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Latin America & The Caribbean - Selected IRG Projects
Regional
| Technical and Administrative Support to Latin
America and the Caribbean, 1998-2014 |
| USAID/OFDA |
Through the Regional Disaster Assistance Program (RDAP), IRG has provided disaster response, preparedness, and risk reduction training and technical assistance in the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region since 1998. Over the decade of RDAP’s implementation, IRG’s activities with OFDA/LAC have helped increase the capacity of LAC countries. To reflect these positive changes, the RDAP has moved from an instructional capacity building program to providing more technical assistance for disaster preparedness planning, increasing the role of national organizations in disaster assistance, encouraging institutional cooperation, and focusing on disaster risk reduction (DRR) activities. The team has developed a strategy that allows a customized country-specific approach to risk management and addresses specific local and national requirements.
Current RDAP activities include:
- Providing technical assistance to public and private disaster agencies to identify training needs, review and test national emergency plans, and identify vulnerabilities and mitigation projects;
- Supporting the regional OFDA team in response, primarily conducting damage assessments and needs analyses, and linking response to mitigation opportunities and oversight of relief operations; and
- Incorporating DRR activities such as securing livelihood assets, preventing shelter loss, and building capacity for disaster preparedness and response in the curriculum of local schools and universities.
In 2009 IRG was directly involved with OFDA's response to Hurricanes Ida, Jimena and Rick; the earthquake in Costa Rica; flooding in Brazil and Colombia; and Influenza A/H1N1 throughout the region. IRG is currently assisting OFDA in its response to the January 12, 2010 earthquake in Haiti. |
| Protecting Biological Diversity in the Amazon, 2006-2011 |
| USAID |
| This IRG project is designed to build capacity and commitment across the Amazon Basin for effective stewardship of the Basin’s nationally and globally important biological diversity and environmental services. Activities focus on forging linkages between the four independent consortia by organizing meetings, supporting capacity building, and providing communications and dissemination of lessons learned. Outreach to other regional stakeholders through strengthening public-private partnerships, implementing a small grants program and promoting dialogue around policy and conservation issues are also important components implemented by IRG. |
| Training on the Use and Applicability of Bureau Environmental Guidelines, 2001-2002 |
| USAID |
| IRG developed a training module in English and Spanish for USAID missions and their partners on the use and applicability of USAID environmental guidelines. |
Related Publication:
2003-12
LAC Guidelines-Part 1.pdf (2.41Mb) Part
2.pdf (1.9 Mb) |
| Review of USAID's
Natural Forest Management Programs, 2000-2001 |
| USAID |
| IRG assessed achievements and identified successful programs
in USAID's natural forest management activities of the past
15 years. IRG prepared a multi-country review and site visit
of programs in Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras,
and Peru;
a desk review was conducted for Costa Rica. IRG organized a three-day workshop in Bolivia to discuss assessments and recommendations with key stakeholders. |
Bolivia
| El Alto – Lake Titicaca Pollution Management, 2008-2013 |
| USAID/Bolivia |
Pollution in the waters of the El Alto - Lake Titicaca axis is destroying biodiversity and lowering the quality of health for the people in the area. Under this project, IRG is working to improve pollution management through the prevention of industrial and urban pollution and better management of the Cohana Bay watershed region. IRG has identified and monitoring key pollutants that harm Lake Titicaca’s biodiversity. Additionally, with its national partner, the Center for the Promotion of Sustainable Technology, IRG is helping the tannery, liquor and beverage, textiles, and slaughterhouses implement cleaner production technologies. To improve management of the Cohana Bay, IRG been working closely with indigenous leaders and communitiesto reducecontamination while developing renewable energy and organic products.
