zone (PRODESOC), because some of their approved management
plans were halted due to the forest moratorium.
The evaluation mission recommends that this type of campaign (habitat conservation)
should form an integral part of development initiatives that are part of a more complete
territorial articulation. E.g. conservation initiatives should be coordinated with productive
activities (of other actors).
Also it is recommended that in case of a new project, a budget is reserved specifically to
make awareness campaigns and that these are planned with suitable activities and indicators
in the planning documents.
3.2 Efficiency
The MTRT has evaluated the efficiency of the Project, i.e. we have analysed whether the
quality and quantity of the achieved results justify the quality and quantity of the means /
resources used for achieving them. We have taken into account that the difficulties presented
due to the location of the Project in one of the most inaccessible regions and with strong
limitations in infrastructure, may directly influence the efficiency.
3.2.1
Efficiency in the design of the Project
The efficiency of the design of the project has been influenced by the lack of a detailed
review in the inception phase which would have given room for strategic reflection and to
better orient the activities foreseen and to adjust the logical framework correspondingly. As a
20
consequence, e.g. the green macaw campaign is not included in the log-frame. Although
operational planning is being done as scheduled, the lack of a properly adapted log-frame has
influenced negatively the efficiency due to too many activities. By not relying on a well
designed and adapted log-frame as a management tool, there is a risk of interpretation of the
expected outputs and results, which in turn can lead to new activities to be justified and
introduced into the operational planning. This is particularly the case where new campaigns
have been opened up, and decision has to be made under which component and from which
budget the funding for that activity should be derived, but also in the case of the school
orchards, which were originally a component under environmental education, but was later
seen as income generating activities for youth groups and families, the activities can no
longer easily be associated with the original purpose, which in turn makes it difficult to
assess its performance and impact..
3.2.2
Disbursement of funds
The transfer of operational funds is based on application for funds in accordance with the
trimestral programming of activities. Every three months funds are applied for according to
needs coinciding with the trimestral activity reporting and the amount is deposited in the
project account. The transfer system and procedures have permitted an efficient operation.
The total budget for the whole Project amounts to DKK 10,519,022 which includes costs
associated with the administration, technical assistance and costs associated with supervision
visits and administration in Denmark carried out by Nepenthes. However, the amounts
earmarked for this purpose are minimal, as can be seen from the following table.
Total budget summary (according to budget lines)
1. Investments
661.974
2. International personnel
768.050
3. Local personnel
2.613.504
4. Activities and operation
4.190.717
5. Local administration
313.600
6. Project information in Denmark
213.500
7. Project follow-up
132.000
10. Contingencies
889.335
12. Administration in Denmark
736.342
13. Total
10.519.022
The total amount disbursed from Nepenthes up to the end of 2006 has been DKK
5,635,148.34 out of the total available to the FDR (DKK 8,053,755). At the end of the year
2006 DKK 2,418,606.66 was remaining unspent.
21
At the end of the Project (31 august 2007), it is expected that about DKK 1.4 million will
remain unspent. The distribution of expenditures over the life of the Project (till end 2006)
by major budget line is shown in Annex 6.
3.2.3
Use of human and financial resources
The MTRT analysed whether the human and financial resources allocated to the Project
have been used in the best possible way in order to achieve the expected results.
In the previous phase of the project, and at the beginning of Phase II, the Project worked
with 3 components: environmental education, youth groups and institutional strengthening.
The field work organization was territory based, the technical staff was organized by
technicians each being responsible for their attended communities, i.e. the technicians
covered several extension topics in the same community (except the promoters).
Between 2003-2006, while shifting towards supporting youth groups and productive
activities, operational difficulties increased under this territorial mode of attention. The long
transportation distances, e.g. the technicians would travel for 3 hours to a school to make a
presentation and then travel 3 hours to go back. They also had to attend to several topics,
e.g.12 schools, 15 orchards and groups of young people.
From the beginning of 2007, the attention model was changed in favour of a specialization
by theme i.e. one technician per subject (youth groups, income generating activities,
orchards, lobbying etc.). Also, 11 promoters were integrated into the project work, most of
whom are receiving scholarships through the program of scholarships. Some of the
promoters are farmers, chosen to fill the need to ensure follow-up of the technical assistance
by the technicians. Annex 7 shows the present distribution of Project staff (including
promoters) by components, tasks and responsibilities. The technical staff has also been
increased by two technicians working with income generating activities which was approved
by Nepenthes (and budget amendments reported accordingly in the status reports).
Nevertheless, despite the reorganisation, it seems that the maximum capacity of technical
assistance in the field has been reached with the available resources. The technical staff
affirms that 12 youth groups seem to be the maximum that can be attended to with the
present labour force.
Aside from the productive activities in the field, by its environmentalist nature,
the FDR must once in a while open new actions in different areas (environmental education,
environmental campaigns or other “advocacy” subjects). This is entered into the daily
programming and tends to put further pressure on the capacity of the technical staff. Since
there is not necessarily a budget programmed for these new initiatives and their activities,
some expenses are charged to budget lines that do not necessarily correspond to the
activities carried out (e.g. some expenses of the green macaw campaign are incurred under
the environmental education component).
Under the previous scheme, each technician prepared his monthly plan, now the plan is
made per component; monthly evaluation and planning meetings are held at the offices at
22
the Boca de Sabalos office, coordinated by the Director. The required resources and the
investments are defined for the month, which are then endorsed by the Director and the
administration. Weekly meetings are held to evaluate the internal work planning.
The Project management (Director) has paid much attention to creating a team spirit in the
field work. The management style leaves much responsibility to the field teams in organising
their own work which is highly valued. The internal organisation with frequent meetings of
evaluation and programming allows a good communication and bodes for success in the
work. The technical staff concurs that this organization of the work functions very well, and
they seem to be motivated and work with great enthusiasm.
The evaluation mission concludes that the Project has addressed the change in relation to
the phasing out of support to environmental education and scaling up of the support to
youth groups, by changing the internal organisation, contracting more technical staff, and
increasing the number of promoters, in order to respond to the increased demand for field
level assistance. However, it still seems that the efficiency is reduced in the components
related to technical assistance of the productive activities, whose number is reduced but
demands a large technical assistance input. We wish to repeat that sustainable production
should not be the main goal for the youth groups from an efficiency viewpoint.
Of course, the Project setting in an area with huge logistic problems is a major challenge, but
another bottleneck has been lack of an intervention strategy based on proven participatory
methods (in relation to the sustainable production activities) and implementation jointly with
other organizations in the zone, without which too few beneficiaries are being reached.
The MTRT feels that it is not correct to use young promoters (who receive scholarships of
the Project) to essentially increase the project staff. According to the technicians, the
promoters enter the work programming and in fact belong to the organisational hierarchy 4 .
The Review Team is of the opinion that the Project has been stretching its resources in an
effort to respond to too many activities which in turn becomes less cost effective. This has
also tied up the resources of the Project Director in logistical and operational planning
exercises, while her capacity could have been spent more efficiently contributing more to the
strategic planning and monitoirng of project implementation. (cf. Component 3).
Recommendations:
- in the short term, concentrate the actions (shift the attention away from
production activities in the field)
- The concretization of the Strategic Plan should instead consider as main
Project focus actions around the youth groups and awareness campaigns
and advocacy/lobbying
- the Project must reflect seriously over whether the environmentalist role of
the FDR fits with the implementation of productive activities that imply
4
We concur with the use of promoters, but we believe that scholarships in exchange for work for the project
(as described by the technicians) is not in line with the original purpose of the scholarships – if the purpose
has changed it should be explicitly incorporated into the strategy.
23
technical assistance on a big scale (which is more appropriate for
government institutions).
3.3 Administrative procedures and management
3.3.1
Organisation and management
At the moment the Fundación del Río has 53 members the majority of which do not receive
any remuneration. The internal organization consists of the Assembly that is the maximum
authority. Please refer to the organisation chart in Annex 12. The Assembly meets once a
year. The Executive Management, that is chosen by the Board of directors, exerts the legal
representation and coordinates the projects. The Board of directors has five members and
meets 8 times a year, with ordinary meetings every 2 months. The FDR executes projects
under the responsibility of a Project Director chosen for that purpose by the Board. The
Project directors report to the Board.
At the moment the Foundation executes 5 projects that can be appreciated in Annex 11. In
financial terms, these projects contribute a total of USD 1.63 mill. of which the
Nepenthes/Danida contribution represents 88% of the total. The SKN Holanda and the San
Miguelito hygiene project are renewable annually. On an annual basis the 4 year Nepenthes
Environmental project has contributed about USD 360,000, while the other renewable
projects are contributing about 70,000 USD.
In order to disburse funds, 2 signatures are required (2 main, 1 auxiliary).The executive
director has one main signature, while the seocnd main signature is the project director (at
the moment also treasurer of the FDR) , while the president of the FDR has been signing
the auxiliary signature. The functions of the members of the Foundation are described in a
Manual of Functions. Minutes of meetings of the Board are registered in the act book “Libro
de Actas”. The Review Team had the opportunity to review the act book which seems to
have been filled appropriately according to procedures. Each entrance appears under a
numbered session. In this context, the problem double functions that was analysed during
the evaluation of Phase I, has continued during Phase II, in the sense that the Project
directors are also members of the Foundation, which can give rise to conflict of interests.
The Assembly chooses the Board of directors and this in turn chooses the Project directors
from within or outside of the member group. Some Project directors are simultaneously
members of the Board of directors (that chooses the directors). Several members of the rest
of the Board also subordinated to the directors of projects, as paid employees in these (e.g.
the President of the FDR Fidel Martinez and Ronald Estrada (technician) are paid technician
level salary by the Environmental Education Project).
The selection of directors is based on the competences of the candidates. The President of
the Foundation informed that he is conscientious of the possible conflict of interests in case
of choosing a member as Director of a project, nevertheless, the advantages of choosing
24
Directors with the required capacities (that are scarce) must be compared to the risk of
selecting one with less strong ties to the organization.
The Board of directors are still in a learning process, with limited experience, but with a new
leadership of its Presidency and more visions than was appreciated by the evaluation of
Phase I. Nevertheless, the evaluation mission emphasizes the necessity to recognize the
benefits of incorporating external people of recognized professional trajectory into its
membership group who have good knowledge of the subjects or areas of specialty of the
institution, that could potentially represent an opening of the foundation. This would
contribute to a more outward vision and in turn more independent decision making in the
organisation.
In general, the FDR has good experience in management and organisation. There is a
Manual of Functions and there is a professional sense to the management and administration
of the Foundation, but there continues to be a problem with the concentration of the
management in few hands. Although the FDR recognizes this weakness, it is difficult to
avoid given the nature of the organisation. The member base on which to select persons
willing to assume leadership positions is limited (the nature of the ONGs means dependence
on a few active people within the membership).
Recommendations:
- The evaluation mission recommends that the FDR establishes
mechanisms to incorporate in its management external people of
recognized trajectory and with knowledge of the subjects or areas of
specialty of the institution.
- Also, the Foundation should explore how to continue further rejuvenating
its membership with members willing to assume leadership positions (one
way of forcing this to happen would be through the introduction of a limit
in the number of periods that a person can be reelected for a position).
3.3.2
Administration and accounting
The administration of the Foundation consists of an accountant and an administrator
financed part time by the Project. The present administrator entered May 2006, while the
previous administrator remained in the Foundation for 11 years but resigned last year. The
Foundation presents a yearly report to the Ministry of the Interior and the tax authorities of
Nicaragua, with the consolidated accounts for all the projects. This is also presented at the
yearly meeting of the Assembly.
The accounting of the Project is handled according to the agreement between FDRNepenthes, and the Procedures Manual, which was annexed to the Project document.
Quarterly and annual reports are prepared., and an external audit is made once a year after
the first trimester. Each project implemented by the Foundation is reported separately,
25
which puts certain strains on the accounting system; a new system has recently been
installed.
The audits of Phase I were made by a company called CECSA. During Phase II this was
changed to J. Reyes & Associates, as a result of the recommendation by the evaluation of
Phase I due to lack of details in the auditing reports. The auditor’s report for 2006 is not yet
available (26th of April 2007), however, the reports from the years 2003, 2005 and 2006 are
available. These include a narrative indicating the methods adhered to and a statement
confirming that the expenditures show no inconsistencies based on a review of the receipts
and corresponding Project disbursements. The only figures shown in the audit reports are
the budget figures (see Annex 8). There is very little detail in the reports – a fact which was
also noted after the review of Phase I of the Project.
Project expenditures are shown in Annex 6. There is a large difference between the budgeted
figures and the expenditures, on the order of DKK 1 mill. per year.
A revision of the expenditures per budget line 5 reveal that the budget line 4.2 (Interchange
of experiences) is overspent by about 77,000 DKK. Requests for change in the budget or
use of contingencies are normally found in the Status Reports prepared by Nepenthes (in
Danish), although and have mostly been documented in a very accurate manner.
The Review Team can confirm that Project accounting follows the established routines
specified in the Procedures Manual of the Project in good order. The financial part is
reported and annexed to the quarterly and annual information.
The first quarterly financial Project report of 2007 had not yet been prepared at the time of
the Review, due to the closing of the Rayitos del Sol project which will be audited, and
because the first quarterly report 2007 will be made with the new accounting system, which
is not yet managed optimally by the administration.
It seems that the new administrator presents certain weaknesses, both in accounts
management for Projects and the computer system.
The transfer of funds from Nepenthes to the Project have been normal and the established
routine has been efficient, as verified by means of the bank statements and transfers.
3.4 Participation y appropriation
During its execution, it is considered that the project has been successful in strengthening
participatory initiatives of the local civil society in favour of conservation and sustainable use
of the natural resources, based on the school initiatives, incentives and income generation
for youth groups, youth organisation and environmental awareness raising initiatives. The
5
According to Informe Financiero Trimestral Octubre- Diciembre -2006
26
Review Team considers that the project has reached important progress towards the
appropriation of the processes undertaken in environmental education and strengthening of
the youth organisations. The institutionalisation of the subject environment and natural
resources in the teaching curriculum of the primary and secondary schools in the whole of
the municipality of El Castillo stands out in particular.
3.5 The technical capacity of the FDR in the implementation of the
components
The FDR has shown competence and technical quality in the Environmental Education
Component, acting as promoters and in capacity building of teachers and pupils, showing
good coordination and interaction with different actors in environmental education. The
FDR has demonstrated experience and capacity in environmental educative processes, as the
final product of their performance and institutional lessons learned throughout almost 8
years of execution in this subject, under Phases I and II. The educative processes constitute
processes of social construction at the same time, which require time to be fruitful. The
experience of this project seems to be a positive case in Nicaragua and the Mesoamerican
region.
Nevertheless, the FDR must overcome some technical and administrative weaknesses related
to projects of major scale such as the present Project which consists of several components
requiring different strategies and organisation. The limited experience of implementing large
projects made the FDR follow the Project document too strictly without reflecting and
acting on the weaknesses in the project logic on time, the proposed (weak) project strategy,
the lack of an articulated field intervention strategy and the large number of activities which
became difficult to handle with the resources available.
The Foundation maintains a team of 5 permanent technical personnel plus 6 technicians
financed by the Project. FDR’s strength in its work force is derived from young people with
high principles, with much idealism, but in some cases with limitations of training and
experience, which influences the technical capacity that shows in the organization. The FDR,
being an eminently “environmentalist” organisation has a critical role of “watch dog” vis-àvis government institutions. In combination with the local and national advocacy and
lobbying work, it means that the collaboration environment is not always positive with some
state institutions.
An apparent weakness of the organisation is the apparent lack of strategic planning,
monitoring, evaluation and capacity to systematise experiences. This is apparent from the
underachievement of output 3.1. An indicator of this was the fact that the Review Team was
not presented with any (written) proposal for future actions of the organisation or
perspectives for sustainability, and there are no concrete plans for replication of the
successful components (i.e Environmental education).
The Review Team considers that the FDR must make the best of taking advantage of their
valuable socio-environmental experience: education and lobbying for the sustainable
environmental management in its area of influence, in strict coordination with other actors,
27
and with a clearly defined strategy that pursues the complementarity of efforts – rather than
letting themselves become “tied down” with large uncoordinated (natural resource based)
implementation projects focusing on economic improvement. This should be left to
government institutions and larger coordinated initiatives.
3.6 The technical assistance provided by Nepenthes for the FDR
The Review Team considers that the technical assistance of Nepenthes to the FDR has been
appropriate and opportune to support and to facilitate most activities and key processes of
the project. Nepenthes has accompanied the FDR by supporting the formation and
consolidation of relevant subjects. Specifically in the matter of environmental education,
they have offered support and advice regarding the establishments of agreements of
common interest and benefit with the Municipality, Ministry of Education etc.
A total of 22 support visits/consultancies and volunteer collaborations have been realised
covering different topics. There have been at least one support visit per year by the
Nepenthes Project coordinator (see Annex 9). It has also supported the FDR with
specialised technical assistance through specific consultancies, notably in forestry
development initiatives, concept development for forest certification projects and the green
macaw campaign. The Danish volunteer program has assisted in important aspects of the
radio component (communication skills etc). And students have evaluated the education
materials developed by the Project. The main focus of the support has been on the microenterprise methodological development and implementation, and the productive activities.
Although Nepenthes has managed to efficiently accompany the FDR in strengthening and
complementing its capacities in precise subjects, reviewing and advising on business plans,
education and productive activities, it has played a limited role in strengthening the
organisation through support to strategic planning, decision making and management of the
project. For example, although the reports show that Nepenthes was aware of the problems
in the project document, it did not result in an effort to adapt the logical framework and its
relation to other planning and monitoring instruments, address the problems of the deficient
intervention strategy, nor the coordination with other organisation.
While Nepenthes has accompanied the FDR through the life of the project and its
adaptations to the local circumstances, neither organisation has shown a clear and unified
vision of the priorities that future Project actions should focus on (or a new project).
