ALM UNDP

Project Objective: To reduce vulnerability to climate change through effective water resource management. The project objective is to increase adaptive capacities to address climate change risks in water resource management. This will contribute to the broader goal of mainstreaming climate change risks into water management practices in Ecuador.

Key lessons learned:

1. Involve key stakeholders early in the process to ensure that outcomes and outputs are appropriately aligned: Key stakeholders, both at the central level (MoE, Ministry of Agriculture, CNRH and SENPLADES) and at the provincial and local levels (Provincial Councils, Water Agencies, Municipal governments, NGOs), will be involved in the formulation of practical measures, taking into account the evolving needs of the institutions and the policy context for the water sector. More importantly, the guidelines will target the needs of the on-going planning efforts mentioned earlier to ensure that this integration will be established as a learning exercise. Thus, the ultimate goal of the guidelines is to effectively assist policy makers in setting up a framework for the integration of climate risk in the water sector. Outcomes 2 and 3 were also adjusted.
2. Allow for modifications to the proposal: The original project proposal was modified in order to define more precisely the boundaries of the project and its proposed activities, and to allow for a clear distinction between baseline and project activities. Outcome 1 was originally: to strengthen policy environment and governance structure for effective water management through the integrating of adaptation to climate change in water governance structures. Following input from stakeholders, Outcome 1 was modified: Climate change risk on the water sector integrated into key relevant plans and programmes. This formulation allows for a continued mainstreaming effort in the water governance institutionality that will undoubtedly change during the anticipated political changes that the country will sustain during the formulation of a new constitution. Three instead of four outcomes have been identified in the revised proposal. Capacity building activities have been limited to one outcome while the other two outcomes focus on demonstration activities and improving water governance frameworks (i.e. legislation, national plans, etc) to integrate climate change risks. The outcomes now provide a description of their respective scope as well as more detailed description of the activities to be implemented.
3. Merge disaster risk management and adaptation plans (when possible): At the local level, provinces and municipalities have development plans, and some of them also include risk management plans. However, these plans do not take into account risks from climate change. Currently, these plans are implemented based on public priorities and potential investment opportunities by public and private stakeholders. In some selected provinces, actions taken to improve water management and conservation are driven by negative water balance effects, which are partly the result of climate-induced factors. Although there is insufficient public awareness, some actions are undertaken already in important watersheds such as Paute, Jubones, Catamayo and others which are within the boundaries of the project. To guarantee the inclusion of climate change risks criteria into provincial and local development plans, the project will develop, with appropriate stakeholder input, an implementation strategy to apply the guidelines. The execution of this strategy will result in the integration of climate change concerns into key provincial and local development plans. This will help to facilitate a systematic adoption of climate change adaptation actions related to water management which, together with baseline development programmes, will contribute towards more efficient water use and reduced water supply vulnerability.
4. Create a Management Support Group that strategically forms vital partnerships: The project will take advantage of the fact that key national institutions are part of the Management Support Group of this project. These institutions are key participants in the current elaboration of the National Development Plan, including the National Secretariat of Planning (SENPLADES), the MoE, CNRH, and CONCOPE. These partners will promote the consideration of climate change issues into the National Development Plan. This will ensure that climate risks in the water sector do not become an obstacle to the achievement of related development objectives. Concretely, the project will ensure that the National Development Plan incorporates climate change concerns regarding water resources by acknowledging (a) the threat posed by climate change and (b) creating an enabling environment (e.g. through legislative changes) that will promote adaptation.
5. Identify complementarities and establish linkages with other programmes and action plans at regional and sub-regional levels: The Second National Communication (SCN), whose objective is to report to the UNFCCC on national efforts to address climate change, to formulate a national strategy, and to identify priorities for mitigation and adaptation, including potential projects for funding in these areas. The SNC will carry out vulnerability and adaptation assessments, and will identify priority measures and polices to build resilience in different sectors. Given the high complementarity between the SNC and this project, especially as both will be housed at MoE, close coordination among the project managers and the technical teams will be established from the beginning. The SNC is expected to generate impact studies that could feed into the design of adaptation strategies, and has already established a climate steering committee which will also form part of the project’s consultation strategy.