Talk:Water resources management in Honduras

Comments

This article is comprehensive, but could be improved in various ways:

1. There are overlaps with Water supply and sanitation in Honduras. I would suggest to take out most information related to water supply and sanitation from the present article. Examples: The 2003 Water and Sanitation Framework Law; water tariffs; water supply and sanitation projects in the section on external cooperation; and water privatization. This would make the article more succinct, focused and readable. On tariffs, please note the distinction between tariffs for water service provision (drinking water, irrigation) and fees for water abstraction or wastewater discharge into open watercourses. In my view, only the latter would belong to the present article, if they existed in Honduras. 2. There are a number of typos, spelling errors and repetitions. Having another person do a copy edit or re-reading the article carefully once again may be helpful. 3. It could be interesting to look in more detail at the large dams under construction. This could be done by creating brief articles about each of these dams, with a focus on their impact on water resources, and then including links to these articles in both the present article and Renewable energy in Honduras.

Otherwise, this is an excellent article that covers all the many facets of a complex topic. Congratulations!--Mschiffler (talk) 09:43, 22 November 2009 (UTC)

One more small comment:Please use units consistently throughout the article. For example, use either km3 or BCM, but not both.--Mschiffler (talk) 09:47, 22 November 2009 (UTC)

Notes

Good sites: http://resweb.llu.edu/rford/courses/ESSC5xx/water.html —Preceding unsigned comment added by Miguelaaron (talk • contribs) 19:24, 13 July 2009 (UTC)

Climate Change http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/environment/climate/country_nar/honduras.html

http://www.fao.org/countryprofiles/index.asp?lang=en&iso3=HND&paia=5

Water laws

• http://www-esd.worldbank.org/bnwpp/index.cfm?display=display_activity&AID=395&Item=16
• http://www.temasactuales.com/laws_policies/legislation_Honduras.html

Estimados todos, como saben la Ley General de Aguas fue recien aprobada y crea una "nueva" institucion rectora para el tema del recurso hidrico. En el pasado lei el anteproyecto(prelimionary), y me parece una capa mas de grasa(level of fat to the system) al sistema, como poco valor agregado (with little added value), pero segun me dicen algunos expertos locales es una ley que completa el marco regulatorio de la administracion territorial. Por otro lado, esta ley establece dos tipos de cobros que tienen a la industria hidroelectrica en problemas, por la incertidumbre generada (generated uncertainty), resulta que hay dos pagos, un canon (fee) por el uso del agua, que en la calle algunos municipios hablan de $0.05 por metro cúbico de agua, y el pago por servicios ambientales. La pregunta que les presento a Uds., cual estiman es la mejor manera de colaborar con el nuevo gobierno electo en esta materia? Sus comentarios seran muy valiosos, en cuanto la ley salga publicada (as soon as the law is published) se las envio, me dicen que sigue en la comision de estilo del Congreso Nacional (they tell me its in the style of the style of the national congress.) Saludos,--Dante Mossi, Ph.D., Oficial de Operaciones de País - Misión del Banco Mundial en Honduras. (email correspndence with Ana and David.)

Gold mining

• http://www.elaw.org/node/1285 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Miguelaaron (talk • contribs) 02:20, 3 August 2009 (UTC)

World Bank document used does not have a good URL, but was found on Google. Search phrase "Climate Change impacts and Honduras". It's the 7th link down.

It will create the National Council of Water Resources as a consultative body, deliberative and advice.

La Autoridad del Agua estará a cargo de un Director Ejecutivo, escogido por el Presidente de la República. Su nombramiento se hará por un período de cinco años prorrogables por un período igual.

La Autoridad del Agua supuestamente custodiará y administrará los recursos hídricos, regulará su uso y aprovechamiento, su distribución y control, su protección, restauración, desarrollo, conservación, renovación y mejoramiento. Los objetivos de la ley son:

• Establecer el marco de principios, alcances y objetivos de la gestión hídrica.
• Determinar las condiciones del dominio legal del agua, espacios y recursos asociados.
• Definir el marco de competencias, funciones y responsabilidades de la administración pública en la gestión de los recursos hídricos.
• Establecer la normativa sobre la protección y conservación del recurso hídrico.
• Establecer las normas para el aprovechamiento del recurso hídrico.
• Establecer el marco sancionatorio.

For the first time, the State of Honduras proceed to regulate one of the most important resources for life, as is the water, through a general law that last Thursday was presented in full, in the first debate.