It is unfortunate that the Project document has downplayed the importance of the
institutional strengthening component, perhaps it overestimated the capacity of the FDR.
Judging by the fact that the adviser in strategic planning, decision making and “related
technical issues” was eliminated from the budget, this seems to be the case.
The review Team is of the opinion that precisely such an input could have contributed
effectively to the institutional strengthening output (i.e. support to strategic planning; Revise
and follow up on the strategic plan; elaboration of a financial strategy for the FDR; Prepare a
plan for the dissemination of the experiences and results of the organisation)
28
3.7 Impact
Impact can be defined as the outcome of the results to be achieved by the project towards
reaching the overall objective. The impacts are reflected on the natural, economic and social
environments that surround the project.
The Review Team's general observations are that the Project has started to create a network
of institutions that show interest in participating in a coordinated manner to conserve the
biological reserve and to support sustainable activities in favour of environmentally
damaging actions.
It is difficult to make an assessment of the project impact on the change in living conditions
of the communities as a direct impact of the Project intervention. In part it is difficult to
measure as there is no baseline on which to base such an assessment, and the Project
activities are mostly “non-tangible” (education and lobbying etc). However, it is undoubtful
that the environmental education activities will have an impact in the medium term. The fact
that all schools in the Municipality are giving environmental classes is in itself a huge step
forward to ensuring the existence of the biological reserve when the next generation starts to
influence the society in the buffer zone.
The work with actively involving young people in environmental actions and the
environmental radio programmes are bound to add further to the impact of the permanent
education in the schools. The practical courses and cultural events contribute to ensure that
the young generation will assimilate the knowledge and therefore be more responsible caring
for the environment.
The Project activities directly addressing income generation (micro-enterprises and
alternative production) are expected to show results of youth groups participating actively in
the economy and generating incomes for their families. However, there is little basis on
which to judge such impact in the families, as there are no indicators nor strategic
considerations in the Project document that could assist in determining what level of
increase in incomes are considered an “acceptable” impact. The number of supported micro
enterprises is low as is the number of orchards and it is not likely that these initiatives will
have a great impact.
Recommendation:
-
More attention should be given to defining indicators to be used in the
monitoring and evaluation of the different interventions. The Survey on
the Rural Youth in Rio San Juan 6 should be studied to generate impact
indicators.
6
Informe de encuesta sobre La Juventud Rural en el Municipio de El Castillo. Fundación
Desafios/FUMDEC/FDR et. Al. 2006.
29
3.8 Sustainability
In general, the MTRT is of the opinion that the environmental education activities are likely
to be sustained after the project terminates, as they are well assimilated by the MINED and
the teachers implementing the courses, although with a number of risks such as the
increasing number of teachers (who have not received training by the project) and the
political changes in the school system as proposed by the new government (the Nerpes may
lose their autonomy).
The organisation of the youth groups, are only just starting to produce results exemplified by
their more formal organisation and they will need longer term support in order to become
instituitonalised and thereby sustainable. It is not likely that the economic activities initiated
with the youth groups will be sustained without project support, particularly not the orchard
related youth activities.
At the organisational level, a rejuvenation plan is being considered, which involves the
integration of new members recruited from youth group organisations. According the
Executive Director, it is likely that in the near future the FDR will indeed turn into a youth
organisation. This seems very plausible.
At the financial level, there is little indication of the FDR having secured financing beyond
the Environmental Education project. Presently there are only a few minor sources of
financing secured for the execution of small projects, which do not come near the level of
support received through the Nepenthes project (see Annex 11). All of these contributions
will finalise in 2007 (one or two will be renewed on annual basis). There is a need to pursue
this much more systematically, both through fund raising and attraction of new projects, but
models of income generation form other sources such as tourism should be explored based
on the rich patrimony (the properties that FDR owns). There may also be the possibility of
offering services at a cost, e.g. the replication of the environmental education program to
other parts of Nicaragua could be offered on a cost-basis.
4 Conclusions
The MTRT concludes that the environmental education component has been effective and
is going to have an impact in the Municipality of El Castillo and the South-eastern region of
Nicaragua, and potentially at the national level. The good coordination between the FDR
and MINED has permitted the planning and effective implementation of the training
courses for the teachers of the Municipality and has succeeded to introduce the subject
environment and natural resources in the school programs at primary and secondary level.
Although the Project has started a systematisaiton of the experiences, we found that several
actors / institutions (e.g. MARENA) were not fully aware of these positive experiences.
The El Quebracho environmental centre has positively facilitated the development of
practical actions complementing in exemplary manner the theory taught in the
environmental classes, through a combination of the educative activities with the playful,
which is necessary to attract and keep the attention of children and young people in the
environmental camps. These have fulfilled their intention to sensitize and educate the
30
children and young people on the importance and value of their local natural environment,
and develop values of self-esteem and identity. The activities with the young people, seem to
have a great potential impact in the short and medium term. It has been managed to create a
network of young people to strengthen the social and cultural identity, despite its incipient
structure and limitations, due to the turnover of its members (about 40% per year). The
radio will be also have a strong impact.
Lobbying is one of the strong areas of work of the FDR, being recognized by different
actors in its vigilant action, but it could be more efficient with better preparation and
planning of the lobbying and awareness campaigns. The school orchards do not fit well in
the concept of small business development, and they should not be considered as a potential
income generating activities along with lotteries etc and the orchards should not be
considered a solution to increase the family incomes, rather they must be seen as
subsistence. The confusion within the logical framework has not helped the Project to insert
this activity in its proper context. The Project has shown great ingenuity and adaptation
capability which has increased the operational efficiency but overall the project efficiency has
been affected due to a number factors, like the lack of adjustment of the logical framework,
the indicators, and intervention strategy.
The support of Nepenthes in general, been excellent, effective and efficient, and has
facilitated the preparation of a strategic plan, that it will be of much utility for the
foundation. The collaboration between Nepenthes and the FDR it seems to have been a
relation of mutual assistance and learning, valued positively by both parts. Nevertheless,
Nepenthes has not put sufficient emphasis on the importance of supporting the organisation
in concretising the strategic planning, and adjusting the logical framework and the
operational organization. The Review Team considers that in any case more time would
have been needed to properly support the FDR in its institutional strengthening than was
available without the assistance of a long(er) term adviser which was cancelled in the project
document.
The lack of coordinated initiatives with other actors in the buffer zone has not allowed the
FDR to insert itself with force in technical assistance in alternative sustainable production,
and it should be questioned whether this should be the role of the FDR, both due to the
environmentalist nature of the organization which sometimes can create suspicions in other
potential partners, but more importantly there is no forum or space for jointly addressing
sustainable natural resource management on a territorial basis in the buffer zone.. Although
MARENA now has the legal mandate to lead such a coordination in practice it has not
resulted in better joint managmenet of the zone.
The MTRT perceives that during the life of the Environmental Education Project, the
organization has changed internally towards one with a more clear vision; at the same time
the project has changed its focus in a substantial way. In order to orient the future course, a
deep revision on the basis of an internal reflection based on the strategic plan is necessary.
The changes required to the Project Document, the adaptation of the Project organization,
the revision of the log-frame, and the strategies are necessary, but not very relevant given
that the project will be concluded in a few months time.
31
For that reason the evaluation mission concludes that he will be more opportune to close the
project, after an extension phase (this can be made with leftover funds ca. 1.4 mill. DKK),
with the purpose of preparing a new project or portfolio of projects, that responds to the
new political environment and national / regional context.
5 Future development options for the FDR
There will be about 1.4 mill. DKK left by the 1st of September 2007. This can be used in an
extension phase to design an exit strategy for the productive activities, and facilitate the
systematisation of experiences including the preparation of a “replication package” for the
environmental education to other areas within the region and/or the national level.
Possibilities are for the FDR to seek support through a specific project or donor to
implement the package, and/or to charge money for the services (and education materials).
The MINED is not expected to have sufficient funds to implement the subject
environmental education in all schools attended under such an extension of the programme.
It is all the more important to seek a continuation of the environmental education as the
financial autonomy of the NERPEs might disappear (if not the very existence of the
NERPE) under the new government. Part of the work to ensure sustainability of this work
would be during the extension phase to ensure a follow-up with the MINED to guarantee
their compromise and mandate to implement the environmental education.
Based on the level of expenditures during the Project, an estimate of funds needed for an
extension phase 6 months has been calculated (see table)
Proposed budget for the extension phase
Budget
code
Budget line
Total budget
DKK
Investment costs
1.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
Local personnel
Operation and
activities
Local
Administration
Total
50,000.00
600,000.00
500,000.00
35,000.00
1,185,000.00
With a total of 1.4 mill. DKK expected to be remaining after project conclusion, there will
be a minor sum available (approx. 200,000 DKK) which could be used for continued
support by Nepenthes to consolidate activities and prepare future actions. A more detailed
budget would have to be elaborated for the extension phase.
It is obvious that the future actions of FDR, apart form the replication of the environmental
education, should also concentrate on the strengthening of the youth movement and the
lobbying and advocacy work that has shown great promise, even though it is in an early
32
phase of development. It is all the more important because there are few if any other actors
working in the field of education and youth formation – this could potentially be one of the
factors which would eventually bring more sustainability to the region and ensure the
preservation of the Indio-Maíz reserve. This seems to be all the more relevant in the light of
the weak progress on achieving sustainability in the buffer zone by the government
institutions, even with support through implementation of large projects, such as the Danida
supported PMS.
In the opinion of the Review Team, the PMS project has lost the territorial approach to land
use & physical planning which formed the basis for the first phases of that project. It did not
succeed in bringing together the 4 involved institutions in the preparation of a
comprehensive plan that would ensure proper land allocation for agriculture, forestry,
agroforestry and protection of biodiversity and water resources, which is evidenced by the
continued loss of forestry options and fragmentation of habitats of important wildlife
species in the buffer zone. Arguably, the weakness of the involved institutions are to blame
(MARENA is not even using the GIS system developed under the PMS, a necessary tool for
management) but it must be a blow to the PASMA program as well.
The PMS has turned into a sustainable cacao production program, which obviously will have
positive impact on the involved families, but the options for sustainable development in the
rest of the buffer zone have not improved with the shift in focus away from territorial
planning, which should be an integral part of any sustainable resource management
programme. On the other hand, it must be recognised that without the PMS project and the
protection work by MARENA, the reserve would probably have been lost.
It is precisely here that the Review Team feels that there is a role to be played by the FDR in
highlighting the failure of the institutions to take the leading role that they should play in the
sustainable development of the bufferzone – it is not too late to make an effort to revert the
situation. And the advocacy work of the FDR has proven to be very important.
The review team therefore recommends that the FDR builds a lobbying plan for advocating
for a new attempt to strengthen institutional collaboration for territorial planning in the
buffer zone. This would be a very valid action to prepare for funding in 2008.
Another component which merits attention is the “Voz juvenil” radio progarmme. This
should definitely be seen as an individual project. It is recommended to work towards having
a permanent staff, perhaps not only youth, but more experienced a staff as well. (Some
other ideas for future actions are presented in Annex 10).
In order to consolidate, select and prioritise the activities, and develop new proposals, it is
suggested:
For each of the components that the project is managing: 1) youth group strengthening, 2)
advocacy/lobbying, 3) micro-enterprises, 4) family orchards (exit strategy), and 5) campaigns
go through the objectives tree or make a new objectives tree from the objective level,
through outcomes, outputs and activities to ensure the logic of project design, and confirm
that the right indicators are defined to measure performance. Once that is done verify the
33
design logic by asking what-if questions starting from the bottom level (activities) “If we do
this, do we reach the expected result”.
Performance measurement should be an integral part of the organisation’s mission and
strategic plan, and impact indicators should also be discussed and agreed upon by all
stakeholders.
To improve monitoring and evaluation and ease project management during the remaining
project period, it would be very good to design a better monitoring system and reporting
format, which is not bound by the logframe format and includes qualitative assessments and
global summaries by component, which would ease systematisation and replication.
6 Recommendations
The Review Mission Team recommends:
1. To extend the present Phase II until the 1 of March 2008, in order to consolidate the
successful activities.
2. It is recommended that there is no third phase under the present Project document
concept and strategy - it is recommended instead to prepare new proposals in the
framework of the strategic planning of the FDR, based on the successful experiences
of the Project.
During the extension phase:
3. Ensure that a process of strategic reflection among Nepenthes, FDR and other
actors is initiated for the identification and formulation of new collaboration
opportunities and possible actions.
4. Consolidation and extension of the departmental network “Young Agenda”.
5. To develop concrete concepts and projects based on the strategic plan (cf. section 5
above).
6. The youth component should be redesigned based on the experiences and
operational reality (specifically the priority of actions should be readjusted, the
intervention strategy checked against the internal capacity, and minor adjustments to
the indicators of the log-frame of the youth component should be made.
7. To continue and strengthen the systematization of successful Project experiences in
order that they can be replicated and/or expanded in a future project.
8. The FDR and Nepenthes, in coordination with the Municipality of El Castillo,
MINED and MARENA should formulate a common exit strategy of the
environmental education component of the project and ensure its execution during
the remaining Project period. This should include a plan for replication of the
experiences (cf. section 5 above), to ensure its wide dissemination and application in
other areas of Nicaragua, especially the municipalities adjacent to the Indio-Maíz
reserve and/or other similar regions (Bosawas).
9. The campaign of the Green Macaw (habitat conservation through incentives) and
similar campaigns in the future, should form an integral part of a work proposal,
34
within the framework of a shared sustainable development vision of other actors in
the region
10. A plan for the continuation of the radio station should be prepared - it is
recommended to buy and to install the radio equipment as soon as feasible
11. During the remaining months of the project, ensure a review of the work
organisation of the technicians and promoters to increase the efficiency in relation to
the attendance in the territory as well as the themes dealt with.
35
Annexes
1. Terms of reference
2. Persons met
3. Work Program and itinerary
4. Other actors and political context
5. Networks in which Fundación Del Río participates
6. Project expenditures 2003-2006
7. Project work organisation
8. Annual budget figures
9. Nepenthes contributions and consultancies
10. Future actions
11. Project contributions
12. Organisation chart of the FDR
13. Map of the land cover in the bufferzone
14. Map showing communities in the buffer zone
15. List of FDR properties (patrimony)
16. Actvity level project performance
17. List of documents
36
Annex 1
Danida Jr. Nummer 104.N.264.b.5
Terms of Reference
Midterm Review
Environmental Education in Nicaragua
Fundación del Río – MECD - Nepenthes
1. Background
The effort to conserve and protect the tropical forest in the Rio San Juan area along the border between
Nicaragua and Costa Rica has been defined in the Si-a-Paz initiative (International system of protected
areas for peace). This initiative stems from a meeting in 1985 where the Nicaraguan president proposed
the creation of nature reserves for peace in the southern border areas with Costa Rica. It gained
momentum in 1990, when Nicaragua introduced decree no. 527 creating the protected areas in the
southwest of Nicaragua, which comprises the Indio Maíz biological reserve and its bufferzone, an area
covering some 3000 square kilometres, plus about 1800 km2 comprising the bufferzone.
After the civil war there was an increased immigration into the area of marginalised farmers from other
regions, leading to accelerated degradation of the natural resources and ensuing high poverty rates among
the population. Especially after the 1992 Rio Summit, a large number of international donors and local
organisations initiated support to the region in order to assist in reversing the trend of unsustainable
logging and slash and burn agriculture which was in effect expanding the “agricultural frontier” into the
hitherto untouched and biodiversity rich tropical rainforest, including into the Indio Maíz reserve.
The Danish Embassy supported minor activities in the early 90’es through the local grant authority which
led to a pilot project supporting Si-a-Paz. This was subsequently prolonged through two project phases
from 1995 until 2003 under the name “Si-a-Paz Bufferzone management in the Municipality of El
Castillo”, with the aim of promoting sustainable agriculture, forestry and stabilizing the migrant population
though land titling in the bufferzone area of the municipality of El Castillo. The project had 4
counterparts: MARENA (responsible for protected areas Si-a-Paz), INRA (responsible for land titling in
the bufferzone), Fundación del Río (FdR) (responsible for community development, extension, and
environmental awareness raising), and the municipality of El Castillo.
Fundación del Río (FdR), was established in 1990 with the aim of integrating environmental concerns in
planning and development processes, and became partner of the Danida Si-a-Paz project in 1995. At this
time, the Danish NGO Nepenthes was working in the Si-a-Paz on the Costa Rican side and also
collaborating with FDR in Nicaragua.
After a review of the Danida buffer zone project in 1997 and subsequent appraisal of the Phase II of that
project in 1998, it was decided that FDR should separate the environmental awareness raising activities
from the services it was originally providing as counterpart for the buffer zone project. During phase two,
it was proposed that FDR focus only on extension services within the Danida project, while the
environmental awareness activities should be implemented as a separate project jointly with Nepenthes.
TOR Midterm review Environmental Education in Nicaragua (Nepenthes)
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This gave rise to the four-year project being implemented by the Danish NGO Nepenthes and Fundación
del Río of Nicaragua. The first phase of the project “Environmental Awareness in Nicaragua
(Miljøbevidstgørelse i Nicaragua) in the buffer zone of the protected area Indio Maíz, was implemented from
January 1999 through June 2002. The objective of the project was to strengthen the awareness and
knowledge about effective and sustainable utilisation of the natural resources as well as protection of the
environment. The target group included children and youth of 7 to 20 years of age, focusing on the formal
education channels as well as the promotion and organisation of voluntary youth groups for
environmental, cultural and sports activities.
Phase I was followed by a bridging phase running from July 2002 till June 2003, which focused on
consolidating the activities and processes initiated in the first phase. During the bridging phase, i.e. in
February 2003, Danida carried out a combined evaluation of the first phase and appraisal of the second
phase of the project (see “Nepenthes & Fundación del Río Project Environmental Education in
Nicaragua, Review and Appraisal Report. March 2003”).