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| Support for the Kaa-lya People of the Gran Chaco National Park and Integrated Management Areas, 1998-2001 |
| USAID/Bolivia |
| IRG provided technical assistance in preparing a resource and right-of-way study that developed guidelines for natural resource valuation and compensation for indigenous communities living in and around protected areas that will be affected by the construction of the Bolivia-Brazil gas pipeline. IRG also analyzed the socioeconomic status in the buffer zones, identifying potential land uses, ecotourism opportunities, and other economic alternatives as a model for sustainable development, along with a retrospective study of USAID's support for the environment in Bolivia to offer an overview assessment of past programs. This work provided policy analysis and guidance for future USAID involvement. |
Costa Rica
| Environmental Security Training, 2004-2005 |
US Army War College and US Southern Command |
| IRG developed and delivered a seven-day environmental security course to members of the military, police and environmental ministries of seven Central American countries. Over 20 speakers and training specialists from the US and Central America collaborated with INCAE (Costa Rican Business School) to provide the armed forces, police corps and environmental officials of the Central American region the tools and knowledge they need to teach environmental security. |
Dominican Republic
| Vulnerability Reduction, 1999-2001 |
| USAID/Dominican Republic
|
| IRG implemented this component of USAID's Hurricane
George recovery program by: |
- coordinating USAID mission programs with work carried out
by other US government agencies and the government of the
Dominican Republic, under loans from banks, donors, and
assistance programs;
- providing technical assistance and training to improve the disaster and response capacity of the National Disaster Commission and the
Civil Defense Agency;
- assisting communities in adopting disaster mitigation and preparedness techniques and training; and
- assisting in the development and implementation of disaster and
contingency plans to improve the response capacity of the Committee for Disaster Mitigation.
In April 2000, $650,000 was added to the program to fund two local NGOs, selected by IRG to implement community disaster vulnerability reduction programs. IRG managed the coordination of technical interventions at the community level and liaisons between disaster prevention committees and US government agencies. |
| Improved Policies for Environmental Protection
(IPEP), 2003-2007 |
| USAID/Dominican Republic |
| IPEP helped the Secretariat of the Environment become
a mature organization able to fulfill its legal mandates. IRG
provided technical assistance and training to the Secretariat
and civil society, provided study and observational tours for
key stakeholders, and managed a $1.25 million grant fund for
civil society to raise awareness and promote public participation
in protection of environmental resources. |
Environmental Assessment,
Policy Reform, and Institutional Strengthening,
2000-2002 |
| USAID/Dominican Republic |
| IRG carried out a countrywide environmental assessment, documenting
trends since 1980 in agricultural land use, vegetative cover,
forestry, biodiversity, and water quality and quantity. The
assessment also charted the emergence of urban environmental
problems, reviewed major policies, and traced the evolution
of the institutional framework. The Dominican Republic's Secretariat
of the Environment used the analysis and recommendations to develop a new plan for sustainable environmental management of the country's natural resources. IRG also helped the secretariat develop a policy agenda to facilitate sustainable natural resource use and create an institutional framework for policy implementation. In addition, IRG designed an environmental policy formulation seminar and presented it to senior staff, emphasizing the interaction between environmental and macroeconomic policies and the importance of dialogue in creating an effective policy framework.
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Related Publications:
2002-11 Plan para Manejo del Parque Nacional-Spanish.pdf (92Kb)
2002-10 DR Biodiversity Law-Spanish.pdf (235Kb)
2002-05 DR final Diagnostico ley bio-Spanish.pdf (87Kb)
2002-03 DR Marina Norms preliminary report-Spanish.pdf (153Kb) |
Ecuador
| Ecuador Coastal Resources Management Program (PMRC), 2003 |
USAID/Ecuador |
| IRG provided technical assistance to the Programa de Manejo de Recursos Costeros Etapa (PMRC) II, an agency under the Office of the President of Ecuador and charged with coastal zone management. IRG technical assistance to PMRC included developing four studies in integrated coastal zone management and a series of planning and operational documents, all produced and published in Spanish. |
| Rural Electrification
Project, 2001 |
| World Bank |
| As part of the national rural electrification plan, the Government
of Ecuador, with the assistance of the World Bank Global Environment
Fund, aimed to remove barriers to energy efficiency and energy
conservation. IRG participated in the preparation of the appraisal
document, including data collection for assessment and review
of the current status of rural electrification, evaluation of
the institutional and technology options, review of the existing
policy environment and constraints affecting rural electrification,
and input on the design of pilot and demonstration projects. |
El Salvador
| Municipal
Disaster Mitigation, 2002-2004 |
| USAID |
| The Municipal Disaster Mitigation Program aimed to reduce the loss of life, livelihood, and property resulting from natural disasters. IRG assisted in strengthening the capacity of municipalities to prepare for and mitigate natural disasters through participatory planning. Municipal emergency operations committees were established in 30 target locales that ensured balanced representation among women, vulnerable groups, and other stakeholders. Training workshops were coordinated that promoted participatory planning in community development, with a special focus on disaster preparedness. |