The sponsorship of the Program of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) will develop in Tegucigalpa on "Consultation Workshop of the Draft General Water Law". Assessing local needs and its incorporation into the New General Water Law, such consultation has already been carried out in other cities.

In addition, will seek the creation of the Honduran Institute of Water Resources (IHRI) under the authority of the Water authority, who is responsible for the generation, reception and analysis of the information related to the remedy.

As mentioned above, in the country is currently manages the appeal through the existing Law for the Development of National Waters of nine April 1927. The articles of the new Law provides for the management of appeal, through the creation of the Authority of the Water

In the new institutional structure ensures the segregation of duties, avoiding conflicts between institutions, administrative and sectoral. The Secretariat of Natural Resources (SERNA) as the lead responsible for the water policy, with a Council of Consultative formed by Secretaries of State, head of government institutions related entities, academics, and civil society through organized groups, non-governmental organizations such as the Water Platform of Honduras whose support is focused on Integrated Management of Water Resources.

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In a period beginning in the 1960s, when the The National Water and Sanitation Service (SANNA) was created and then lasting until the Water Framework Law was passed in 2003, water and sanitation was operated on a national basis by SANNA. Their was not agreement from all municipalities to centralize management to SANNA and as the decades passed, the institutional setting for water and sanitation in Honduras became increasingly characterized by uncertainty. Fragmented into a series of agencies, the sector negotiated another of its periodic reorganizations in 2003. One component of the Water Framework Law of 2003 explicitly sought to decentralize power back to municipalities.

From climate change USAID is working with Honduras in protecting its natural resources. These efforts will increase the resilience of ecosystems and mitigate some of the potential effects of climate change. USAID is providing technical assistance, training, and logistical support to the Honduran government. Additionally, USAID is also assisting the private sector in forest, protected area, and water resource management, as well as in disaster prevention, preparedness, response, and mitigation. Climate change activities address the following sectors: sustainable agriculture, natural resources management, conservation of carbon stocks, and improved emergency preparedness and disaster mitigation.

Temperature increases

• 0.8C to 3.3C in the North and Northwest side of the country
• 0.9C to 3.7C in the South and Southwest of the country
• 0.8C to 3.3C in the East
• 0.6 and 2.7C in the Northeast part of the country
• The highest temperature increases will occur during the months of May and June

Reduction in precipitation:

• 7-30% in the North and Northwest
• 8-37% in the South and Southwest
• 8-36% in the East
• 7-28% in the Northeast
• The highest reduction will occur between the months of November and April —Preceding unsigned comment added by Miguelaaron (talk • contribs) 21:15, 23 July 2009 (UTC)

Somewhat dated now in 2009, the WHO estimated average urban water tariffs in 2000 at only US$0.13 per cubic meter. A household in Tegucigalpa with a house connection paid only US$2.45 per month for water and US$0.50 for sanitation. Tariff increase approvals occur infrequently and are insufficient to compensate for inflation, thus resulting in an erosion of real tariff levels. Tariffs in municipal systems tend to be even lower than tariffs for systems managed by SANAA, suggesting that tariff setting in municipalities is more prone to political capture in Honduras than tariff setting at the national level. SANAA’s sanitation tariff corresponds to 25% of the water tariff. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Miguelaaron (talk • contribs) 22:09, 23 July 2009 (UTC)

SERNA (SERNA) (La Secretaría de Recursos Naturales y Ambiente)- SERNA, the secretary of natural resources and environment is charged with protection of the environment while at the same time seeking to responsibly utilize natural resources.

The work included capacity building within HWP, and they are now better qualified to support Honduran efforts to create a more efficient framework for protection, feasible and sustainable uses, and management of the country's water resources. The project is being supported financially by Nordic funds from the United Nations Development Program. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Miguelaaron (talk • contribs) 21:26, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

General rule on Environmental Health (Reglamento General de Salud Ambiental) or agreement No. 0094 of 1998. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Miguelaaron (talk • contribs) 21:32, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

The Health Code (Código de Salud) by decree No. 65 of 1991. Within articles 35-44, treatment of domestic and industrial wastewater is addressed.

Rules of Organization, Function, and Competency of the Executive Power (Reglamento de Organización, Funcionamiento y Competencias del Poder Ejecutivo) is an executive agreement from 1997. Agreement No. 005 addresses water resources in Honduras. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Miguelaaron (talk • contribs) 23:17, 8 August 2009 (UTC)

References