The current second phase II, which is the object for this review, started on 1st of July 2003 and is planned
to run until 31st of June 2007.
The project’s primary beneficiaries are the 18.000 citizens of the municipality of El Castillo in the buffer
zone of la Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz . The direct target group consists of 146 teachers from 63
schools in El Castillo, who will contribute to the development and consolidation of the methods for
environmental education emanating from the project’s first phase. The teachers will be the means to
reaching the final beneficiaries in the age group of 5 to 17 years of age – approximately 3,000 pupils. These
children are from poor immigrant families deriving a livelihood mainly from subsistence agricultures.
Individual and organised groups of youth in El Castillo constitute another part of the direct target group.
Approximately 500 youth of both sexes in the age from 14 to 25 years will participate in environmental
education in the second phase of the project. Indirectly, as another group of final beneficiaries, the project
will benefit the children and families of these youth, and generally impact positively on the entire
population of south-eastern Nicaragua.
The overall development goal of the project is: “Through increased awareness and active economic action
and advocacy among children and youth in the buffer zone of the la Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz,
the pressure on the biological reserve has decreased while an economic development has been initiated
and the environment in the buffer zone has been strengthened”.
This is expected to be achieved through increased awareness of various production systems and income
generating activities that are adapted to the tropical forests, as well as awareness of the ecological systems
of the forests and the value of biological diversity, and the consequences of human interference on the
natural environment and the importance of positive action to the advantage of man and nature.
The project has three specific objectives (and associated expected results):
1. Environmental education has been achieved at both practical and theoretical levels in the primary
and secondary schools of the municipality of El Castillo through consolidation of environmental
activities and the subject environment and natural resources.
(Main results: Environmental education at the schools have been consolidated; The subject
’environment and natural resources’ has been integrated into the curriculum for primary and secondary
education in the municipality of El Castillo; 33 teachers have finalised their education in teaching.)
2. The youth is better trained and educated and participate in the local economy through the
development of alternative, sustainable production.
(Main results: A network among the youth has been created to strengthen the social and cultural
identity; An assessment of feasible, sustainable productions and associated markets has been
undertaken; 90 youth have been trained in organisation related to small business that generates an
TOR Midterm review Environmental Education in Nicaragua (Nepenthes)
Annex 1
income to their families; 500 youth from 5 secondary schools have increased interest in environment
and sustainable production; Youth of El Castillo municipality have increased their level of education
and strengthened their development possibilities; The experiences and results of the youth’s small
business have been systematised and evaluated for purposes of future expansion).
3. Fundación del Río has strengthened its management and influence for promotion of the
development of sustainable strategies in south-eastern Nicaragua.
(Main results: FDR has increased its capacity to develop and implement its strategies at both local and
national levels; FdR is better represented in national and Central American fora and cooperates with
various actors influencing a sustainable development; Decision-makers experience increased pressure
in favour of protection of the environment and sustainable management of the natural resources; A
strategy for the scaling up of environmental education to other areas of the buffer zone has been
elaborated).
2. Objective of the review
Considering that the second phase of the project is coming to an end, and in line with discussions with
Danida, an external review has been requested by Danida. The general objective of the review is to assess
whether the chosen approaches, as per the project document and logical framework, are sound and
sustainable and whether the resources made available to the project are being used in an appropriate and
efficient manner. Specifically, the purpose of the review is to:
1. To determine the extent of achievement of objectives, relevance, purpose and expected results and
the constraints experienced during implementation, and assess the performance in terms of
efficiency and effectiveness in producing the expected outputs (and preliminary
outcomes/impacts).
2. To provide recommendations for consolidating the Project’s achievements and successes based on
the lessons learned in relation to the technical and educational goals, and provide guidance in
reorienting and prioritising activities required to achieve the objectives and improve the efficiency
and effectiveness of implementation.
3. Analyse the prospects of sustainability for the remaining project period, and if feasible, advise on
future prospects for and the feasible themes of intervention in a possible third phase/new project.
3. General review issues and tasks to be undertaken
The Review shall assess the general relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and impact of the present Project,
to the extent possible. Moreover, it shall also assess to what extent the benefits of the Project are likely to
be sustainable in the medium and long term. The sustainability factors to be considered in the analysis are:
policy environment, financial sustainability, institutional sustainability, socio-cultural aspects, participation
and ownership, gender issues, environmental impacts, and appropriateness of technology. Also, as the
performance of the project organisation, personnel and management procedures is a crucial part of any
review, the team will try to assess the day-to-day running and management of the project based on the
organisation and management system proposed in the project document, in order to suggest
improvements in this respect.
a.
Specific tasks for the mission
a) Assess the effectiveness i.e. has there been a change towards the achievement of the overall
(long term) objective of the Project? Have there been any incipient changes towards the
reaching of the Project overall objective? Which factors have facilitated or impeded the
TOR Midterm review Environmental Education in Nicaragua (Nepenthes)
Annex 1
progress of the Project in achieving the intended objectives, results and impacts? What - if any
- are the major obstacles in reaching the objectives and why they exist? If possible, it should be
attempted to determine which external factors have had influence on these changes, such as
changes in government policies (past and current) and these should be highlighted.
b) Assess the efficiency, i.e. how cost-effectively the means have been converted into results, and
if the quantity and quality of the results of the Project justify the use of the available means and
resources.
c) Assess whether the local and external human, material and financial resources been appropriate
in terms of quantity, quality and timeliness, and if the time and resources have been allocated
to the different Project components and activities in a planned, balanced and justified manner,
including the use and management of funds by FDR and Nepenthes during the second phase
d) Assess to what extent the Project implemented the planned activities in the Project Document,
overall work plan and annual work plans and whether possible deviations have been justified.
e) Assess the methods, appropriateness, outreach and likely sustainability of environmental
education activities implemented by MECD and the teachers.
f) Assess the appropriateness and development of the Municipal and Departmental Youth
Movements and their perspectives for the future, including the effectiveness of the advocacy
work undertaken by the youth groups and how they function within the communities.
g) Assess the appropriateness and relevance of the development of youth entrepreneurs and its
perspectives, development of businesses and the basis for extending these, including gender
aspects of business activities.
h) Assess the technical capacity of the project partner FDR, in implementing the activities of the
three project objectives: environmental education, support to youth groups and promotion of
sustainable production, and FdR’s own improved management and influence, and assess FdR’s
capacity to integrate participatory methods and processes of development in their work.
i)
Assess the technical assistance provided by Nepenthes in accordance with the project
document and planned activities.
j) Assess the Project’s coherence, cooperation and relation to other development initiatives in the
area, including Danida-funded activities.
k) Analyse local ownership and expected sustainability of project activities and initiated processes,
as well as plans for a consolidation and exit strategy and plans for scaling up of project
activities.
l) Based on a brief synthesis of past lessons learned of the cumulative donor efforts in si-a-Paz,
particularly the experience in the Danida funded sustainable buffer zone project with relation
to community development, sustainable agricultural production, forestry and eco-tourism, and
market access, assess the opportunities, possibilities and needs of the population for future
interventions in the project area.
3. Outputs of the mission
TOR Midterm review Environmental Education in Nicaragua (Nepenthes)
Annex 1
1. Towards the end of the visit to Nicaragua, the team should prepare a concise debriefing note,
including main findings and recommendations (in Spanish), to be discussed with local partners
and Nepenthes before the mission's departure and to be presented at the Royal Danish
Embassy in Nicaragua.
2. A mid term review report, which does not exceed 30 pages plus appendices (in English, to be
translated).
4. Work methodology
The Review will be carried out ensuring a high level of participation of all actors involved in the
current phase of the Project. Special sessions with each group of stakeholders will be organised to
enable the Review Team to familiarise themselves with the issues and agendas. The Review Team
should aim at promoting and facilitating discussion among the stakeholders as a means for
collecting information for the external review work and on the other hand for highlighting the
various points of view.
The work plan will include the following program elements:
a) Study all relevant documents etc. including relevant experience of Nepenthes from the
implementation of other projects.
b) Workshop/briefing in Denmark prior to departure to discuss work program and TOR
c) Meeting in Nepenthes office in Denmark (Copenhagen/Aarhus?)
d) Briefing at the Royal Danish Embassy in Managua upon arrival to Nicaragua and a debriefing
before departure,
e) Discussions with all relevant stakeholders, and in particular Fundación del Río and the project
staff
f) Field visit to Río San Juan, Nicaragua which may include:
a. Presentations of results and the processes developed by the project by project director
and staff.
b. Presentation of the strategic advances and advocacy by FDR by the Board of Directors y
and the FDR Direction.
c. Presentation by the Municipal Youth Council (within Movimiento Juvenil Municipal)
from creation to date, its plan of action, and perspectives for the future.
d. Presentation of results of the Market Study and implementation and plans for youth
entrepreneurship.
e. Field visits including visiting a school, participating families, town council, youths and
youth groups, La Voz Juvenil and others.
The Review Team will be responsible for determining the number, type and scope of stakeholder
meetings, once they have familiarised themselves with the groups and particular context.
5. Persons and institutions to meet (list not necessarily exhaustive)
Ministry of Education – MECD – of Managua, Department of Río San Juan and El Castillo Municipality
Directors of NERPEs (Nuecleos de Educación Rural)
Teachers of the target group
Local families participating in project activities
Municipal Youth Council – Consejo Juvenil Municipal
Youth participating in the business development training activities
Municipality of El Castillo (the Mayor)
Town council designated promoter for attending youth groups
TOR Midterm review Environmental Education in Nicaragua (Nepenthes)
Annex 1
Ministry of the environment – MARENA
INRA (Agrarian reform institute)
Municipal Environmental Commission – Comisión Ambiental Municipal (CAM)
Director of Danidas project for Sustainable Management, Alicia Paucar
External auditor Javier G. Reyes Ruíz
The Royal Danish Embassy, Responsible for the PASMA programme, Lone Bøge Jensen.
Fundación del Río (FdR)
Project staff
Nepenthes’ representative in Central America (André Mildam)
Nepenthes programme director and coordinator of the project (Karin Elisabeth Lind)
Superintendent of the Si-a-Paz
Former stakeholders of the Danida Si-a-Paz Buffer Zone Project
Other organisations with influende or operating in the area
University Católica (Nitlapán)
Others as determined appropriate by the review Team
6. Composition of the Team and Timing
The team will consist of a natural resources management consultant, acting as the team leader, and two
local consultants with experiences in environmental education, natural resources and institutional issues.
These are: Michael Thurland (natural resources, team leader); Melany Machado (environmental education
and productive systems); Marlon Perez (environmental policy and institutional issues)
The field visit will take place from 23rd of April 2007 until May 11th 2007. The draft report should be
presented no later than 4 weeks after concluding the field visit (English and Spanish versions). Comments
to the draft report shall be received within 6 weeks, to be incorporated into the final report immediately
thereafter.
A tentative time schedule is attached as Appendix 1 to this document.
7. Background materials (all documents should be available in Spanish)
Project Document and log frames, phase I and II
Quarterly and annual technical and financial reports by FDR
Annual reports by Nepenthes
Nepenthes project visit reports
Market study by Consultant Julio Prudencio
Consultancy reports by Nepenthes advisor on alternative production
Consultancy reports by Nepenthes advisor on marketing and commercialization
Consultancy report by advisor on bee-keeping
Reports by Danish students and volunteers
Short paper describing Nepenthes’ experiences with sustainable production, commercialisation,
international marketing etc.
Danida and other donors documents related to the Si-a-Paz buffer zone (thematic studies etc.)
Danida review/evaluation reports:
Nepenthes & Fundación del Río Project Environmental Education in Nicaragua, Review and Appraisal
Report. March 2003
Other documents of relevance..(to be provided by the Embassy and Project stakeholders as relevant).
TOR Midterm review Environmental Education in Nicaragua (Nepenthes)
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Personas entrevistados/Persons met
Organización/Organisation Personas entrevistados/Persons met
Otras instituciones/other
institutions
Alcaldías/municipalities
Reunión con la JD/meeting with
Board
Equipo Técnico/Technical staff
Consejo Editorial de Radio
(CER)/Editorial council of the
Radio
Bayardo Quintero (Resp. Medio Ambiente Embajada de Dinamarca
en Managua
Alfredo Ruiz (NITLAPAN)
Víctor Campos (Centro A. V. Humboldt)
Iván Ortega (MARENA Cantral)
José Luis Galeano (MARENA Central)
Elisa Marenco (Dirección de Politicas y estrategias MARENA
Central)
María José Martínez UNAG – CODESO
Henry Sandino CODESO
Alexis Solís (administrador FDR)
Alicia Paucar (coordinador PMS)
Ernesto Macanche (vicealcalde El Castillo)
Antolin Mejía Jarquin (Srio. Consejo Sábalos)
Gabriel Aguirre (Sría del Ambiente Alcaldía San Carlos)
Teresa Mariscal (Directora del Proyecto y Tesorera de la JD)
Antonio Ruiz (Director Ejecutivo)
Fidel Martínez (Presidente y territorio El Castillo)
Ronald Estrada Martínez (miembro y miembro del equipo de El
Castillo)
Mario Mallorquin (Secretario y Resp. del Proy. Niños de la Calle)
Adelaida González (2do. Fiscal y Resp. de Rayo de Sol)
Andrea (Resp. de Nepenthes para Centroamérica)
Karen (Resp. del Dpto. de Proyectos de Nephentes)
Saúl Obregón (miembro de equipo juventud trabajando
motivándolos)
Bosco (trabaja en emprendimiento, es docente e Ing. Agrario)
Lester Martínez (emprendimiento y huertos)
Maryuri Oporta (Emprendimiento y elaboración de planes de
negocios)
Hazel Díaz (emprendimiento y resp. de El Quebracho ReservaCampamento)
Fidel Martínez (Educación Social y Ambiental)
Bismarck Herrera (educación ambiental en el equipo de juventud)
Ronald Estrada (emprendimiento, cursos técnicos y cacao)
Gabriel Jaime (Juventud y miembro de la FDR) mbo. de FDR
José Martin Pavón (Incidencia Ambiental y Social)
Juan Carlos Martínez (Educación Ambiental y Juventud)
Alfredo Figueroa (Campaña Salvemos la Lapa Verde) miembro de
FDR
Jessenia (Conserje y monitorea el uso de los recursos como motos y
combustible)
Norlin A. López Navas (Sabalos)
Giselle López Vásquez (Sábalos)
Daniel Duarte (Sábalos / Buena Vista)
Jenery García López (Sábalos)
Aleska Díaz Gómez (Sábalos)
Griselda Salazar (El Castillo)
Norvin López “Chalillito” (Che Guevara)
Jairo Bond (Marlon Zelaya)
Rudy Aguirre (Las Colinas)
Israel Aguirre (Las Colinas)
Elizabeth Moreno (El Castillo)
Levis Moreno (Buena Vista)
Jeffry Valdez (Laureano Mairena)
María Estrada (Marlon Zelaya)
Elaida Hurtado (Laureano Mairena)
1
Annex 2
Organización/Organisation Personas entrevistados/Persons met
Grupo Juvenil/Youth Group
“Nuevo Milenio” (Sábalos)
Grupo juvenil/Youth group “Ara
ambigua” de El Castillo
Grupo Juvenil /Youth Group
