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February 2008

"There is great interest and participation by the different sectors in the watershed and beyond it, such as in the coastal zone, to work collaboratively to conserve the resource that drives the economy and the natural ecosystems of the region -- water."

The Tempisque River basin gives life to more than 568,000 acres (230,000 hectares) of wetlands, dry forests, and croplands in the northern Pacific region of Costa Rica. Within its lowlands, it features dry forests and wetlands that are important habitats for aquatic birds including the roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja), jabiru(Jabiru mycteria), and blue-winged teal (Anas discors).

The basin boasts natural beauty and rich soils that have brought increasing pressures from a rapidly expanding agricultural frontier and booming tourism industry. Approximately 50 percent of the watershed has been converted to rice, sugarcane and cantaloupe fields, and is declining from exposure to pesticides and fertilizers, and altered hydrology from the draining of surface and ground water for crop irrigation.

Eugenio González, Director of the Organization for Tropical Studies" Palo Verde Biological Station, is managing a collaborative project called "Capacity Building to Restore and Manage Wetlands in Central America" to provide training to local stakeholders in wetland management and restoration, increasing the quality and area of habitat used by waterbirds by controlling exotic species, and monitoring the level of agrochemicals reaching the wetlands.

Q: Your work to build capacity in the Tempisque basin began in 2006. What have been the project's most important advances?

González: There have been several important achievements. We have restored a number of wetland ecosystems and provided training to small producers in areas such as sustainable water, soil and agrochemical management and biological pest and disease control in crop fields. Moreover, we have created the Commission for Implementation and Development of the Arenal Tempisque Basin, a multidisciplinary and inter-institutional group that works to identify appropriate and comprehensive watershed management solutions, and improved policies for water use and concessions.

Q: Have you encountered any challenges while working with such a diverse group of stakeholders?

González: One constant challenge is securing the participation of all stakeholders, which in this case includes governmental agencies, producers, businesses, and community members. Although considerable progress has been made, there are still some sectors that are not directly involved in the integrated management activities, such as municipalities, state agencies like the National Water and Sewage Institute, and others. The disintegration of clear state policies, for example in water resources management, makes it difficult to implement integrated management activities. A well-established legal framework also needs to be strengthened.

Q: Farmers, the tourism industry, and local communities depend on this river. Have you been able to raise awareness about the importance of conserving it?

González: The level of awareness is quite high, and there are some very interesting initiatives that aim to improve and conserve the river and its associated ecosystems. For example, in the Bolson and Ortega communities, family-owned coastal trading businesses operating in the Tempisque River have developed strategic alliances with travel agencies and local agro-enterprises. There is more participation and interest in learning about and understanding the problems of the Tempisque basin and even some large agro-businesses have begun conservation and ecosystem management projects.

Q: To what extent have you been able to restore the basin's ecosystems?

Q: One of the goals of this project is to provide train natural resource managers in wetlands restoration and management. What progress has been made in this area?

González: In prior years, we held two courses that trained more than 40 participants from throughout the region. Participants from Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico are now applying the basic principles they learned. At present, we are trying to build the capacity of the administrators and managers of wetland ecosystems, mainly with respect to hydrological functions, as that seems to be the weakest area.

Q: What are your plans for the coming year?

González: This year we expect continue monitoring the restoration of the Tempisque wetlands, and achieve the effective participation of the different members of the Commission in order to define a concrete framework or strategy for the integrated management of the river. Similarly, we intend to develop some training activities, possibly in hydrology applied to wetlands and the training of local leaders.

Q: What is the future of the Tempisque River Basin? Is it uncertain or is there ample opportunity to conserve it?

González: There is an opportunity. Agricultural development in the watershed has already reached its limits, and what we are facing is the highest level that we can expect. There is great interest and participation by the different sectors in the watershed and beyond it, such as in the coastal zone, to work collaboratively to conserve the resource that drives the economy and the natural ecosystems of the region -- water. Even though much of what can be achieved regarding integration also depends on politics, today there is a Commission that unites all the agencies, businesses, and civil society into a single body whose objective is integrated development. It's a question of organizing ourselves, to become winners rather than losers.