Code:
ATN/CX-14837-RG#122
Initiative:
Extraordinary Call
Other agencies:
USD 200.000
Counterpart Amount:
USD 409.690
Execution time
42 Months
Total Amount:
USD 609.690
Participating countries:
Nicaragua Nicaragua Costa Rica Costa Rica Dominican Republic Dominican Republic France France
Funding source:
Other agencies 33% Counterpart Amount 67%

Executive Summary

Agriculture uses about 70% of available water, which can generate conflicts with other users if availability is limited and seasonal. The consortium formed by UNAN-León Nicaragua, IDIAF of the Dominican Republic, banana and coffee producers, Bioversity International, the CGIAR Humidtropics Program and the French consultancy Lisode (Lien Social et Décision), convened farmers and other actors into a process based on ComMod (Companion Modeling) to reflect on the improvement of water management in banana producing areas. The process included information gathering, participatory diagnoses, the identification of interactions between water, climate, agriculture and other users, and the validation of a territorial dialogue platform that uses role play to coordinate the social system and identify water problems under different climatic scenarios. The 378 participants understood the problems of water use and the needs of others in the four work zones, based on conceptual models. Dialogue platforms identified 109 technological and institutional proposals of which 29 were included in action plans to improve knowledge about water resources, formalize the rules for access and use of water, innovate agricultural practices to reduce pressure on water resources and vulnerability of farms, and raise public awareness about water problems.

Results

378 farmers and other stakeholders were integrated into workshops and territorial dialogue platforms, which coordinate the social and environmental systems to analyze water use conflicts under different climate change scenarios and reflect on actions to improve water management. The ComMod (Companion Modeling) methodology allowed participants to understand the problems in the four work zones and the demands of different users, and develop a learning process that facilitated analysis and decision making. Dialogue platforms identified 109 technological and institutional proposals to solve the problems. Twenty-nine proposals were included in action plans to improve knowledge about water resources, formalize the rules for water access and use, innovate agricultural practices to reduce pressure on the resource and vulnerability, and raise public awareness about water use problems. The impact depends on the further dissemination of territorial dialogue platforms for promoting better water management technologies, formalize use rules and raise public awareness.

Beneficiaries

A total of 378 farmers were the direct beneficiaries of 30 participatory workshops that consolidated the establishment of two territorial dialogue platforms in which 249 people related to water use participated, leading to the generation of individual and collective learning that served to collectively define 29 actions aimed at reducing the effects of water use problems. Additionally, 32 researchers were trained in the innovative analytical and participative method (ComMod). The continuity of the dialogue platforms and their replication in other territories will generate a larger number of beneficiaries as a consequence of the adoption of technological and organizational innovations. 

 

Sustainable Development Goals

No poverty Zero Hunger Responsible consumption and production Climate action

Main donors

Participating Organizations

Executor
  • UNAN - Nicaragua
Co-executor
  • Instituto Dominicano de Investigaciones Agropecuarias y Forestales (IDIAF) - República Dominicana
  • Bioversity International - Francia
  • Mesoamerican Scientific Platform for Agroforestry (PCP) - Costa Rica
  • International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) - Nicaragua
Associated
  • Cluster de Café de Jarabacoa - República Dominicana
  • COOPASVEGA - República Dominicana
  • CECOSORORIDAD - Nicaragua
  • CECOPROCAES - Nicaragua

Graphics and data

Financing by country (in USD)
FONTAGRO Amount Other agencies Counterpart Amount

Geolocated Map

Researchers

Project leader Nicaragua

Juan Castellon

Researcher

Charles Staver

Researcher

Falguni Guharay

Researcher

Bruno Rapidel

Researcher

Domingo Rengifo

Researcher

Rein van der Hoek

Sponsors
BID
IICA
With the support of
Fondo Coreano de Alianza para el Conocimiento en Tecnología e Innovación (KPK)