Ambientalista “Sacuanjoche” de
Buena Vista
Consejo Juvenil
Municipal/Municipal youth council
Erling Saballos (Buena Vista)
Gabriel Jaime (Coordina el CER)
Jenery García López (1er. Líder)
Angel Castro (2do. Líder)
Jeyni Castillo (3er. Líder)
Giselle López (Secretaria)
Juliet López (miembro)
Norlin López (ex líder)
Jessica Flores
Aleska Díaz (Tesorera)
Jessica Balladares
Armando Rodríguez
Hebert López
Ariela Carmona (regresó de Costa Rica y se reintegro)
Jordan Taisigüe (Líder) 17 años
José Daniel Castellón 14 años
Katerin Taisigüe 14 años
Yader Pineda 12 años
Tania Ruiz 17 años
Dayana Aragón 17 años
Andrea Poveda 17 años
Jeneli Masiel 17 años
Sujei Taisigüe 18 años
Stefany Castillo 16 años (mujer)
Wendy Moreno 14 años
Arselia Obregón 21 años
Emilio Aragón 17 años
Paola Obregón 17 años
Rudy Velásquez 15 años
Joseph Peña 15 años
David Obregón 16 años
Alejandro Alemán 16 años
Giselda Salazar 18 años
Félix Padilla Espinoza (M 17 años)
Levis Moreno Obregón (M 16 años)
Anderson Pilarte Díaz (M, 17 años 2do. Líder)
Evelio Polanco (M 15 años)
Monico Antonio Zavala Díaz (M, 14 años)
Maricela Murguía Gámez (F, 18 años, 1er. Líder)
Leticia Díaz Duarte (F, 16 años)
Soledad Pineda Duarte (F 17 años)
Dalany Pineda Duarte (F 16 años)
Jaqueling Flores ((F 16 años)
Eneyda Brenes Cantillano (F 14 años)
Esmeralda Díaz Montoya (F 14 años)
Yanicia Orozco Díaz (F 19 años), además es maestra
Roosevelth Mejía M. (M 18 años) Encargado de la biblioteca
Guisell Díaz Bonilla (F 38 años) madre de Anderson
Geovanella Toledo Díaz (F 10 años)
Yanery Esquivel (F 17 años)
Erasmo Coca Martínez (M 21 años) Curso agroforestal
Maricela Murguía Gómez (Buena Vista)
Yemn Jordan Taisigüe López (El Castillo)
Arcelia Carolina Mejía Obregón (El Castillo)
Saúl H. Obregón Gutiérrez (FDR)
Josué Israel Aguirre V. (Las Colinas)
Ingri Miriam Sándigo A. (Km 20)
Selena Patricio Reyes Díaz (Las Maravillas)
José David López Guzmán (Las Maravillas)
Luis Adolfo Torrez (Las Marvillas)
2
Annex 2
Organización/Organisation Personas entrevistados/Persons met
Escuelas y Maestros/as/Schools
and teachers
Emprendedoras/es/Entrepreneurs
Huertos/Orchards
•
Maximiliano Alvarado (Nueva Quezada)
Francisco Toledo López (Km 20)
Juan Carlos Alvarado ((Nueva Quezada)
Levis Moreno Obregón (Buena Vista)
Daniel Duarte Sánchez (Buena Vista)
Norvin Díaz López (Che Guevara)
Fidel Martínez Ríos (Boca de Sábalos)
Hamilton Rocha López (Marlon Zelaya)
Jeffry Valdez Espinoza (Laureano Mairena)
Aracelly Massiel Castillo Dávila (Laureano Mairena)
Angel de Jesús Castro Lazo ((Boca de Sábalos)
Héctor Josué Toruño Obando (Mónico)
Mayra Rosa Aguilar Urbina (Mónico)
Reyna Epifania Aguilar Romero (Mónico)
Juan Ramón Guzmán Picado (Manú)
Eliseo Rivera González (La Quezada)
José Emilio Hernández (Las Maravillas)
Bosco A Castro (Sábalos)
Maribel González Romero (Las Maravillas)
Máximo A. Arguello Sequeira (Las Maravillas)
Juan Carlos Martínez (El Castillo)
Diego Garrido Tenorio (Las Maravillas)
Bismarck Herrera Poveda (El Castillo)
Gabriel Jaime (Sábalos FDR)
María Cristina Arvizú (maestra Escuela Rafaela Herrera – El
Castillo)
Edita Mendoza Chinandega (maestra Escuela Rafaela Herrera – El
Castillo)
María Isabel Aragón Aragón (maestra Escuela Rafaela Herrera – El
Castillo)
Cristina Peña (Directora Escuela Rafaela Herrera – El Castillo)
Magali Vásquez Ponce (maestra Escuela Rafaela Herrera – El
Castillo)
Melvin Antonio Gutiérrez García (maestro Escuela de Buena Vista)
Maestro Escuela El Brenes
Reinaldo Alejandro Jaime Bustos (maestro Escuela “Miguel de
Cervantes” Mauricio Gutiérrez)
Maura Ruth Rivas (maestra Escuela “Miguel de Cervantes”
Mauricio Gutiérrez)
Olga María López Muñoz (participante 2do. Curso) El Castillo
María Auxiliadora Jerez Maradi (participante 2do. Curso) El Castillo
Leysi Obregón (participante 2do. Curso) El Castillo
Jorleni Obregón (Artesanías - El Castillo)
Dalia López (Salón de Belleza – El Castillo)
Elvis Obregón y Arselia Carolina Mejía (madre e hija, Fritanga – El
Castillo)
Maribel González Romero (librería) Las Maravillas
Máximo Antonio Arguello Sequeira (avícola) Las Maravillas
Sandra Maltez (El Gordiano)
María Inés González (El Gordiano)
Jerónimo Kauffman (El Gordiano)
Jefferson Velásquez (Buena Vista) (miembro del grupo juvenil y
folklorista)
Yader Obando (Las Maravillas)
Héctor José Toruño Obando (Las Maravillas)
Reina Aguilar Romero (Las Maravillas)
Reunión con German Antonio Chavarria Pérez, Juan Guzmán Picado, Noel Antonio Guzmán Picado,
jóvenes del curso de agroforestería
3
Annex 3
Work Program
DAY
Monday 23
Tuesday 24
Wednesday 25
Thursday 26
Friday 27
Saturday 28
Sunday 29
Monday 30
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 2
Thursday 3
ACTIVITY
Travel San Salvador – Managua.. Initial meeting evaluation team
• Meeting with Bayardo Quintero (Resp. Medio Ambiente Embajada de Dinamarca en
Managua)
• Meeting with Alfredo Ruiz (NITLAPAN)
• Meeting with Víctor Campos, Sub Director del Centro Alexander V. Humboldt (NGO)
• Travel Managua - San Carlos
• Introductory meeting with borrad (Junta Directiva) y Executive director (Director
Ejecutivo) of the FDR
• Meeting with Equipo Técnico (presentación de los avances del Proyecto)
• Meeting with Radio council “Voz Juvenil”
• Youth Group “Nuevo Milenio” de Sábalos (Youth house)
• Meeting with Youth Group “Ara ambigua” de El Castillo
• Meeting with teachers de Escuela “Rafaela Herrera” El Castillo
• Meeting with entrepreneurs El Castillo
Work of the evaluation team in El Castillo
• Meeting with Directors de Núcleos Educativos Rurales Autónomos NERPES – MINED
of the municipality (Sábalos) y William Ramos Delegado, delegado del MINED
• Meeting with Karen (Nepenthes), Fidel Martínez (Presidente FDR) y Teresa Mariscal
(Project director)
• Interview with Melba Navarro (component coordinator agroforestry ProDeSoc)
• Meeting with Ernesto Macanche (vicemayor) y Antolin Mejía Jarquin (Srio. Withsejo
Municipal)
• Meeting with youth council in Las Maravillas
• Visit to orchards de Yader Obando (joven hijo de productor)
• Reunión Héctor José Toruño Obando y Reina Aguilar Romero (orchard owners)
• Meeting with German Antonio Chavarria Pérez, Juan Guzmán Picado, Noel Antonio
Guzmán Picado, jóvenes del curso de agroforestería
• Meeting with Maribel González Romero (library) y Máximo Antonio Arguello Sequeira
(chicken rearing) small business activities
• Meeting with technical staff of the Project
• Community of Buena Vista
• Visit to orchards Sandra Maltez, María Inés González y Jerónimo Kauffman (El
Gordiano)
• Visit to orchards de Jefferson Velásquez (Buena Vista)
• Visit to schools of Buena Vista
• Beneficiary farmer of the “adopt a parrot” campaign (Campaña de Lapa Verde )
• Interview with Gustavo Zapata (coordinador componente forestal de ProDeSoc)
• Meeting with youths of the nature interpretation at El Quebracho (guides)
• Visit to school Brenes
• Meeting with Youth Group “Sacuanjoche” de Buena Vista y Forest Promotors in Casa
Juvenil
• Interview with Alicia Paucar (coordinator PMS)
• Meeting with Fidel Martínez (Presidente FDR)
1
Annex 3
DAY
Friday 4
Saturday 5
Sunday 6
Monday 7
Tuesday 8
Wednesday 9
Thursday 10
ACTIVITY
• Meeting with Antonio Ruiz (Director Ejecutivo FDR)
• Meeting with Administrator de FDR (Alexis Solís)
• Visit to school Mauricio Gutiérrez
• Interview with Gabriel Aguirre, responsible for Env. secretariat, Municip. San Carlos
• Interview with María José Martínez y Henry Sandino de CODESO
• Meeting with Teresa Mariscal (Project director)
Travel San Carlos – Managua
Report writing
Report writing
Meeting with Iván Ortega y José Luis Galeano (MARENA Cantral)
Meeting with Elisa Marenco, Resp. Dirección de Políticas y Estrategias MARENA Central
Preparation of debriefing note
Presentation of debriefing note to FDR y Nepenthes en Managua
2
Annex 4
Contexto nacional y políticas de influencia en la región Sureste de
Nicaragua
El contexto nacional y su proyección hacia el departamento de Río San Juan está influido por el
reciente y radical cambio de gobierno vivido en el país (enero 2007), de manera que el accionar de
las instituciones de gobierno nacionales en parte han continuado con lo establecido aún se
enmarcan en las políticas estructuradas por el gobierno del Sr. Enrique Bolaños aunque ya se
comienza a evidenciar cambios con la administración del actual mandatario Sr. Daniel Ortega.
En los últimos años la situación de Río San Juan se ha caracterizado por:
•
La permeable frontera se ha convertido en la zona de paso de la población más empobrecida
de Nic. hacia CR
•
La extracción de madera y el continuado desarrollo de las actividades agropecuarias en general
de bajo rendimiento y con tecnologías inadecuadas han ido reduciendo las áreas forestales.
•
Se han introducido en la región nuevos cultivos extensivos como los cítricos, con
contradicciones al ecosistema de la región.
•
La acción consolidad de la Comisión Departamental de Desarrollo Sostenible (CODESO)
fundada en 1998 en el marco de AMURSJ 1 y que integra 53 organizaciones de diferente
naturaleza (gobierno, soc. civil, etc.). A partir del éxito obtenido en el año 2003 con una
propuesta de desarrollo, que les valió su reconocimiento ante el poder ejecutivo, han logrado
construir una visión común de trabajo, presentando anualmente propuestas de inversiones
consensuadas al gobierno central. Disponen de varias comisiones: Turismo, Gobernabilidad,
Económico-Productiva,
Social-Género
y
Ambiental.
Tienen representatividad en el Consejo Nacional de Planificación Económica y Social
(CONPES). También hicieron alianza con otros Consejos Departamentales de Boaco,
Chontales y Nueva Guinea (RAAS) para trabajar en un espacio regional temas comunes
(carretera, conservación del lago Cocibolca, etc.), por eso co-organizaron en 2007 el II Foro del
Lago Cocibolca para abordar el problema del mismo, involucrándose 17 de sus instituciones y
organizaciones.
•
Arrancado el turismo con una gran proyección. Desde CODESO se pretende elaborar el Plan
Estratégico Departamental de Turismo y se trabaja en un nuevo inventario turístico del
departamento. Se busca una ruta turística en la que se ubican las reservas, áreas protegidas,
fincas, etc., lo que el Instituto de Turismo (INTUR) llama la Ruta del Agua.
•
Se siguen presentando esporádicas invasiones de tierra en la Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz que
ha ocasionado algunos juicios y expulsión de familias invasoras. Sin embargo aún permanecen
150 familias que desde hace muchos años viven dentro de los limites de la Reserva y esperan
ser trasladados a otras tierras.
En los últimos años la promulgación de algunas leyes ha creado un nuevo contexto al país e
influido en el trabajo de Río San Juan, entre ellas se destacan:
1
Asociación de Municipios de Río San Juan
1
Annex 4
•
•
•
•
•
Ley 475. Ley de Participación Ciudadana (2003), que determina el sistema de participación
de las diferentes iniciativas de la sociedad o grupos de ciudadanos y establece los espacios y
procedimientos para hacer sentir su opinión y propuesta.
Ley 462. Ley de Conservación, Fomento y Desarrollo Sostenible del Sector Forestal (2003).
Estableció el marco regulatorio de la actividad forestal en el país.
Ley 559. Ley Especial de Delitos contra el Medio Ambiente y los Recursos Naturales
(2005). Se constituyó en una herramienta eficaz para la defensa de los recursos naturales,
ha sido utilizada para procesar a los invasores de la Reserva Biologica Indio Maíz.
Ley de Veda para el Corte, Aprovechamiento y Comercialización del Recurso Forestal
(2005). Ha tenido un fuerte impacto en las actividades económicas forestales del territorio,
especialmente en el municipio El Castillo, al determinar una franja de exclusión del
aprovechamiento forestal.
Ley de Participación Educativa. Ha regido lo relativo a la autonomía escolar que ha servido
de marco a las actividades de ecuación ambiental, entre otras.
El trabajo de las instituciones gubernamentales se puede describir de la siguiente manera:
•
MARENA y MINED trabajan en Educación Ambiental. MINED lo hace desde la
educación formal y MARENA en lo masivo y no formal.
•
MINED trabaja en el pilotaje con materiales de educación ambiental en 80 escuelas de
zona húmeda, seca y secundaria, como parte de un proceso de transformación curricular de
la educación básica y media. También en el marco de la unificación educativa en la región
de mesoamérica.
•
MARENA tambien trabaja en el desarrollo de capacidades de las Unidades Ambientales
Municipales (UAM) de las alcaldías, fortalecimiento de la red de Guardabosques 2 ,
información electrónica entregando un nodo informativo a AMURSJ. Se trabaja un Plan
Operativo de la Reserva de Biosfera donde estarán todas las acciones que se trabajan en el
territorio con todos los organismos del las 9 alcaldías que intervienen en la Reserva.
También las acciones desde el proyecto ARAUCARIA de la cooperación española. Se
trabaja con enfoque desconcentrado.
•
Otras acciones han sido la del INETER 3 que ha trabajado un estudio territorial. IDR
trabaja proyectos de apoyo a grupos de productores, está en proyecto trabajar el asfaltado
de la carretera con fondos del BID y un puente (en gestión) sobre el río San Juan
financiado por Japón.
•
Desde el nivel nacional (INTUR) se promueve la Ruta del Agua que permitirá recursos
para infraestructura, capacitación y asesoría empresarial.
Durante estos 100 días de gobierno, se ha experimentado un proceso de transformaciones al marco
institucional del país a través de la reforma de la Ley de Organización, Competencia y
Procedimientos del Poder Ejecutivo" (Ley 290) la cual crea nuevas instituciones vinculadas
2
Antes del ´98 existían 10 guardas y 2 casetas, ahora 50 guardas y 22 casetas equipadas, se construirán 5 casetas más y ampliar el cuerpo de
guardabosques voluntarios
3 Instituto Nicaragüense de Estudios Territoriales
2
Annex 4
directamente con la gestión ambiental del país. Sin embargo aún con la reforma de la Ley 290 sigue
existiendo incoherencias entre las competencias / atribuciones que tienen por ley, las instituciones
gubernamentales responsables del control, protección del ambiente y garantizar un uso racional de
los recursos naturales y la biodiversidad en general. (Centro Humboldt)
Miembros de CODESO consideran que ha habido un desfase con el nuevo Gobierno pero confían
se reactivará.
Es positiva la priorización, dentro del Sistema Nacional de Áreas Protegidas, de las dos grandes
reservas de Biosfera del país (Bosawas y Sureste) en las líneas estratégicas del MARENA. Sin
embargo, es necesario implementar los planes de manejo ya elaborados de las otras áreas
protegidas, así como también construir y ejecutar participativamente los planes de manejos
pendientes (Centro Humboldt).
Ha habido una febril actividad de los personeros de gobierno para contactarse con grupos
inversionistas de distintos orígenes geográficos y económicos, para explorar las siguientes
posibilidades:
Alternativas canaleras tanto húmedas como secas.
Alternativas de construcción de poliductos para hidrocarburos.
Refinería de petróleo (con una capacidad de procesamiento de 150 000 barriles de
petróleo por día).
Grandes represas hidroeléctricas (Copalar).
El Gobierno ahora trabaja con coordinaciones interinstitucionales MAGFOR-IDR 4 eso facilitara
coordinar el monto y el tipo de inversiones que se requieren en todo el territorio.
Entre algunos asuntos pendientes que determinan la atención al territorio se encuentran:
• La asignación en el Presupuesto General de Gastos aprobado por la Asamblea Nacional,
destinada a las instituciones encargadas de la gestión ambiental, disminuyó en comparación
al 2006. La participación porcentual de MARENA dentro del Presupuesto General de
Gastos se redujo, pasando de un 1.2% en el 2006 a 0.96% en el 2007. Mientras que en el
caso de INAFOR, su participación en el presupuesto disminuye ligeramente, asignándosele
el 0.29% del monto total del Presupuesto General de Gastos (Centro Humboldt).
MARENA recibe una de las más bajas asignaciones presupuestarias y sigue dependiendo
de la cooperación para el desarrollo de sus proyectos.
• La gestión de US$ 200 mil con Taiwan y US$ 50 mil con Dinamarca para costear el
traslado de las 150 familias que permanecen dentro de la Reserva Indio Maíz.
• Ha sido abolida la autonomía en la educación autonomía cerrando alguna participación a
los padres de familia y limitando de algunos recursos a los centros de educación
• Programa Hambre Cero no termina de arrancar bono. Con la metodología y el
procedimiento para hacer la selección están creando instancias paralelas a los consejos de
desarrollo municipales y departamentales que ya existen, que van a durar lo que dilata el
proyecto y afectarán la institucionalidad y el capital social. (Sinforiano Cáceres, Presidente
FENACOOP)
• Problemas en el programa de semillas, en especial del Plan Libra por Libra y (Sinforiano
Cáceres, Presidente FENACOOP)
4
Instituto de Desarrollo Rural
3
Annex 4
•
•
•
•
•
Productores rurales esperan de la voluntad gubernamental de firmar con Taiwan para hacer
efectivos los 480 millones de dólares prometidos para los próximos cinco años, de ellos,
casi un 70% para la agricultura (Sinforiano Cáceres, Presidente FENACOOP).
Está pendiente la revisión de PRORURAL el programa del anterior gobierno que establece
el enfoque de clusters (p.e. cacao), sobre el cual se basa la estrategia de trabajo con cacao
en la región e trópico húmedo.
Está pendiente la formación del Banco de Fomento que prentende beneficiar a la
población campesina
Es notoria la reducción de espacios de participación ciudadana en las entidades de
gobierno relacionadas con el tema ambiental, en general las autoridades han mantenido una
actitud de brindar poca oportunidad de participación a los sectores de sociedad civil
(Centro Humboldt).
Se han efectuado decomisos de madera en distintas partes del territorio nacional, sin
embargo la circulación de la misma se mantiene dentro de los registros históricos a pesar
de la vigencia de la Ley de Veda Forestal.
ACTORES
Como cooperación gubernamental se han expresado: España, Dinamarca, Austria y en menor
grado Gran Bretaña
La cooperación no oficial con ONG: Italia, Alemania, Holanda y España
Además hermanamientos municipales
CIPRES
Centro para la Promoción Económico y Social. ONG que ha trabajado
en producción orgánica, agroindustria y comercialización.