| Ecological
Study of the Biodiversity for the Coffee Regions of El Salvador,
2001 |
| Coffee Research Foundation, World
Bank and Global
Environment Facility |
| IRG studied 20 coffee plantations to evaluate the ecological criteria for biodiversity-friendly coffee production. The evaluation included developing a scale to represent
the importance of biodiversity for coffee plantations; an inventory of birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles; and an inventory of trees to determine the percentage of shade coverage, diversity, and structure on the plantations. The results showed the structures and minimum density and diversity of trees and shade needed to create livable habitats for threatened wildlife species. The findings facilitated the design
and evaluation of coffee certification programs oriented to encourage biodiversity-conserving coffee plantation management. |
Guatemala
| Environmental Policy and Institutional Strengthening Support of Selected Environmental Issues, 2000-2002 |
| USAID/Guatemala |
| To support USAID/Guatemala's strategic objective to improve natural resources and conserve biodiversity, IRG provided technical assistance on the national system
of protected areas, inter-institutional cooperation and collaboration mechanisms, increased decentralization of the environmental sector, financial mechanisms and business plans, and overall assistance to USAID management. IRG helped
Guatemala organize and establish its Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. In collaboration with key stakeholders, IRG conducted environmental analyses necessary for national ministries on protected area, forest, and environmental policies. IRG also assessed operational and structural policies in the Maya Biosphere Reserve. This assessment, along with a review of current intermediate results, led to a restructuring of USAID/Guatemala's environmental program. |
Haiti
| Agriculturally Sustainable
Systems and Environmental Transformation (ASSET), 1997-2002
|
| USAID/Haiti |
In response to devastating erosion that has limited Haiti's
agricultural production
and economic possibilities, the ASSET program was designed to improve productivity and environmental management and address the factors that contributed to the degradation. IRG's activities included community-based tree planting and productive infrastructure protection, a natural resource management fund, and an environmental and conservation awareness campaign. |
Honduras
Integrated Watershed Management, 2004–2010 |
USAID |
| The Manejo Integrade de Recursos Ambientales (MIRA) Project focused on 12 watersheds in Honduras. Specifically, its key objectives were to increase the capacity of Hondurans to conserve biodiversity and effectively manage their natural resources; improve their response to natural disasters; and accelerate economic growth through the introduction of environmentally safe products and services. |
| Plan Nacional de Educacion en Desastres, 2002-2003 |
| World Bank and Comisión Permanente de Contingencies (COPECO) |
| To improve the Government of Honduras' capabilities in understanding
natural disasters, risk, and vulnerability, and create a culture
of disaster prevention within the school system, IRG helped
develop a national education plan for disaster prevention. During
the course of this project, IRG carried out a study of the Honduran
education system's disaster education programs and designed
a national education plan to be incorporated into the national
education curriculum. IRG also produced instruction guides and
manuals, conducted several seminars for teachers and students,
and submitted a final report. |
| Effective and
Sustainable Water Management, 2002 |
| USAID/Honduras
|
| To improve water management in Honduras, IRG participated in stakeholder meetings; identified and met with key constituents in the institutional and policy environments; identified and provided copies of technical reports relevant to the design effort; prepared a synthesis of USAID and Honduran experiences in natural resource and water resource policy; compiled a list of interventions with the most potential to achieve sustainable watershed management results; and incorporated its findings into a brief, with recommendations in water policy and the institutional and regulatory framework. |
Jamaica
| Tariff Review, 2000-2001 |
| Southern Energy International |
| IRG provided advisory services to the Office of Utility Regulation to develop a framework for tariff review and submission to the Jamaica Public Service Company.
IRG also assisted Southern Energy International on regulatory and tariff issues. |
Panama
Panama Improved Management and Conservation Through Critical Watersheds, 2006-2010 |
This project strategically focused resources on mitigating key threats facing the Panama Canal Watershed and improving its ability to maintain the hydrological functioning of the system, protected biodiversity, and enhanced rural economic development. IRG and its partner support improved watershed management and biodiversity conservation by: assisting communities and government agencies in developing and implementing action plans for sub-watershed management; providing small grants and technical assistance to small businesses for resource management, biodiversity conservation, and community-based new enterprise development and strengthening; providing training and technical assistance to incorporate good management practices, developing business plans, and and linking small businesses to buyers and markets to support the creation of new enterprises; and strengthening the policy and institutional enabling conditions to improve environmental management in the watershed.
