Regulatory framework
Establishes the standards applicable to drinking water and sanitation services in the national territory as a basic instrument for promoting quality of life in the population and strengthening sustainable development as a generational legacy.
The National Drinking Water and Sanitation Plan of Honduras (PLANASA) establishes the strategic guidelines, implementation mechanisms and investments required to meet the goals established in the Law for the Establishment of a Country Vision and the Adoption of a Nation Plan for Honduras, in accordance with the institutions established in the Framework Law of the Drinking Water and Sanitation Sector.
The purpose of this Law is to establish the principles and regulations applicable to the proper management of water resources for the protection, conservation, enhancement, and use of water resources in order to promote the integrated management of such resources at the national level.
The Local Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change in the Middle Guacerique River Basin is a document prepared by the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) and the National Institute of Water Resources (INDRHI) in 2022. The objective of the strategy is to contribute to reducing the vulnerability of the middle Guacerique River basin to the impacts of climate change.
The National Climate Change Strategy of Honduras (ENCC) addresses the interactions between different aspects of climate change: causes, manifestations, adverse effects, and response measures, as well as the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of Honduran society. It is part of the overall planning process of the Honduran nation; and in that context, its purpose, focus, scope, and content are consistent with the National Plan (2010-2022) and the Country Vision (2010-2038). The ENCC responds to strategic guideline 7, which refers to regional development, natural resources, and the environment; guideline 11, which pertains to climate change adaptation and mitigation; and guideline 12, which addresses risk management and early recovery from disaster damage and losses.
Decree No. 106-2015 aims to establish the regulatory framework for regulating, protecting, and promoting hydrobiological resources in relation to fishing and aquaculture in the state of Honduras. This includes extraction, cultivation, use, processing, transportation, marketing, and other related activities.
The main objective of the Master Plan is framed within the technical and financial capacity of institutions to implement integrated soil, water, and forest management and achieve comprehensive natural resource management for the well-being of the population. The plan serves as a framework for decision-making on government actions, with broad participation from local actors, the private sector, end users of environmental goods and services in different regions and communities of the country, and international cooperation. It seeks to promote the development of good practices based on these successful experiences under a national strategic framework linked to territories and critical areas. Three key processes are highlighted under its strategic lines: 1) Governance, 2) Knowledge management, and 3) Implementation of sustainable practices.
The main objective of the Strategy is to guide institutional and community action toward the integrated management of the country's watersheds, ensuring the availability and quality of water resources in the medium and long term. Specific objectives include: guaranteeing the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources in watersheds; promoting the active participation of local communities in the management of these resources; and strengthening the institutional and legal framework related to watershed management. It is structured around several strategic axes, including strengthening water governance, conserving and restoring ecosystems, improving risk and disaster management, and promoting sustainable economic development through efficient natural resource management. The proposed actions include the implementation of reforestation and restoration programs for degraded watersheds, the development of technical and organizational capacities in communities, the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices, and the creation of financing and compensation mechanisms for environmental services. In addition, there is a need to coordinate efforts between different government institutions, NGOs, and local communities to ensure integrated and effective management of watersheds.
The National Water Policy strengthens the legal and institutional framework to promote Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) as a process for modernizing the water sector in Honduras. It responds to national challenges by establishing different objectives that guide government action and determine the direction of water policies, recognizing that such management must be conducted in harmony with the country's sustainable development. Access to and sustainable use of water benefits the entire population, achieving a fair balance between the principles of sustainable development: economic efficiency, social equity, and environmental sustainability.
The National Biodiversity Strategy of Honduras 2018-2022 is more than an update; it is a new concept of strategy considered to be the comprehensive, long-term framework for conservation policies through the sustainable use of biological resources, aimed at development and poverty reduction. This framework integrates the values of participation, equity, responsibility, respect, commitment, and solidarity, with the central goal of improving the quality of life of Honduran society. It involves the rational use, protection, and knowledge of biodiversity to achieve its conservation in perpetuity. It is a framework consistent with the national efforts that have been made for many years and involves each and every one of the social and economic sectors, both public and private, and each and every Honduran. The formulation of the ENBPAH is part of the commitments made by Honduras when it signed and ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which came out of the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992, specifically Article 6 of that Convention. This article establishes the need for signatory countries to develop national sectoral and intersectoral strategies, plans or programs in accordance with the objectives of the Convention, or to adapt existing ones to it. In the case of Honduras, in addition to complying with the provisions of the aforementioned article and having the possibility of an intersectoral guide for biodiversity management, the process of updating the ENBPAH was also identified as an opportunity to analyze national progress in complying with the Convention and to update existing information on the country's biodiversity so that it is available for decision-making consistent with the national reality.
2023 budget approved by the National Congress of Honduras for the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, which details the budget allocation for the following programs: National Irrigated Agriculture Program; Fisheries and Aquaculture Promotion; Agri-Food Development Program; Agri-Food Information Service; Rural Competitiveness Program.
Decree 66-2013 approves a direct loan between CABEI and the Government of Honduras for the implementation of the Irrigated Agricultural Development Project in the amount of USD 52.03 million, for a term of up to 15 years. The program includes the development of five components: Rehabilitation, construction, and modernization of irrigation areas; Technical assistance and marketing; Local organization and development; Environmental management; Program coordination unit.
The Treaty between the Republics of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras for the Implementation of the Trifinio Plan is a formal agreement between these countries with the aim of implementing the Trifinio Plan, a comprehensive development project in the shared border region known as the Trifinio Region. The treaty seeks the sustainable development of the region, improving the living conditions of its inhabitants and preserving its biological wealth. A tri-national institutional structure with administrative, financial, and technical autonomy is established, headed by the Tri-National Commission. The Trifinio Plan encompasses programs, subprograms, projects, and actions coordinated at the tri-national level for the sustainable management of natural resources and the development of communities in this region. The treaty also includes provisions on financing, stipulating that the governments of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras will contribute equitably to the financial resources necessary for the operation of the plan's institutional structure. In addition, additional technical and financial cooperation is contemplated, including grants and non-reimbursable assistance.