FUNDEVERDE
Fundación Esperanza Verde. ONG ambientalista que tiene en sus
manos la Reserva Esperanza Verde sobre el río San Juan
AUXILIO MUNDIAL ONG internacional que promueve el comercio de productos
campesinos
MARENA
Ministerio del Ambiente y los Recursos Naturales
MAGFOR
Ministerio Agropecuario y Forestal
IDR
Instituto para el Desarrollo Rural
UCA
Universidad Centroamericana, dispone de un Centro de Estudio de la
Biodiversidad conocida como La Lupe
FUNCOD
ONG ambientalista
GUISES MONTAÑA
ONG ambientalista que trabaja en el municipio El Castillo
EXPERIMENTAL
IPADE
Instituto para el Desarrollo de la Democracia. ONG con experiencia e
trabajo de agricultura sostenible en trópico húmedo (Rama), es
responsable de ejecutar el componente agroforestal del proyecto
PRODESOC de la cooperación austriaca
UCOPA
Unión de Cooperativas Palmeras, sin embargo buena parte de ellas han
vendido sus tierras a la empresa PALCASA
ALCALDIA
El Castillo, San Carlos, San Miguelito, San Juan de Nicaragua, El
Almendro y Morrito
FUNDAR
. Fundación Amigos del Río San Juan
Consorcio Gaspar.
Referente nicaragüense del Programa Alianza de la UICN que integra
11 organizaciones. ACRA, APDS, ALCALDIAS (2), FUSAMI
(Fundación Mujeres de San Miguelito), ODEPESCA (Organización de
pescadores), FDR, UNAG
Proyecto ARAUCARIA Trabaja en turismo y educación ambiental en El Castillo, el San Juan y
4
Annex 4
– MARENA
CODESO
Fondo Vasco
Amigos de la Tierra
(España)
Solidaridad
Internacional (España)
ACSUR Las Segovias
PMS
Solentiname
Comisión Departamental de Desarrollo Sostenible
Recuperando los restos de la fortaleza de San Carlos
Desde 1994 Amigos de la Tierra junto a Fundacion Amigos del Río San
Juan (FUNDAR) como contraparte nacional con el apoyo de AECI y
la UE ha trabajado por un desarrollo social sostenible basado en el
respeto al medio natural…
Financiadas por AECI, 7 años con AMURS
Tuvo una reformulación en el 2000 en busca de mayor impacto, que
permitió continuar solo el componente productivo.
INTUR.
Otra información
Crecimiento poblacional fuerte
1980: 40 mil hab
1990: 60 mil hab
2001: 90 mil hab
2007: 97 mil 107 mil hab
Crecimiento anual estimado: 3.1%
Población Urbana 31%
Población rural agrupada en 16 asentamientos (nacidos en 1983): 27%
Población dispersa en caminos y en la montaña: 42%
En las últimas décadas, Nicaragua ha experimentado un continuo deterioro del
ambiente y los recursos naturales, manifestándose a través de una reducción del recurso
forestal, contaminación y escasez de agua, comercialización de especies de flora y fauna en
peligro de extinción, expansión acelerada de la actividad minera, la presencia comprobada de
Organismos Genéticamente Modificados o transgénicos en el territorio nacional, pérdida de
biodiversidad, entre otros.
Declaración de la Reserva de Biosfera
1988 Creacion de SI-A-PAZ Sistema Internacinal de Areas Protegidas para la Paz
1996 Plan de Ordenamiento Territorial del Municipio El Cstillo (primer plan en Nic.)
1990 se funda AMURS la primera en su género en Nic.
1990 Las primeras áreas naturales protegidas
1999 Reserva de Biosfera del Sureste de Nic. administrada por una Secretaría Ejecutiva adscrita al
Ministerio del Ambiente y los Recursos Naturales.
1999 el Gobierno declara Reserva de Biosfera del Sureste de Nicaragua y en el 2003 la UNESCO
lo integra en la Red Mundial de Reservas de la Biosfera bajo el nombre Reserva de Biosfera de Río
San Juan. Constituida por zonas: núcleo, de amortiguamiento y de transición que incluyen 7 de las
áreas protegidas del país:
• Monumento Nacional Archipiélago de Solentiname
• Refugio de Vida Silvestre Los Guatuzos
• Refugio de Vida Silvestre Río San Juan
• Monumento Histórico Fortaleza de la Inmaculada Concepción de María
• Reserva Biológica Indio-Maíz
5
Annex 4
•
•
Reserva Natural de Punta Gorda
Reserva Natural Cerro Silva
6
Annex 5
Networks in which FDR participates
Comisión Departamental de Desarrollo
Sostenible, Río San Juan (CODESO RSJ).
Comisiones Ambientales Municipales, del
Departamento de Río San Juan.
Consejo Nacional de Desarrollo Sostenible
(CONADES).
Red Nicaragüense por la Democracia y el
Desarrollo Local.
Coordinadora Nicaragüense de ONGs que
Trabajan con la Niñez y la Adolescencia
(CODENI).
Grupo de Trabajo Humedales – Nicaragua
(GTH-NI).
Tribunal Centroamericano del Agua.
Instancia a nivel departamental en la
que participan organizaciones de la
sociedad civil (gremios y
organizaciones no gubernamentales),
instituciones del gobierno central y
municipalidades. Funciona como una
instancia de concertación de la
planificación departamental.
Establecidas a nivel de cada uno de los
municipios. Funciona como una
instancia de coordinación y
planificación de actividades
relacionadas con el ambiente.
Participan diferentes organizaciones
que en el municipio trabajan con
temas relacionados con el ambiente.
En ellas se han construido los Planes
Ambientales Municipales
Instancia establecida en el nivel
nacional en la que participan
diferentes organizaciones de la
sociedad civil y el
Espacio nacional de la sociedad civil
que aboga por el fortalecimiento del
poder local y la participación
ciudadana.
Espacio nacional de la sociedad civil
que trabajan en el tema niñez en donde
coordinan acciones en común.
Espacio de trabajo común entre
organizaciones nicaragüenses (en
especial ambientalistas) vinculadas al
trabajo de humedales en el país.
Instancia internacional, autónoma e
independiente, de justicia ambiental;
creado en 1998 con el fin de contribuir
a solucionar conflictos relacionados
con los sistemas hídricos de la región
centroamericana. Es un organismo de
naturaleza ética, que se apoya en la
movilización de los ciudadanos,
mujeres y hombres comprometidos
con la preservación del agua para el
consumo de las generaciones actuales
y futuras, y su legitimidad deriva tanto
1
Annex 5
Networks in which FDR participates
Red de Educadores de Mesoamérica.
Consorcio Gaspar (Capitulo Nicaragua del
Programa Alianza de la UICN).
del carácter moral de sus resoluciones
como del fundamento jurídico en que
se basa, incluyendo convenios,
declaraciones y normas
internacionales sobre protección al
ambiente.
Espacio en el que participan
organizaciones que trabajan en el
campo de la educación y
comunicación ambiental en el área
mesoamericana.
Capitulo Nicaragua del Programa
Alianza de la Unión Internacional para
la Conservación de la Naturaleza
(UICN) en la que participan 11
organizaciones del sector de Río San
Juan.
2
Annex 6
Annual expenditures
Code
1.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
Budget lines
(major)
Investment
costs
Local
personnel
Operation and
activities
Local
Administración
Total
Total budget
Annual
expenditures
Annual
expenditures
Annual
expenditures
Annual
expenditures
Total costs
2003
2004
2005
2006
2003-2006.
DKK
DKK
DKK
DKK
DKK
DKK
691,974.00
3,294.48
440,071.27
124,996.89
40,393.92
608,756.56
83,217.44
2,613,504.00
155,528.43
630,786.02
453,706.83
526,239.39
1,766,260.67
847,243.33
4,434,677.00
182,114.03
989,653.34
930,143.76
1,041,042.02
3,142,953.15
1,291,723.85
313,600.00
5,546.50
53,312.77
33,794.61
24,524.08
117,177.96
196,422.04
8,053,755.00
346,483.44
2,113,823.40
1,542,642.09
1,632,199.41
5,635,148.34
2,418,606.66
Remaining
budget
DKK
Note: the total budget includes 13 major budget lines of which only the 4 mentioned in the table are administered by FDR, the remaining budget
lines are administered by Nepenthes in Denmark (the total overall budget is DKK 10,519,022).
Annex 7
WORK ORGANIZATION (TECHNICAL TEAM AND PROMOTERS)
Component
Youth groups
Technical
team
Saúl Obregón
Bismarck
Juan Carlos
Micro enterprises
CJM
Grupos Juveniles de:
Monico, Buena
Vista, Castillo y Las
Maravillas
Grupos Juveniles de:
Mauricio Gutiérrez,
Laureano y La
Quezada
Grupos Juveniles de:
Che Guevara, Las
Colinas y Guásimo
Promotors
Nelson Urbina
(Cultura y Danza)
Roosvelt Mejía
(Biblioteca Casa
Juvenil Buena Vista)
Angel Castro /
Deyling
Quezada
Leticia Díaz
Gabriel Jaime
Radio
Grupos Juveniles de
Sábalos y Marlon
Zelaya
Karina Reyes
(promoción de la
participación de la
mujer en los grupos
juveniles de su
territorio Che
Guevara)
Israel Aguirre (Radio)
Jenery García
(Biblioteca Casa
Juvenil Sábalos)
Hazel
Centro El
Quebracho
Norlan Polanco
(apoyo)
Ronald Estrada
Cursos técnicos y
Planes de negocio
Planes de Negocio
Planes de Negocio
Huertos
Maryuri
Bosco
Lester
Lobbying
Responsibility
Pavón
Fidel
Alfredo
Héctor Toruño
Andrés Alvizú
MINED
Campaña Lapa
Verde
Deylin Brenes
Yanir Esquivel
Annex 8
Annual budget figures from auditor’s report
Description
Office San Carlos
Office Sábalos
Local personnel
Workshops
Interchange of Experiences
School Equipment
Elaboraiton of educative
materials
Educative promotion and
Professional services
Promotion of cultural Identity
Dissemination and
Environmental lobbying
Campaign adopt a parraot tree
Institutional development
Maintenance and insurance
Local administration
Gran Total
2003
2004
2005
2006
DKK
DKK
DKK
DKK
482,400.00
118,909.00
70,173.57
34,500.00
132,993.00
33,865.20
654,176.00
660,906.00
636,689.00
457,119.00
592,274.00
518,550.00
64,000.00
72,000.00
110,148.00
44,129.00
47,650.00
44,000.00
66,842.00
168,240.00
203,570.00
167,778.00
200,441.00
166,688.00
389,546.00
436,636.00
17,600.00
35,195.00
64,873.00
24,000.00
36,802.00
16,500.00
60,000.00
75,405.00
22,272.00
23,021.00
78,400.00
86,762.00
110,475.00
2,242,953.00
2,486,408.00
2,496,166.77
Annex 9
Nepenthes support visits and consultancy inputs
(until Dec. 2006)
Note: data is loosely based on Nepenthes status reports
Category
Project coordinator
Institutional strengthening
FDR (+ TOR marketing)
Nepenthes Nature Tours
2003
1
1
Nepenthes’ auditor
Alternative production
(forestry)
Beekeeping.
Small business
development
Evaluation of education
materials
Nepenthes volunteers (ara,
radio)
Student
Total
2004
1
1
2005
2
2006
1
1
1
1
2
1
3
1
1
1
1
2
No.
visits
5
2
1
1
8
1
6
3
4
1
1
2
1
6
2
22
Annex 10
Algunas ideas para posibles acciones futuras a ser desarrollados
Becas de estudios
•
La continuación del programa de becas de estudios ofrece una opción promisoria para
apoyar la formación de estudiantes de escasos recursos en la región.
Incidencia para la introducción de capacitación vocacional en la Región Sureste
•
Otra opción futura que podría tener un impacto a nivel de la región sería la introducción
de capacitación vocacional, p.ej. cursos formales formando parte del currículo de las
escuelas secundarias y/ó como apoyo a la formación de institutos especializados
(carpintería, mecánica etc.). Actualmente hay un vacío en este campo y los jóvenes que
no pueden atender la universidad o no tienen los recursos para terminar un estudio
universitario, podrían tener una oferta alternativa, a nivel técnico medio, que fomenta el
deseo de continuar estudiando en la región. Para iniciar estas propuestas se requiere de
una continua coordinación con el Ministerio de Educación.
Reforzamiento de los Comités de Desarrollo Comarcal Ampliados (CDCA)
•
Apoyo para el reforzamiento de los Comités de Desarrollo Comarcal Ampliados
(CDCA). Estas instancias de organización local representan un aporte importante en la
democratización y desconcentración de la toma de decisiones, tomando en cuenta que
representan a más actores locales que su constitución original. Sin embargo, existen
comunidades donde los CDCAs han estado en contra de la conservación por ejemplo las
reservas privadas, y se ha utilizado el espacio democrático para fines populistas. Por esta
razón, sería importante trabajar en incidencia y capacitaciones enfocadas a la
conservación en este contexto.
Desarrollo del ecoturismo y/ó agro-ecoturismo
•
Otra opción futura puede ser el desarrollo del ecoturismo y/ó agro-ecoturismo
(entendido como turismo en fincas con sistemas agroforestales integrados y/o reservas
privadas de bosques en corredores biológicos. Esto ha surgido como una propuesta para
actividades sostenibles con beneficios tanto para el grupo meta como para la Fundación.
El ecoturismo parece tener un mercado obvio pero limitado por la inaccesibilidad a las
fincas por falta de caminos. El potencial más grande está ubicado en las zonas más
cercanas al Río ó caminos existentes; en caso de iniciar actividades en este campo, una
opción podría ser trabajar con taxistas como guías de las fincas, quienes podrían recibir
capacitaciones para poder realizar esta tarea y de esta manera aumentar su ingreso.
•
Otra opción podría ser promover el desarrollo de ecoturismo a través de
emprendimientos con los grupos de jóvenes. La Comisión Departamental de Desarrollo
Sostenible de Río San Juan (CODESO) está realizando un inventario turístico que podría
servir de referencia como base para desarrollar acciones de ecoturismo en los municipios
con mejor fundamento de las posibilidades reales.
Centros de información y el establecimiento de bibliotecas,
1
Annex 10
•
En conexión con la implementación del componente de educación ambiental, se ha
mostrado la importancia de montar bibliotecas como alternativas para la población
especialmente para ofrecer posibilidades de auto-estudio para los jóvenes. Este concepto
se puede llevar a fomentar la instalación de centros de información enfocando
principalmente en temas del medio ambiente, en otras localidades y los municipios
adyacentes especialmente en la zona de amortiguamiento en otros municipios, en San
Miguelito y San Carlos. En San Miguelito hay un centro informativo con temas
ambientales y se trabaja con incidencia.
•
Apoyo al establecimiento de centros de información y el establecimiento de bibliotecas,
que podrían ser asumidos por las alcaldías para su futura sostenibilidad. Una opción sería
la instalación de una biblioteca en San Juan del Norte, que es un distrito muy distante y
desatendido actualmente, por lo que mantiene más relación con Costa Rica.
2
Annex 11
Contributions to the FDR through project implementation
PROJECT DETAILS
Start-end
year
Total
contribution
US $
Donor
Educaciòn Ambiental
2003-2007
10.5 mill
DKK ~1.8
mill. US$
Nepenthes Danida Dinamarca
Rayitos de Sol
2006-2007
62,296 US$
SKN Holanda (se renueva
anualmente)
2007
55,000 US$
Convenio Marco UICNNORAD
2006-2007
55,992 US$
Comité holandes de UICN
14,000 US$
Casals/ Red Niaraguense por
la Democracia y el de
desarrollo Local
5,925US$
2,449 US$
Hermanamiento San Boi
(Anualmente se solicitan
nuevos fondos)
Nature Tours- Dinamarca
Project details
Programa Alianzas
Consorcio Gaspar
Mancarroncito (island)
Participaciòn
Ciudadana
Mejoramiento higienico
San Miguelito
Voluntarios
2007
2006-2007
2007
Annex 12
Organisation of the Fundación del Río 2007.
