Activity completion report -- Guatemala-Central America programs : [Hurricane] Mitch special objective : improved regional capacity to mitigate transnational effects of disasters (596-004)

Achievements for intermediate result (IR) 1 -- to establish a framework for sound transnational watershed management -- were as follows: (1) A state-of-the-art forecast system for the transnational Rio Lempa watershed is fully functional. (2) A joint management plan that identifies geographic and thematic priorities among a broad spectrum of stakeholders and lays out a tri-national program with institutional arrangements for disaster mitigation, natural resources management, and improved livelihoods along the watershed was implemented. (3) Subsystems including meteorological data rescue, coordination of meteorological institutions, a geographic information system, and an accumulated rainfall model have been put in place. Under IR 2 -- to develop regional guidelines and standards to reduce road network vulnerability to natural disasters -- manuals for road construction, road maintenance, standards for road signs and for geometric design of roads, and limits to weights and dimensions of vehicles were produced. The manuals have been distributed to transport ministries in all five Mitch-affected countries (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica), as well as to national and international institutions. Achievements under the IR to upgrade the capacity of the Costa Rican education system in selected communities affected by Mitch-related Nicaraguan migration were as follows: (1) The project built 260 new and repaired 120 classrooms, converted 2 classrooms into computer laboratories, and built 55 and repaired 2 sanitary units. (2) The project purchased 56,000 sets of teaching materials and distributed them to 310 schools for use by 36,000 students, and distributed 15 TVs, 15 VCRs, and 15 overhead projectors. (3) Inservice training was provided to 1,665 teachers from 326 schools; 207 schools participated in remedial education activities for 7,110 students, of which 30% were Nicaraguan immigrants. (4) Adult literacy programs were established in 200 schools and enrolled 4,200 adults. Achievements under the IR to strengthen regional policies that reduce energy system vulnerabilities to disasters -- were as follows: (1) Emergency energy plans were drafted for El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. (2) The project helped create Regional Power Operator to facilitate regional interconnection issues and developed transitional regulations and procedures for regional energy interconnection. (3) The project benefitted 2,045 families with new service either to the grid or renewable energy sources and installed 97 photovoltaic systems (81 in Nicaragua and 16 in Guatemala). The foundation for the Rio Lempa Forecast Center's sustainability under IR 1 lies in the tri-national agreement signed 1/02. That agreement is a basin-wide strategic plan for tri-national collaboration in watershed management and disaster mitigation. The sustainability of road vulnerability investments is assured by the success of the original five studies and manuals (with work on three additional manuals underway); the ministries of transport and communications in the region are treating this area as a high priority. The Costa Rican Ministry of Education considers the investments in education under IR 3 to be very successful, much needed, and has put them to immediate use. Their maintenance and care is assured given the high level of importance vested in both the infrastructure and the supporting training and educational materials developed to assist migrant assimilation. Finally, work in all three areas related to energy investments is sufficiently advanced that sustaining the efforts is very likely. Energy sharing and energy sector restructuring, including emergency planning to reduce vulnerability, will be continued by countries in the region. Also, under USAID/G-CAP, similar interventions will take place in the region following Mitch reconstruction. The benefit of policy reform to promote energy sharing was experienced first hand in El Salvador following that country's twin earthquakes in early 2001. Stepping back from that progress at this time is unlikely. Similarly, renewable energy sources put in place are viewed as a model for continued advancement in this area. Lessons learned are detailed at the SpO and IR levels.