The Master Plan for the Trifinio Region is a comprehensive initiative focused on promoting sustainable development in the region shared by El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. This plan is supported by the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) and is aligned with the Central American Integration System (SICA), focusing its efforts on environmental management and territorial development to improve the living conditions of border communities. The plan originated after the establishment of the Tri-National Commission of the Trifinio Plan (CTPT) in 1997. This plan includes strategic guidelines, programs, subprograms, and initiatives that form a portfolio of projects aimed at closing development gaps and improving quality of life. The plan emphasizes sustainable economic development with an environmental focus, proposing investments in agricultural technology, infrastructure, education, health, and tourism, among others. The objective of the plan is to implement a strategy that contributes to the comprehensive, sustainable, and inclusive human development of the Trifinio region over the next 30 years, responding to global and territorial challenges and opportunities. The master plan aims to promote a cross-border and sustainable socioeconomic model, consolidating trinational productive chains and social infrastructure that contribute to socioeconomic integration and improve the quality of life of the inhabitants of the Trifinio region.
The Policy establishes guidelines for the planning, management, and sustainable use of biodiversity, recognizing its value for the country's economic and social development. It focuses on coordination and participation among various sectors, including government, businesses, academia, indigenous and Afro-descendant communities, and civil society, with the aim of reducing biodiversity loss and ensuring equitable benefits for present and future generations. The overall objectives of the policy are to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity, promote intersectoral participation and coordination, and reduce biodiversity loss through unified efforts. Specifically, it seeks to strengthen institutional capacities and promote governance in biodiversity management, promote the conservation of ecosystems, species, and genetic diversity through preservation and education strategies, and encourage the sustainable use of biodiversity based on scientific and traditional knowledge. The policy is structured around three strategic pillars: governance and institutional strengthening, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable use of biodiversity. The first pillar proposes decentralizing and coordinating actions with relevant entities, creating and harmonizing legal instruments, and implementing efficient financial mechanisms. The second pillar focuses on strengthening in situ and ex situ conservation mechanisms, managing knowledge and raising public awareness, and implementing climate change adaptation and mitigation measures. The third pillar promotes sustainable use in a participatory manner, implements economic and non-economic incentives, and encourages ecosystem restoration and cooperation between sectors.
The Social Entrepreneurship Program (PES) of the Inter-American Development Bank is an initiative that supports community economic and social development projects. The objectives of these initiatives include job training for at-risk youth, drinking water services in rural communities, alternative guarantees for agricultural credit, biofuel production, solar power generation, fostering entrepreneurship among young technicians and professionals, and modernizing small industrial workshops.
Institutional Framework
Ensure the expansion of coverage, sectoral planning, and governance in the management of drinking water and sanitation services, under the principles of quality, equity, solidarity, respect for the environment, and citizen participation, through the effective implementation of the Framework Law and its Regulations.
The Secretariat of Agriculture and Livestock (SAG), created by Decree No. 218-96, in accordance with the sectoral framework established in the Law on Modernization and Development of the Agricultural Sector and the Government Plan for the period 2002-2006, aims to make national agricultural production competitive, sustainable, and capable of integrating into the international economy, responding to the needs of the domestic market and integrating into a human, social, and environmental development framework based on self-management, community participation, gender equality, and sustainable management of natural resources.
The Secretariat of Agriculture and Livestock (SAG) and the General Directorate of Irrigation and Drainage (DGRD) were created within the framework of the State Modernization Program, based on Legislative Decree 218-96 of December 1996 (Reform of the General Law on Public Administration) and Executive Decree PMC-008-97 of June 1997 (Regulations on the Organization, Functioning, and Powers of the Executive Branch), with the purpose of supporting the development and transformation of the National Agricultural Sector. The General Directorate of Irrigation and Drainage is attached to and reports directly to the Undersecretary of Agriculture, closely coordinating its activities with the other directorates that make up the SAG.
The ERSAPS is a decentralized institution attached to the Ministry of Health, with functional, technical, and administrative independence, responsible for regulating and controlling the provision of drinking water and sanitation services throughout the country.
The Honduran Association of Water Systems Management Boards (AHJASA) provides technical assistance to approximately 300 community-based water systems organizations to increase access to and improve the quality of water for rural families.
The Secretariat of Natural Resources and Environment (SERNA), in accordance with the General Environment Law, is the entity responsible for preserving an environment suitable for human health and promoting sustainable development through the protection and proper use of natural resources and ecosystems.
In Honduras, a country highly vulnerable to the climate crisis, at least 5.5 million people, 56.7 % of the population, do not have access to safe sanitation, according to official figures from Water For People.In some areas of Honduras, the cost of a barrel of the precious liquid ranges between 40 and 60 lempiras (between 1.62 and 2.44 dollars), an amount that families in Honduras, where more than 70 % of the population lives in poverty, often cannot afford.
Honduras
Links of interest:
The water supply in Honduras is 87. The supply of water in Honduras is 87,000 cubic hectometers per year, but the demand for the liquid (2,300 cubic hectometers) is not satisfied in relation to the total coverage of access, as there is still a large gap between urban and rural areas, according to official figures.The construction of dams is one of the great challenges of Honduras to ensure access to water, for which the country requires an investment of at least 2,300 million lempiras (93.6 million dollars), according to the Regulatory Entity of Drinking Water and Sanitation Services (Ersaps).