General Assembly
Board of directors
Executive management
Administration
Territorial units
San Miguelito
San Carlos
El Castillo
Campaigns and lobbying public politics (projects)
Saneamiento
Ambiental
Project
Rayitos del
Sol
Management of
wetlands
Consortium
“Gaspar”
Social audit
Environmental
education
Campaña
Lapa Verde
Annex 14
PROYECTO MANEJO SOSTENIBLE
DE LA ZONA DE AMORTIGUAMIENTO
EN LA MUNICIPALIDAD EL CASTILLO
770000
780000
790000
800000
1260000
1260000
0
4
8 Kilometers
N
alos
Y SAN RAMON
#
Sáb
Y
#
GOYO BOCA
M
Bl unic
ue ip
f ie io
lds
SANTA ISABEL
R ío
1:225000
Y
#
1250000
1250000
SAN ANTONIO
Y
#
CERRO GUASIMO
Y
#
Y
#
GUASIMO
MARITZA QUEZADA
Y
#
GORDIANO
Y
#
Y
#
LAS MINAS
Y
#
LIBERTAD
Río Guineal
LA QUEZADA
Y
#
Y
#
EL CHANCHON
Rí
a
gu
oA
a
rc
Za
1240000
1240000
Y
#
Municipio
San Carlos
EL BOSQUE
Y EL MONICO
#
Y
#
Y
#
BUENA VISTA
Rí
oB
oc
aN
eg
ra
LAGUNA
BLANCA
1230000
Rí o Sába
los
EL DIAMANTE
Y
#
EL BRENES
Y
#
YMARCELO
#
#KM 20
Y
Cruz
anta
Río S
EL PADILLA
Y
#
Y
#
1230000
LAS MARAVILLAS
Y
#
FILAS VERDES
Reserva Biologica
Indio-Maíz
LAS COLINAS
EL PUENTON
Y
#
Y
#
Y
#
Y
#
MAURICIO
GUTIERREZ
MARLON ZELAYA
Y LA PALMA
#
o sq
B
o e
Z
a
n 0
u
.4 %
0
Y LAUREANO
#
SAN ANTONIO abajo
Y
#
Y
#
Y
#
LA ÑOCA
Río
1220000
BOCA DE ESCALERA
Y
#
Y
#
EL CHE GUEVARA
Y
#
BOCA DE
SABALOS
Sa
n
YAGUAS CLARAS
#
# LA FATIMAY
ROMERITO
EL CASTILLO
Ju
an
Y
#
BIJAGUA
YLA JUANA
#
1220000
LA PINTADA
a a
lic ic
úb R
ep t a
R Cos
de
Y
#
POCOL SOL
Y
#
B
Río
a rto
la
BARTOLA
780000
790000
800000
SIMBOLOGIA
REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA
Mar Caribe
Honduras
Proyecto PMS
Costa Rica
EL GAVILAN
Y
#
770000
Oceano
Pacifico
Y
#
Limites internacional
Limites Municipio El Castillo
Ríos principales
Y Comunidades
#
Caminos y Trochas
A pie / en bestia
Extraccion / madera
Todo tiempo
Reserva de Biosfera del Sureste
Reserva Biológica "Indio Maíz"
Refugio de Vida Silvestre "Rio San Juan"
Monumento Histórico "Fortaleza de la Inmaculada Concepción de Maria"
Elaborado en Unidad de SIG - Sábalos, Nicaragua
Annex 15
Patrimonio de la FDR según listado de propiedades inscritas en el registro de propiedades
No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
Descripción
terreno frente lavandero
estación Biol. Mancarroncito
terreno albergue san miguelito
instalaciones Mancarroncito
terreno casa técnicos San Carlos
casa técnicos San Carlos
oficina central FDR
oficina boca de sábalos
área plantación buena vista
aguas frescas
reserva silvestre El Quebracho
terrenos pista aérea
contiguo oficina FDR sector 4
terreno y casa buena vista (sin datos)
oficina albergue san miguelito
casa albergue
rayitos de sol (30x7m)
rayitos de sol (7x30m)
rayitos de sol 10x37m
Isla Mancarroncito
Isla Mancarroncito
moto
moto
camioneta Toyota rojo
camioneta crema (sin datos)
sábalos centro técnico vocacional
Lucinio Martínez
sábalos, casa albergue del FDR
isla mancarroncito
el requiebre, fuente de agua, (sin
datos)
Area
Valor
(80 mz)
5.5 mz
(50 mz)
120 mz
USD 100000
USD 100000
USD 250000
10 mz
40 mz
36 mz 495
vrs
USD 12000
USD 12000
USD 16000
Fecha de
inscripción
1991
1991
1991
1991
1992
1992
1993
1994
1996
1994
1994
1994
1995
1996
1997
1999
1999
2000
2002
2004
1993
2001
1991
USD 18000
2004
2004
USD 30000
2006
(con anotación
de error a ser
revisado)
aun no
legalizado
en proceso de
legalización
Nota: la lista es una trascripción de la lista proporcionado por la FDR, Incluye todas propiedades, pero no
toda la información.
Solamente se ha incluido valores indicados de más de 10,000 USD.
Annex 16
Performance (effectiveness) at the activity level
1 Logros y Operacionalidad (eficacia) del Proyecto a nivel de
actividades (ref. sección 3.1 del informe)
1.1
Eficacia
1.1.1
Educación Ambiental
Resultado esperado 1.1. Consolidadas las acciones de educación ambiental en las escuelas
desarrolladas en la primera fase
Campamentos ecológicos.
Durante esta fase se han realizado 44 campamentos con la participación de 1,152 estudiantes,
docentes y padres de familia, sobrepasando la meta planteada para el proyecto. En los
campamentos se han desarrollado temas que mejoran conocimientos teóricos y prácticos en
conservación ambiental y producción sostenible: a) Importancia del agua, b) evaluación ecológica
de fuentes de agua, c) botánica, d) biodiversidad del bosque tropical húmedo, e) biología y
conservación de la lapa verde.
Los campamentos se llevan a cabo en el Centro El Quebracho, de propiedad de la FDR. El
proyecto cubre los gastos de los campamentos y a cambio los participantes trabajan en el
mantenimiento del Centro, respaldando el desarrollo de valores de identidad y respeto a la
naturaleza. Con la participación de los grupos juveniles, docentes y padres / madres de familia en
los campamentos, se ha incorporado a la comunidad en general a las acciones de educación
ambiental y se ha contribuido a mejorar la apropiación de los conocimientos.
Una limitante importante es el hecho que los campamentos tienen mucha demanda y el personal
para atenderlos es reducido.
Huertos escolares
En la actualidad, se tienen 23 huertos escolares funcionando; éste número apenas sobrepasa la
cuarta parte de la meta programada para el proyecto. Otras actividades agroecológicas
comprenden 48 jardines de plantas locales, 15 ensayos de lombricultura, en igual número de
escuelas. Estas iniciativas son atendidas por 4 jóvenes facilitadotes. Los directores escolares y el
educador de la FDR llevan registro de la evolución de las actividades y mejoras en los huertos y
parcelas agroecológicas y les dan seguimiento utilizando una matriz con 14 temas de monitoreo.
Festivales y concursos ambientales
Se han realizado 18 festivales con estudiantes de primaria, conocidos como “Celebración de la
semana de la niñez y el ambiente”. También se han realizado 4 festivales especiales sobre la
conservación de la lapa verde.
Los festivales están institucionalizados en las escuelas y la comunidad los siente como una
actividad propia. Una dificultad enfrentada consiste en que las condiciones del clima afectan la
Annex 16
Performance (effectiveness) at the activity level
movilidad de estudiantes y docentes para participar activamente en el calendario de eventos
programados.
Mejoramiento sanitario y agroecológico.
El proyecto ha impulsado acciones en 59 escuelas del municipio de El Castillo. El MINED, los
NERPES y el Proyecto diseñaron conjuntamente un instrumento de monitoreo con 14 parámetros
para dar seguimiento a esas mejoras, el cual se aplica en todas las escuelas participantes, incluidas
en 6 NERPES. Este monitoreo revela que en 23 escuelas existen avances en el proceso de
mejoramiento higiénico. La aplicación de la boleta de monitoreo consensuada contribuye a
“institucionalizar” el proceso.
Se han promovido concursos “Mi escuela es bella”, orientados a mejorar las condiciones
higiénicas y agroecológicas; la idea del concurso deriva de “Mi escuela es limpia”, impulsado por
el MINED. Las direcciones de los NERPES se han preocupado por legalizar las áreas donde se
encuentran las escuelas lo que contribuye mantener la inversión realizada y otros programas
pueden invertir en la misma infraestructura.
Metas claves del Resultado.
Actividades
Campamentos ecológicos
Meta programada
2004-2007
40 campamentos
Huertos escolares (áreas
agroecológicas)
86 huertos en igual número de escuelas
Festivales y concursos
ambientales
Mejoramiento sanitario
24 Festivales y concursos ambientales.
86 escuelas
Ejecutada a
Mayo 2007
44 campamentos con
1,152 participantes
23 huertos escolares
48 jardines de plantas locales
15 ensayos de lombricultura.
18 Festivales y concursos ambientales.
4 Festivales sobre la lapa verde.
59 escuelas
Valoración de los resultados alcanzados:
Los campamentos, los festivales y concursos escolares han sido exitosos por su efecto
concientizador en los estudiantes, docentes y el público general; estas actividades respaldan la
formación de redes sociales locales para la conservación de los recursos naturales. Los huertos
escolares no han sido exitosos por la limitada capacidad de asistencia técnica, frente a las
numerosas iniciativas a atender en un territorio disperso y de difícil acceso.
Conclusión
Los campamentos, festivales y concursos ambientales han contribuido a la consecución efectiva
del resultado propuesto y respaldan el desarrollo de valores de identidad de los niños y jóvenes
del municipio de El Castillo respecto a los recursos naturales de la Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz.
Los huertos escolares no han sido exitosos y las acciones de mejoramiento sanitario han logrado
éxitos limitados.
Recomendación:
Annex 16
Performance (effectiveness) at the activity level
No continuar apoyando el desarrollo de huertos y acciones de mejoramiento sanitario en las
escuelas, debido a la baja efectividad del trabajo en los huertos, en un territorio disperso y con
limitados recursos para darles seguimiento, y a que el MINED debe dar el paso de apropiarse de
las acciones sanitarias en las escuelas.
Resultado esperado 1.2. La asignatura esta integrada en el currículo de enseñanza primaria y
secundaria del municipio de El Castillo.
Continúa vigente el convenio suscrito en el 2002 el MINED y la FDR, con el propósito de
impulsar la integración de la asignatura de medio ambiente y recursos naturales en la enseñanza
de nivel primario y medio en el municipio de El Castillo.
Los docentes de todo el municipio han sido capacitados para impartir la asignatura y utilizan los
programas educativos de manera cotidiana. Se han elaborado los contenidos de los cuadernillos
de capacitación para docentes.
Existen factores que pueden limitar el calidad de la enseñanza futura, debido a la pérdida de
capital humano con conocimientos adquiridos y experiencia en la zona. La movilidad laboral de
los docentes es relativamente alta, en búsqueda de mejores salarios y condiciones de vida.
Debido a cambios en las políticas de gobierno, en la actualidad los NERPE no tienen facultades
para administrar fondos públicos, reduciendo de esa manera la capacidad de tomar decisiones y
facilitar procesos administrativo-educativos a nivel local y comprometiendo de esta manera, la
viabilidad de la estrategia de trabajo que se ha venido impulsando en el proyecto.
Metas claves del Resultado.
Actividades
Gestiones y contactos con el
Ministerio de Educación y
CONADES
Elaboración de convenio con
el Ministerio de Educación
para validar y desarrollar la
asignatura.
Introducción de la asignatura
de Medio Ambiente en el
currículo educativo de todas
las escuelas del municipio.
Meta programada
2004-2007
Realizadas reuniones de acercamiento
de criterios y contactos, en seguimiento
a la primera fase del proyecto.
Convenio renovado entre el Ministerio
de Educación y la FDR
Todas las escuelas del municipio
desarrollan la asignatura de medio
ambiente como parte de su currículo
educativo.
Valoración de los resultados alcanzados:
Ejecutada a
Mayo 2007
Realizadas las reuniones previstas.
Convenio vigente hasta el final del 2007.
La asignatura se imparte en todas las
escuelas del municipio, con 216 docentes
capacitados por el proyecto.
146 docentes han recibido y utilizan los
programas educativos.
Elaborados los contenidos de 6
cuadernillos de capacitación a docentes.
Annex 16
Performance (effectiveness) at the activity level
Después de entrevistarse con docentes, estudiantes y autoridades educativas locales, la Misión de
Evaluación considera que existe mucho entusiasmo y compromiso de los diferentes actores del
proceso educativo en continuar fortaleciendo capacidades para impartir la asignatura de medio
ambiente y recursos naturales como parte integral del currículo educativo en las escuelas del
municipio El Castillo.
Conclusión:
Cumpliendo la situación esperada al final del proyecto, se ha logrado integrar la educación
ambiental como parte de la enseñanza en todas las escuelas del municipio de El Castillo y de esta
forma, apoyar el cumplimiento del objetivo específico 1 del proyecto, consistente en impulsar la
educación ambiental tanto al nivel práctico como al nivel teórico en las escuelas primarias y
secundarias de la zona.
Recomendación:
La experiencia exitosa en la incorporación de la educación ambiental en el currículo educativo
debe ser ampliamente divulgada a nivel nacional y regional. Se recomienda hacer gestiones para
que las instituciones que tienen el mandato legal correspondiente, como el MINED y el
MARENA conozcan y se apropien de esta experiencia y gestionen su replicación en otras
regiones con características similares.
Resultado esperado 1.3. 33 maestros con diplomas de profesionalización
42 maestros han obtenido diploma de profesionalización, superando el nivel de empirismo
docente en la zona. Este resultado constituye una continuación de las acciones de la primera fase
del proyecto, que promovieron la profesionalización de docentes como una estrategia agregada
para transferir a la planilla de paga de docentes cubiertos por el Proyecto PMS-ZA, de Danida,
hacia el MINED. Considerando la fuerte movilidad laboral de los docentes profesionalizados, la
Misión de Evaluación de la primera fase de este proyecto recomendó no continuar esta actividad
en la segunda fase.
Meta clave del Resultado.
Actividades
Apoyar a los maestros
empíricos de primaria para
que alcancen su titulo.
Meta programada
2004-2007
33 maestros participan y culminan los
estudios.
Ejecutada a
Mayo 2007
42 maestros profesionalizados.
Conclusión:
Aunque esta actividad es importante para elevar la calidad educativa en la zona, la misma no es
de la competencia del proyecto, por lo cual no debió haberse considerado en el diseño de la
segunda fase.
Annex 16
Performance (effectiveness) at the activity level
3. Movimiento Juvenil
Resultado esperado 2.1. Formada una red de jóvenes con identidad social y cultural que
contribuye a la gestión local y la defensa de los recursos naturales en el municipio de El Castillo.
Promoción de actividades culturales con los jóvenes
Se han organizado y consolidado 12 grupos juveniles en igual número de comunidades, con la
participación de 252 jóvenes organizados en: Guácimo, Buena Vista, Quezada, Maravillas,
Kilómetro 20, Mauricio Gutiérrez, Marlo Zelaya, Colinas, Che Guevara, Laureano Quezada,
Sábalos y El Castillo.
Las actividades culturales promovidas son el folklore, danza y teatro. Con ellas se apoya la
consolidación de los grupos y se contribuye a impulsar la apropiación de la identidad cultural
nicaragüense y local. Se ha respaldado el desarrollo de actividades deportivas con la
participación de muchachas y muchachos en torneos de fútbol y el voleyball.
Los grupos juveniles han participado en dos festivales binacionales sobre la conservación de la
lapa verde.
Capacitación de los jóvenes en temas ambientales y legislación ambiental.
Los grupos juveniles han recibido capacitación y acompañamiento de la FDR para realizar
acciones de vigilancia, control y denuncia comunitaria sobre problemas de manejo de recursos
naturales. Los grupos juveniles han recibido capacitación en temas claves para el conocimiento
de la legislación ambiental nicaragüense: a) Ley de delitos ambientales, b) Ley general del
ambiente, c) Ley de áreas protegidas.
Fortalecimiento de la organización de la red de jóvenes y su participación en redes nacionales.
Se ha integrado un Consejo Juvenil Municipal (CJM) considerado la máxima instancia
organizativa de participación en el municipio El Castillo, conformado por 24 integrantes, con
representación de 2 jóvenes de cada grupo, siendo 12 miembros propietarios e igual número de
suplentes.
El proyecto ha apoyado a los miembros de la Directiva del CJM para mejorar sus capacidades en
la elaboración de metodologías para la organización y facilitación de reuniones. En el 2005, con
apoyo metodológico de la Fundación Desafíos, se elaboró la Agenda Joven y el Plan de
Juventudes del municipio El Castillo. Dicho plan fue consultado con funcionarios de instituciones
del gobierno central y municipal y se integró al Plan de Desarrollo Municipal de El Castillo, bajo
el respaldo de una ordenanza municipal de septiembre de 2006.
Se desarrolló el Foro Departamental de Juventudes con la participación de 85 jóvenes de los
municipios El Castillo, San Miguelito y San Carlos y los 5 candidatos a diputados por Río San
Juan, y se apoyó la divulgación de la primera agenda juvenil departamental con la participación
de 51 jóvenes de los municipios de San Miguelito, San Carlos y El Castillo, en la que se plantean
las necesidades juveniles del departamento.
Annex 16
Performance (effectiveness) at the activity level
El Proyecto ha facilitado los medios para que jóvenes representantes del CJM y de los grupos
juveniles comunitarios participen en eventos y espacios de intercambio de experiencias e
incidencia a nivel local, nacional y regional centroamericano. Entre estos eventos se destacan: a)
Foro Nacional de Educación Ambiental, realizado en Managua. 2006, b) Foro Nacional de
Políticas Públicas. Managua. 2006, c) Seminario de convivencias transfronterizas entre Costa
Rica-Nicaragua, 2006, d) Intercambios con organizaciones juveniles de Juigalpa, Estelí y Ocotal.
2005, e) Desarrollo de Metodologías para el Desarrollo de Campamentos Juveniles, a nivel
Centroamericano. Managua y Estelí. 2006 y f) Congreso de la Red Juvenil Centroamericana,
Honduras, 2006.
Establecer una Casa de Jóvenes incluyendo una radioemisora sobre temas ambientales.
Se dispone de un local para la radio, el cual está ubicado en un terreno de la FDR en la
comunidad de Sábalos. En este local funciona actualmente la Casa Juvenil, que cuenta con una
pequeña biblioteca organizada, que presta servicio a estudiantes y demás miembros de la
comunidad. Además, se dispone de una biblioteca de mayor tamaño en la Comunidad de Buena
Vista.
Ante la falta de una emisora propia, el CJM alquiló un espacio radial para divulgar el programa
“Ambiente Juvenil”. En esta iniciativa participan 17 jóvenes, que planifican sus actividades
mensualmente y eligen los temas de interés para los jóvenes radio-escuchas. A la fecha se han
realizado 42 programas radiales de 30 minutos cada uno y 5 videos que se han transmitido en
canales locales y nacionales. Aún está pendiente la adquisición del equipo de radio transmisión y
de la asignación de la frecuencia de transmisión correspondiente, la cual ya ha sido solicitada a la
autoridad estatal competente.
Metas claves del Resultado.
Actividades
Actividades culturales
Meta programada
2004-2007
Actividades culturales realizadas,
Jóvenes y organizaciones juveniles
participando en actividades culturales.
Capacitación en temas
ambientales y de legislación
ambiental
Actividades de capacitación sobre temas
de legislación ambiental realizadas.
Fortalecimiento de la red de
jóvenes y participación en
redes nacionales
Casa de Jóvenes y
radioemisora con temas
ambientales
Red Juvenil estructurada
Casa de Jóvenes y radioemisora sobre
temas ambientales funcionando.