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| Institutional Support for Sustainable Environmental Management of the Panama Canal Watershed, 1999-2001 |
| USAID/Panama |
IRG provided institutional strengthening and support to Panama's
government
and agencies that manage the Panama Canal Watershed. Focusing on new laws governing management of the canal and its transfer of ownership to Panama, the Inter-Institutional Commission for the Panama Canal Watershed coordinates the proper environmental management of the watershed. This project helped ensure
that the commission functioned effectively and worked in collaboration with all stakeholder groups.
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Related Publications:
2003-01 Panama Canal watershed final report.pdf (62Kb)
2002-03 Seminario de Manejo de Cuencas 201-Panama.pdf (590Kb)
2002-03 Portafolio Inicial de Proyectos MDL-Panama.pdf (159Kb)
2001-07 Manejo Integral-Canal de Panama.pdf (251Kb)
2001-04 Plan de Inversiones de Infraestructura-Panama Canal.pdf (909Kb)
2001-12 Incentivos Economicos-Produccion Mas Limpia-Panama.pdf (558 Kb) |
| Socioeconomic Data for the Western Region of the Panama Canal, 2001-2002 |
| Panama Canal Authority |
| The increase of international maritime traffic through the Panama Canal and future traffic projections motivated the Panama Canal Authority to prepare a long-term master plan to modernize canal services so that they can continue to be reliable, efficient, and competitive. IRG supported this project by establishing a precisely detailed database to optimize analysis, carrying out an inventory of the community and individual structures in the directly affected areas, coordinating the module elaborating epidemiological characteristics of the sub-watersheds, and tracking
social demographics. |
| Panama Capacity Building Plan for Beneficiaries (Users) of the Actions of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor, 2002-2003 |
| World Bank and Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura (IICA) |
| IRG was tasked with strengthening the organization and structure of capacity building activities for the local populations in the areas of project management, equity and gender issues, environmentally friendly production technologies, and environmental management. Taking into account both user needs and the action proposals of the project, IRG identified the requirements and defined the needs of coordination and cooperation between various agencies. IRG prepared and delivered 20 final training modules used to educate the program's nearly 500 participants. |
Peru
| Peru Strengthened Environmental Management Activity (STEM), 2003-2006 |
| USAID/Peru |
| IRG implemented this project to address four priority
challenges of Peru's environment: tropical forest loss, threatened
biodiversity, urban pollution, and industrial pollution. IRG
used a demand-driven Environmental Management System (EMS) approach
that involves systematic voluntary self-interest undertakings
to meet environmental needs and societal interests. EMS was used to help address industrial pollution, and USAID support
of a Clean Production Center. IRG built an information
database for practical EMS applications in Peru. Technical
and financial support was provided to selected EMS "early
adopters" in the four priority areas. |
| Huallaga Environmental Agenda, 2002-2003 |
| USAID/Peru |
| Particularly in the Alto and Medio Huallaga basins, areas supported by USAID's Alternative Development Program, IRG focused on mitigating biodiversity threats, improving natural resource and forest management among residents, and helping local communities meet their livelihood needs. These goals were met by promoting income generating practices, boosting public participation in the local development process, and establishing an implementation framework and monitoring plan. |
| BORDER, 2001-2002
|
| USAID/Peru |
| This development project focused on improving the quality of life for Peruvians along the Ecuador border, in socially and environmentally sustainable ways. IRG helped develop plans for natural resource inventories and sustainable resource use with the Aguaruna and Huambisa indigenous communities. |
Biodiversity and Fragile Ecosystem Conservation and
Management (BIOFOR), 1998-2002 |
| USAID/Peru |
| BIOFOR addressed ecosystem issues by providing technical assistance
to government agencies that helped develop leadership capability,
policy improvements and implementation, and sustainable management
of Peru's biologically diverse areas, fragile ecosystems, and
tropical forests. IRG developed a management information system,
established local technical advisory committees at six BIOFOR
sites, and organized a coordination committee among donors.
IRG also developed economic valuation criteria and conducted
socioeconomic studies for forest concessions, provided assistance
for a protected area management strategy, compiled an inventory
of NGOs with a presence at activity sites, and completed ecological
economic zoning analysis for the entire department of Madre
de Dios, the richest biodiversity zone in Peru. IRG developed
and implemented training in strategic planning and financial
management for NGOs at activity sites and launched a grant program
at sites surrounding six protected areas. |
Related Publications:
2002-04 BIOFOR Peru-Final Report.pdf (552Kb)
2002-02 Identificacion de Indicadores Economicos-Peru.pdf (276 Kb) |
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