Valoración sobre los resultados alcanzados:
Ejecutada a
Mayo 2007
12 grupos juveniles organizados y
consolidados en comunidades.
252 jóvenes participando en los grupos
(45% mujeres y 55% hombres).
Los grupos juveniles formados conocen
fundamentos de las Ley General del
Ambiente, Ley sobre Delitos Ambientales
y Ley de Áreas Protegidas.
Consejo Juvenil Municipal (CJM)
integrado por representantes de los 12
grupos juveniles formados.
El CJM ha organizado el espacio radial
“Ambiente Juvenil”. Se han realizado 42
programas radiales y 5 videos.
Se ha construido el local de la radio y en
este funciona una biblioteca juvenil.
Annex 16
Performance (effectiveness) at the activity level
El trabajo organizativo con los jóvenes ha sido una tarea exigente y ha dado resultados relevantes
en el territorio: Los jóvenes participantes son muy entusiastas y activos, desarrollando conciencia
política, no partidaria en cuanto a los temas ambientales que preocupan a sus comunidades.
Participan en instancias de consulta y redes ambientalistas a nivel local y nacional y conocen sus
derechos frente a la municipalidad y el estado.
Conclusiones:
En concordancia con la situación esperada al final del proyecto, las acciones y procesos
impulsados han promovido la visibilidad de los jóvenes en sus comunidades y como resultado de
su organización consolidada están integrando o son contrapartes calificados en instancias de toma
de decisiones a nivel municipal y en consecuencia, respaldan la consecución del objetivo
específico 2 del proyecto.
Recomendaciones:
Con el propósito de establecer y dejar funcionando la radio al concluir el proyecto, la Misión de
Evaluación recomienda gestionar a la brevedad posible la adquisición de los equipos de radio y la
asignación de la frecuencia correspondiente.
Resultado esperado2.4. 500 jóvenes de las 5 escuelas secundarias con mayor interés en mejorar
el medio ambiente y promover la producción sostenible.
Servicio ecológico.
Se han capacitado 232 jóvenes de 6 Institutos de secundaria (Buena Vista, Km. 20, Maravillas,
Colinas, Sábalos, Castillo) que contribuyen al desarrollo ambiental de sus comunidades a través
del trabajo realizado como parte de su Servicio Ecológico. A los jóvenes estudiantes se les
entrega certificados de acreditación del Servicio Ecológico como requisito para la obtención del
Diploma de Bachillerato.
Elaboración de materiales educativos ambientales.
Durante la segunda fase del proyecto se ha diseñado y editado 10 materiales educativos y
divulgativos ambientales. Estos materiales tienen formatos variados y están dirigidos a docentes,
estudiantes y público en general: Folletos y cartillas para niños, desplegables para público local y
visitantes de áreas naturales, planificadores y calendarios para maestros e instituciones, así como
boletines y revistas para público general.
Este material ha sido valorado como muy valioso y útil por los diferentes usuarios y su
distribución ha sido amplia en el municipio.
Concurso “Mi Patio Limpio” en las 5 escuelas secundarias.
Annex 16
Performance (effectiveness) at the activity level
El concurso se organizó en las escuelas secundarias del municipio y contó con la participación
voluntaria de estudiantes inscritos. La FDR se encargó de dar seguimiento a las acciones de
mejoramiento y limpieza en los hogares, utilizando un instrumento sencillo y consensuado con
los participantes. Un total de 126 jóvenes de los institutos secundarios de Maravillas, Km. 20 y
Sábalos participaron en los concursos y han mejorado sustancialmente el ambiente en sus
hogares.
Metas claves del Resultado.
Actividades
Meta programada
2004-2007
Brigadas ecológicas funcionando.
Servicio ecológico
Elaboración de materiales
educativos ambientales
Materiales educativos elaborados.
Concurso “Mi Patio Limpio”
en las 5 escuelas secundarias.
100 jóvenes al año participan en los
concursos y mejoran el medio ambiente
en sus hogares
Ejecutada a
Mayo 2007
232 jóvenes de 6 Institutos de secundaria
han participado en el Servicio Ecológico.
Elaborados 10 materiales educativos entre
Folletos, cartillas para niños, desplegables,
planificadores, calendarios, boletines y
revistas.
126 jóvenes de 3 institutos secundarios han
participado en los concursos y mejorado el
ambiente en sus hogares.
Conclusión:
Los resultados obtenidos en la promoción del servicio ecológico, la preparación distribución de
materiales educativos y el mejoramiento ambiental y sanitario en el hogar, apoya fuertemente la
consecución del objetivo 1 del proyecto, fortaleciendo la identidad de los jóvenes sustentada en
su relación sostenible con los recursos naturales locales y su deseo de aspirar a un medio
ambiente sano.
Resultado esperado 2.5. Jóvenes del municipio de El Castillo han superado su nivel educativo e
incrementado sus oportunidades de desarrollo.
Se han otorgado 483 becas a jóvenes organizados, en 6 institutos de secundaria del Municipio de
El Castillo. Las becas se deciden a partir de consenso en un Comité de Becas, integrado por
directores, estudiantes, técnicos, padres de familia.
Las becas estudiantiles incluyen el pago de la mensualidad de estudios que varía entre C$ 50 a C$
100 mensuales. Algunos estudiantes pierden sus becas debido a la movilidad de sus grupos
familiares de una comunidad a otra o hacia fuera de la región.
Cada instituto cumple con la función de seleccionar a los jóvenes becados y son garantes del
seguimiento al programa de becas.
Metas claves del Resultado.
Actividades
Becas estudiantiles
Meta programada
2004-2007
Apoyar que los jóvenes alcancen el sexto
Ejecutada a
Mayo 2007
Se han otorgado 483 becas a jóvenes
Annex 16
Performance (effectiveness) at the activity level
grado y estudien secundaria a través de 60
becas al año para secundaria y 72 becas al año
para estudios de adultos.
organizados, en 6 institutos de secundaria
del Municipio de El Castillo.
Conclusión:
El otorgamiento de becas estudiantiles ha apoyado a los jóvenes becarios a continuar y concluir
sus estudios de nivel secundario, respaldando la consecución del Objetivo específico 2,
contribuyendo a garantizar la estabilidad de las familias beneficiadas, como parte de la situación
esperada al finalizar el proyecto.
1.1.2
Incidencia
Resultado 3.1: La organización tiene mayor capacidad ejecutiva en el desarrollo de sus estrategias para el sureste del
país e incidencia a nivel nacional.
La FDR ha establecido en su trabajo relaciones institucionales con las Alcaldías de Río San Juan,
Procuraduría Ambiental, Instituto Nacional Forestal (INAFOR), Ministerio de Educación (MINED),
Ministerio de la Familia (MIFAMILIA).Ministerio de Gobernación (MIGOB) y Ministerio de Salud
(MINSA). Aunque afirman sostener una relación con el Ministerio del Ambiente y los Recursos
Naturales (MARENA), funcionarios nacionales de esta institución entrevistados por la misión
expresan desconocer el trabajo de la FDR en Río San Juan.
La incidencia frente a los gobiernos municipales se expresa en su participación en las CAM, el apoyo
con sus capacidades técnicas para el abordaje de problemas específicos y la elaboración de las
ordenanzas municipales. La FDR reforzó las capacidades municipales en la argumentación técnica
frente al Ministerio de Fomento y Comercio (MIFIC) como encargado de las concesiones. Se han
logrado ordenanzas contra la actividad de exploración minera y no quema en varios municipios y en
El Castillo en relación a la declaración de la Lapa Verde como ave emblemática del municipio, el
reconocimiento y apoyo al movimiento juvenil.
Las alcaldías tienden a liberar del pago de impuestos de bienes inmuebles áreas de bosques en manos
de productores/as. La alcaldía de El Castillo afirma que ya ha tomado esta medida y las de San Carlos
y San Miguelito monitorean 40 fincas para realizarlo. El cálculo del pago de IBI se realiza en base a
un software que da valor al bosque, o sea que el productor que dispone del mismo debe pagar. Se
procura una reforma a este software, aunque esto tendería a no reconocer el valor del bosque.
En el municipio El Castillo la FDR amplía su participación en espacios manteniendo representantes
en las comisiones Ambiental (CAM), Forestal (CONAFOR), Infraestructura (que analiza lo social) y
Producción. La alcaldía de San Carlos considera que en su mapeo de aliados la FDR es uno de los
más cercanos. Reconoce el apoyo especializado cuando se requiere del mismo en temas como la
gestión ante el MIFIC en relación a la concesión de exploración minera donde debía hacerse
argumentación técnica y el problema de la estación de combustibles del poblado.
También se considera importante el apoyo y participación de la FDR al trabajo en mancomunidades
de municipios como un nuevo ámbito para enfrentar y trabajar temas comunes p.e. humedales,
Annex 16
Performance (effectiveness) at the activity level
manejo de basura, educación ambiental, manejo de cuenca, etc. Promoviendo que se entiendan que
estos temas no deben estar sujetos a vaivenes políticos.
La educación ambiental ha llevado a la FDR a fortalecer su incidencia en el Ministerio de Educación
(MINED), en especial con las autoridades locales con quienes estableció un convenio de apoyo.
MINED incorporo indicadores de carácter ambiental en su programas educativos y considera los
avances obtenidos con el apoyo de la FDR como un ejemplo que se ha generalizado en todo el
territorio
Los grupos juveniles han sido un importante factor de incidencia librando diferentes jornadas como
p.e. en la comunidad de Mauricio Gutiérrez en la lucha contra las plantaciones de melina, en Sábalos
enfrentando la ampliación de áreas de palma africana que implicaba la reconversión del uso del suelo
y en la comunidad La Quezada contra el daño de madereros a áreas protegidas.
Los jóvenes también han incidido en las autoridades municipales y comunitarias para hacer efectiva la
limpieza de los entornos comunitarios y trabajar por la reforestación de áreas. Estos grupos disponen
de una instancia de coordinación municipal conocida como Consejo Juvenil Municipal (CJM) que
permite entre otras cosas visualizar y organizar las acciones de incidencia. En el municipio El Castillo
los jóvenes lograron un espacio en el Consejo Municipal y ha habido una ordenanza en apoyo al
movimiento juvenil donde se establece el compromiso de apoyo para el trabajo del CJM con recursos
públicos, algo que aun no se ha concretado. Los jóvenes han construido una agenda del trabajo
juvenil.
De futuro la radio que se establece con el apoyo del proyecto y que será manejada por jóvenes será
una importante herramienta para fortalecer la incidencia.
Algunos de los grandes resultados de la incidencia son los siguientes:
• Reducción de la contaminación de las fuentes de agua con agroquímicos producto del lavado
del equipo agrícola utilizado en las plantaciones de palma africana.
• Evitar que avancen las plantaciones de melina.
• Enfrentar los planes de ampliación de la palma que implica la reconversión del uso del suelo.
• Que se aplique la Ley de Delitos Ambientales, recientemente se promovió juicio a invasores
de la Reserva Biológica.
• Evitar que se entreguen los permisos de minería. En los últimos días de la misión evaluadora
la FDR denunció en un medio de comunicación nacional el involucramiento de un
funcionario local de MARENA en trabajo de asesoría a la empresa de exploración minera.
• La elaboración de los Planes Ambientales Municipales (PAM).
• Las reformas curriculares de la asignatura de Recursos Naturales y el Ambiente establecido
por el MINED.
La misión considera que se precisa un mejor nivel de preparación (planificación) de las campañas de
incidencia que precisen objetivos, metas y recursos humanos y financieros, coincidiendo con la
opinión de la coordinadora del proyecto, en relación a que se necesita hacer una incidencia política
más planificada y menos improvisada.
Metas claves del Resultado.
Annex 16
Performance (effectiveness) at the activity level
Actividades
3.1.1 La junta cuenta con especialistas
asesores para la definición de sus estrategias,
toma de decisiones y temas de trabajo.
3.1.2 Actualizar el Planeamiento Estratégico
y darle seguimiento.
3.1.3 Estrategia financiera para la
sostenibilidad
3.1.4 Elaborar un plan de divulgación y
documentación de las experiencias y
resultados y misión de la organización.
3.1.5 Elaboración de una publicación
educativa e informativa, El Tucan, 4 veces al
año.
3.1.6 Elaboración y publicación de 4
artículos en los periódicos nacionales, spot
para televisión y 6 cuñas para la radio al año.
Valoración de los avances
Se ha dispuesto de especialistas en diferentes ámbitos producto de
la política de alianzas de la organización, lo que ha ayudado en la
toma de decisiones y en temas de trabajo.
Se actualizo el Plan Estrategico de la Fundación que ha permitido
hacer participar a nuevos actores (p.e. jóvenes), constituyendo un
planteamiento ordenado de las áreas y estrategias de trabajo de la
institución, siendo un referente para su membresía.
No se dispuso de esta estrategia que ordenara la disponibilidad de
un rico patrimonio en manos de la FRD, sigue estando a nivel de
idea general.
Se está procediendo a la documentación de algunas experiencias tal
como la publicación: “La Educación Ambiental en Zona de
Amortiguamiento”. Sin embargo no se dispone de un plan de
divulgación que movilice lo ya documentado (p.e. MARENA no
dispone de la información de la experiencian en educ. ambiental) y
precise que otras acciones documentar.
El Tucán ha sido elaborado con regularidad.
Periódicamente se publican artículos o noticias en diarios y se ha
trabajado en radio con el programa Visión Juvenil que se transmite
en la Voz del Trópico Húmedo.
Resultado 3.2. La organización tiene mayor presencia en espacios nacionales y centroamericanos de coordinación y
colaboración con actores que intervienen en el desarrollo sostenible.
La FDR ha puesto en práctica la política de asociarse en redes para el desarrollo de acciones
socioambientales, con actores gubernamentales y civiles, tanto locales como nacionales. De esta
manera se ha privilegiado el impulso de proyectos que generan resultados sinérgicos, sobre acciones
individuales y aisladas. Las Redes y espacios de participación y concertación en las que se encuentra
integrada la FDR son las siguientes:
Instancia / Redes
Consejo de Desarrollo Sostenible
de Río San Juan (CODESO
RSJ).
Comisiones
Ambientales
Municipales, del Departamento
de Río San Juan.
Consejo Nacional de Desarrollo
Sostenible (CONADES).
Red Nicaragüense por la
Democracia y el
Desarrollo
Local.
Coordinadora Nicaragüense de
Acción conjunta
CODESO se ha convertido en una importante instancia para hacer
propuestas de inversión al gobierno central anualmente.
En las Comisiones Ambientales Municipales (CAM) de los
municipios de El Castillo, San Carlos y San Miguelito la FDR ha
jugado un importante papel en:
• El abordaje técnico de diferentes problemas (p.e. minería)
• La preparación de los Planes Ambientales Municipales (PAM)
que fueron recientemente aprobados por los respectivos
Consejos Municipales.
• Las ordenanzas municipales en pro de los temas ambientales
FDR ejecuta un proyecto de seguimiento a las políticas públicas, lo
que ha permitido en el municipio El Castillo acercar a los grupos
juveniles a las estructuras comunitarias o comarcales.
Coordinan acciones en el marco del proyecto Rayito de Sol
Annex 16
Performance (effectiveness) at the activity level
ONGs que Trabajan con la
Niñez y la Adolescencia
(CODENI).
Grupo de Trabajo Humedales –
Nicaragua.
Tribunal Centroamericano del
Agua.
Red
de
Educadores
de
Mesoamérica.
Consorcio Gaspar (Capitulo
Nicaragua del Programa Alianza
de la UICN).
desarrollado con niños de la calle del municipio de San Carlos.
Las denuncias ante este ente alrededor de agresiones al recurso, abren
procesos de incidencia y fortalecen su autoridad regional
Se considera la primera experiencia de gestión e incidencia colectiva
de diversas ONG, de intervenciones sobre el medio ambiente y los
recursos naturales en el Departamento de Río San Juan. FDR asume
la Sría de Finanzas.
Por otra parte han sido establecidas posiciones y participado de espacios en temas como el Corredor
Biológico Centroamericano (CBC) y las áreas protegidas. Las acciones se ubican en un marco de
carácter binacional como SI-A-PAZ.
Sostener la presencia de la FDR en algunas de estas redes o instancias tiene un costo monetario que
debe ser asumido por la organización.
Esta sinergia lograda también se proyecta a los proyectos territoriales que se desarrollan en el
municipio El Castillo, tanto PRODESOC de la cooperación austriaca, en especial con su
componente agroforestal (que maneja IPADE) como PMS de la cooperación danesa con quien se
complementa su acción agroforestal (con cacao) a partir de los beneficios de la Campaña de la Lapa
Verde que apoya la conservación de bosques y que procura fortalecer la red de áreas protegidas
privadas. La misma Campaña de la Lapa Verde es parte de una acción sinérgica entre organizaciones
costarricenses que aportaron conocimiento en el ave y la FDR que compartió los avances en
Educación Ambiental, esto fortalece el ámbito binacional.
Actividades
3.2.1. Participación de la organización en
reuniones, foros y conferencias acerca de las
políticas de manejo y conservación de los
recursos naturales en zonas de
amortiguamiento y áreas protegidas y en
estrategias para la educación ambiental.
3.2.2. Incidido en agentes decidores para la
toma de decisiones favorables a la
protección del ambiente y manejo sostenible
de los recursos naturales.
3.2.3. Campañas de divulgación sobre los
temas y los logros del proyecto.
3.2.4. Realizar 2 intercambios nacionales y 2
internacionales con org. y inst. con
relevancia al tema.
Valoración de los avances
Se ha participado en diferentes foros y conferencias sobre temas
relacionados con el ambiente, en especial en el ámbito binacional
Costa Rica – Nicaragua.
La acción de incidencia en actores decidores ha estado presente en
el trabajo FDR en el nivel municipal, departamental y nacional.
Ha sido baja, aunque se ha proyectado al nivel nacional del
MINED y a autoridades o maestros de otros territorios que han
visitado el territorio del proyecto.
Se han organizado intercambios nacionales y en el marco del
trabajo binacional con Costa Rica.
Resultado 3.3. Estrategia para extender las acciones de educación ambiental hacia otras zonas de la zona de
amortiguamiento elaborada. Las dos organizaciones FDR y Nepenthes están preparados para extender su radio de
acción.
Annex 16
Performance (effectiveness) at the activity level
No ha sido preparada la referida estrategia, sin embargo es importante para los últimos meses del
proyecto que la misma pueda ser elaborada.
Limitaciones para una mejor eficacia del trabajo de incidencia
•
Inestabilidad en la política ministerial y el nombramiento de nuevas autoridades que hacen perder
el trabajo invertido. Recientemente se vivió el cambio de Ministra del MARENA quien no
alcanzó a cumplir cien días en el cargo.
•
La debilidad de las instituciones y autoridades de gobierno local y departamental para resistir las
pretensiones de las empresas que trabajan en el territorio (palma, minera, maderera) que
explotan, o pretenden hacerlo, recursos locales.
•
La polarización política ya que la misma puede restar méritos a las justas luchas por el ambiente
al confundirse con pretensiones políticas. Ya ha habido opiniones que han buscado deslegitimar
la acción del movimiento juvenil. Este movimiento no esta al margen de las pretensiones de los
partidos políticos.
•
La municipalidad de El Castillo identifica una limitante para el desarrollo del territorio, ya que
municipios que tienen reservas o áreas protegidas reciben bajos volumen de transferencias 1
desde el Gobierno Central (lo que limita sus capacidades de atender requerimientos de
infraestructura, necesidades sociales o ambientales). Se reclama un trato especial para estos
territorios por su papel en la conservación de los recursos naturales. Está problemática no ha
sido valorada para un proceso de incidencia mancomunado de varios actores locales.
Conclusiones
•
La incidencia es uno de los ámbitos de mayor fortaleza de la FDR, siendo reconocido por
diferentes actores en su acción vigilante. Ha trabajado por el cumplimiento de las leyes y
acuerdos o convenios gubernamentales, siendo esto su principal referencia. La FDR con el apoyo
del proyecto ha trascendido el municipio El Castillo, ampliando su accionar a los ámbitos del
departamento y la nación en su trabajo de incidencia.
•
El trabajo de incidencia gradualmente se esta viendo fortalecido con el accionar del movimiento
juvenil como un nuevo actor.
•
Se cierne la gran amenaza de la polarización política en el seno del movimiento juvenil, en
especial por la próxima campaña electoral municipal (2008), por lo que se requeriría fortalecer en
el mismo los elementos de ciudadanía y participación. La misma campaña será una nueva
oportunidad de los jóvenes para incidir en la agenda municipal.
•
FDR ha reforzado las capacidades municipales aportando sus conocimientos especializados ante
diferentes temas ambientales colocándolos como el asesor local de las mismas.
1 Las transferencias dependen de las recaudaciones de impuestos por bienes inmuebles (IBI), y el municipio resulta afectado ya que buena
parte de su territorio es Reserva de Biosfera, a lo que se agrega la reciente ley de veda forestal que ha limitado más las actividades forestales.
Annex 16
Performance (effectiveness) at the activity level
•
Falta fortalecer los procesos de divulgación de las experiencias exitosas del trabajo del proyecto y
la fundación.
Recomendaciones
•
La organización de la incidencia mediante la modalidad de campañas permitiría a la FDR
organizar de mejor manera organizar su acción institucional, reorientando su manejo más desde
el ámbito institucional (área de incidencia) que desde los proyectos.
•
La demanda del municipio de El Castillo por ser tratado como un municipio especial en relación
a las transferencias pueden ayudar a establecer un antecedente nacional para este tipo de
territorios, por lo que sería importante organizar un proceso de incidencia en una coalición de
fuerzas y actores locales con el apoyo departamental.
Anexo 16
LISTA DE DOCUMENTOS CONSULTADOS
Autor
Barrios, Mariana y
Rikke J. Broegaard
Consejo Juvenil
Municipal
Chavarría, Clifford y
Lucía Romero
DANIDA
Fandiño Pérez, José
Manuel
Flores Ruíz, Karla
Vanessa y María
Magdalena Albizu
Fargas
Fundación del Río &
Nepenthes
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Título
La gestión ambiental llevada a cabo por las autoridades en El Castillo 19992005. Cuaderno de Investigación no. 23 (pdf, 1,4 MB), Nitlapán,
UCA, Tema II. 2006.
Plan de Trabajo 2007. El Castillo, Río San Juan
Bibliografía anotada sobre la Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz y su zona de
amortiguamiento, El Castillo, Río San Juan, Nicaragua. FARENA, UNA.
2005
Informe de Revisión y Evaluación. Proyecto de Nepenthes & Fundación
del Río. Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. Nicaragua. Ministerio de Relaciones
Exteriores. DANIDA. Ref. No. 104.N.264a. 2003.
Educación ambiental en zona de amortiguamiento. Sistematización de la
experiencia desarrollada por Fundación del Río en el municipio El
Castillo, Río San Juan. Editorial Enlace, Managua. 96 p. 2007.
Caracterización del Uso de plantas en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz, Nicaragua.” Trabajo de Diploma.
FARENA, UNA. 2005.
Campaña Salvemos el hábitat de la lapa verde en la Reserva de Biosfera Río
San Juan de Nicaragua. Convenio de colaboración y cooperación para
la participación en el programa de incentivos económicos por
conservación del hábitat de la lapa verde (Ara ambigua). 2006.
Agenda Joven Departamental. Primer Borrador, en colaboración con
Comisión de la Niñéz y Adolescencia de San Carlos, Unión Juvenil
San Carlos, Grupo OLA San Carlos, Movimiento Juvenil Municipal
El Castillo, con apoyo de la Coalición de Juventudes. 2006.
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. Informe cuatrimestral
Septiembre – Diciembre 2003
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. Informe trimestral Abril –
Junio 2004
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. Informe financiero trimestre
Abril a Junio, 2004
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. Informe trimestral Enero –
Marzo 2004
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. Informe financiero trimestre
Enero - Marzo, 2004
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. Informe financiero trimestre
Abril a Junio, 2004
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. Informe financiero
trimestral Julio a Septiembre 2004
Anexo 16
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. Informe trimestral Julio Septiembre 2004
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. Informe trimestral Octubre
- Diciembre 2004
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. Informe financiero
trimestral Octubre a Diciembre 2004
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. Informe trimestral
esquemático Abril - Junio 2005
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. Informe financiero
trimestral Abril a Junio 2005
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. Informe financiero
trimestral Enero a Marzo 2005
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. Informe financiero
trimestral Julio a Septiembre 2005
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. Informe consolidado
trimestral Julio - Septiembre 2005
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. Informe trimestral Enero Marzo 2005
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. Informe trimestral Abril Junio 2006
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. Informe trimestral Enero –
Marzo 2006
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. Informe trimestral Julio Septiembre 2006
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. Informe financiero
trimestral Abril - Junio 2006
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. Informe financiero
trimestral Enero - Marzo 2006
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. Informe financiero
trimestral Julio - Septiembre 2006
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. Informe financiero
trimestral Octubre - Diciembre 2006
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. POA Componente
Educación Ambiental 2006.
Anexo 16
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. POA Campaña Lapa
Verde 2006.
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. Plan anual de juventud.
2007.
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. Cronograma de actividades
componente juventud. 2007.
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. Planificación 2007,
Componente Incidencia
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. Cronograma de campañas.
2007
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. Cronograma de actividades
2007. Componente Emprendimientos.
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. POA Componente
Emprendimientos 2007.
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. Cronograma de
emprendimientos. 2007
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. POA Componente Juventud
2007.
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la
Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase. Cronograma de actividades
componente juventud. 2007
Plan Anual 2005. Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de
Amortiguamiento de la Gran Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. 2ª fase.
Planificación Estratégica 2006 – 2010 de la Fundación del Río.
Facilitador: Emilio Hernández Torres. 95 p.
Informe de validación y de mejoramiento de 6 módulos de aprendizaje en Boca
de Sábalo, Río San Juan. 2006.
Cuadernillo Educativo “Áreas Protegidas”. Borrador del contenido
elaborado por Santos Mario Orozco Álvarez, Rosalina López
Moreno, Ligia Rosario Díaz Bonilla y Ana Josefa Ríos Miranda.
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en la Zona de Amortiguamiento de
la Gran Reserva Indio Maíz, segunda fase. 2006.
Cuadernillo Educativo “Huertos escolares y familiares”. Borrador del
contenido elaborado por Andrea Taisigue Hernández, Leonel
Espinoza Blanco y Cristina Magali Vásquez Ponce. Proyecto
Educación Ambiental en la Zona de Amortiguamiento de la Gran
Reserva Indio Maíz, segunda fase. 2006.
Cuadernillo Educativo “Celebración de efemérides”. Borrador del contenido
elaborado por Rosalina López M., Mario Orozco A., Ana Josefa
Ríos y Ligia Díaz Bonilla. Proyecto Educación Ambiental en la Zona
de Amortiguamiento de la Gran Reserva Indio Maíz, segunda fase.
2006.
Anexo 16
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Fundación del Río
Gómez, Ligia y Helle
Munk Ravnborg.
2006
Hueck Espino,
Jimmy
Ministerio de
Educación, Cultura y
Deportes
Navarro Prado,
Melba y Mauricio
Zúñiga
Cuadernillo Educativo “Fauna de Nicaragua”. Borrador del contenido
elaborado por Andrea Taisigue Hernández, Cristina Magali Vásquez
P. y Leonel Espinoza Blanco. Proyecto Educación Ambiental en la
Zona de Amortiguamiento de la Gran Reserva Indio Maíz, segunda
fase. 2006.
Cuadernillo Educativo “Flora silvestre de Nicaragua y del Río San Juan”.
Borrador del contenido elaborado por Reyna Isabel Dávila
Hernández, Yorleni Díaz Espinoza y Reynaldo Alejandro Jaime
Busto. Proyecto Educación Ambiental en la Zona de
Amortiguamiento de la Gran Reserva Indio Maíz, segunda fase.
2006.
Cuadernillo Educativo “Mi escuela es bella”. Borrador del contenido
elaborado por Reyna Dávila, Yorleni Díaz y Reynaldo Jaime.
Proyecto Educación Ambiental en la Zona de Amortiguamiento de
la Gran Reserva Indio Maíz, segunda fase. 2006.
Boletín Informativo 2006
Calendario 2005. Fundación del Río. 15 aniversario
Revista Tucan. 2005
Guía Turística de la región del Río San Juan, en colaboración con
CANTUR – Río San Juan. 2006
La Reserva Silvestre El Quebracho. Desplegable
Juventudes Rurales. Desplegable en colaboración con la Fundación
Desafíos
Boletín Temático Manatí. Oct. 2006.
Coloreando la Lapa Verde (Folleto para colorear)
Cartilla de capacitación. El almendro, un albergue de vida en el bosque
2005.
Desplegable Campaña de la lapa verde 2005.
Planificador mensual 2004. Divulgación de efemérides ambientales y el
plan escolar del MINED.
Fundación del Río 1990 – 2007. Presentación Power Point
Fundación del Río, Río San Juan Nicaragua. 2003 – 2007. Presentación
Power Point
Emprendimientos. Presentación Power Point. 2007
Organización juvenil. Presentación Power Point. 2007
Educación ambiental formal 2003 – 2006. Presentación Power Point
2007
Informe de encuesta sobre la Juventud Rural en el Municipio de El Castillo.
31 p. 2006.
Importancia del capital social para la organización local – un estudio
exploratorio sobre capital social en El Castillo, Río San Juan, Nicaragua
Cuaderno de Investigación no. 22, 76 pp., Nitlapán, UCA (pdf, 868
KB). Tema III
La Fauna de la Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. FARENA, UNA. 2005.
Acuerdo Ministerial No. 486-2006. Calendario Escolar para el año lectivo
2007. 2006
Informe Anual. Proyecto Sistemas e Producción Agroforestal Sostenible.
IPADE – IP - ADA. Cooperación Austríaca para el Desarrollo,
IPADE, IP-Consult. Programa de Desarrollo Rural Sostenible en el
Anexo 16
Nepenthes &
Fundación del Río
Nepenthes &
Fundación del Río &
MECD
Nepenthes &
Fundación del Río
Nepenthes &
Fundación del Río
Nepenthes
Nepenthes
Nepenthes
Nepenthes
Nepenthes
Nepenthes
Nepenthes
Nepenthes
Nepenthes
Nepenthes
Nepenthes
Municipio El Castillo, Nicaragua. 53 p. 2006.
Marco Lógico del Proyecto Educación Ambiental en el Área de
Amortiguamiento de la Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. Nicaragua. 2ª.
Fase. 2003
Documento de Proyecto. Educación Ambiental en el Área de
Amortiguamiento de la Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz. Nicaragua. 2ª.
Fase. 2003.
Convenio de cooperación entre Nepenthes y la Fundación del Río para la
ejecución técnico-administrativa del Proyecto Educación Ambiental
en el Área de Amortiguamiento de la Gran Reserva Biológica Indio
Maíz. 2003.
Campaña Salvemos el Hábitat la Lapa Verde, Orgullo de la Cuenca del Río
San Juan / ARA. Convenio de cooperación y colaboración entre
Fundación del Río (FdR) y Nepenthes. 4 p. 2005.
Educación ambiental en Nicaragua - un proyecto de desarrollo. Sitio web
informativo del proyecto.
http://www.nepenthesprojekter.dk/doc.asp?pageid=150&lang=es
Uso sostenible de los bosques de la Cuenca de Río San Juan, Nicaragua,
Versión final. Proyecto de Educación Ambiental en la zona de
Amortiguamiento de la Reserva Biológica de Indio Maíz, en el
Municipio del Castillo. Elaborado por Jens Kanstrup, Nepenthes, La
Ceiba, Honduras. 12 p. 2004.
Estudio de mercado para artesanías, hortalizas y verduras, fotocopias, miel,
carbón, aprovechamiento forestal a pequeña escala y carpintería en el municipio
de El Castillo – Nicaragua (Versión final). Elaborado por Julio
Prudencio Böhrt, Nepenthes. 68 p. 2005.
Informe de Visita 6 – 20 de Octubre 2004. Proyecto Educación
Ambiental en la Zona de Amortiguamiento de la Gran Reserva Indio
Maíz, segunda fase. Elaborado por Vibeke Tuxen. 2004
Informe de Visita Abril 2005. Proyecto Educación Ambiental en la
Zona de Amortiguamiento de la Gran Reserva Indio Maíz, segunda
fase. Elaborado por André Mildam. 2005.
Informe de Visita 14 – 16 de Marzo 2006. Proyecto Educación
Ambiental en la Zona de Amortiguamiento de la Gran Reserva Indio
Maíz, segunda fase. Elaborado por André Mildam. 2006.
Informe de Visita 7 – 16 de Junio 2006. Proyecto Educación Ambiental
en la Zona de Amortiguamiento de la Gran Reserva Indio Maíz,
segunda fase. Elaborado por Vibeke Tuxen. 2006.
Informe de Capacitación de Planes de Negocio y asesoría de comercialización. 22
– 28 de Octubre 2005. Proyecto Educación Ambiental en la Zona de
Amortiguamiento de la Gran Reserva Indio Maíz, segunda fase.
Elaborado por André Mildam. 2005.
Informe de Capacitación de Planes de Negocio y asesoría de comercialización. 16
– 18 de Marzo 2006. Proyecto Educación Ambiental en la Zona de
Amortiguamiento de la Gran Reserva Indio Maíz, segunda fase.
Elaborado por André Mildam. 2006.
Informe de Consultoría de Mercadeo y Comercialización. Julio 2006. Proyecto
Educación Ambiental en la Zona de Amortiguamiento de la Gran
Reserva Indio Maíz, segunda fase. Elaborado por André Mildam.
2006.
Informe de Asesoría de Mercadeo y Comercialización. 6 – 13 de Noviembre
Anexo 16
Nepenthes
Noguera, Alvaro
Toval, Nelson,
Ricardo Rueda y
Elvira Cotton
2006. Proyecto Educación Ambiental en la Zona de
Amortiguamiento de la Gran Reserva Indio Maíz, segunda fase.
Elaborado por André Mildam. 2006.
Informe de Visita Julio 2006. Proyecto Educación Ambiental en la
Zona de Amortiguamiento de la Gran Reserva Indio Maíz, segunda
fase. Elaborado por André Mildam. 2005.
Plantas útiles y conocimiento local en comunidades de la zona de
amortiguamiento de la Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz, Río San Juan,
Nicaragua.” Mimeo. FARENA, UNA. 2005
La flora en la Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz y su zona de amortiguamiento,
Municipio de El Castillo, Río San Juan. Mimeo. FARENA, UNA. 2005.
Ravnborg, H., H.
Conservación de biodiversidad en el contexto de pobreza, avaricia e instituciones
Balslev, M. Barrios,
débiles. Cuaderno de Investigación no. 25, Nitlapán, UCA. 2006.
R. J. Broegaard, E.
Cotton, L. Gómez, A.
Noguera, F. Reyes, A.
Ruíz y N. Toval
Ravnborg, H., H.
Biodiversity conservation in the context of poverty, greed and weak institutions –
Balslev, M. Barrios,
lessons learned from Indio Maíz, El Castillo, Nicaragua. DIIS Brief.
R. J. Broegaard, E.
Instituto Danés para Estudios Internacionales. 2006.
Cotton, L. Gómez, A.
Noguera, F. Reyes, A.
Ruíz y N. Toval
Ruíz, Alfredo
Incentivos para estimular el manejo sostenible de los recursos naturales en las
zonas de amortiguamiento de la Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz, El Castillo, Río
San Juan, Nicaragua, Cuaderno de Investigación no. 24, 67 pp,
Nitlapán, UCA. 2005.