Network on Watersheds Management

History of the network and its role in watershed development at national and regional level

The Latin American Technical Cooperation Network on Watershed Management (RDLACH) was created in 1980, in order to progress in watershed management and in the promotion of sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean, with the support of the FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean. The initiative arises from a meeting held in Cali, Colombia, of institutions involved in watershed management of several countries of Latin America, being initially constituted by Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru.

REDLACH is a technical mechanism, constituted by public and public or independent institutions of member countries of the Network. The general purpose of the Network is to generate a progressive increase of the technological capacity of the countries through the exchange of experiences and knowledge, the horizontal technical cooperation and the promotion of watershed management programs and investment projects. 

FAO, through its Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, has a driving and catalytic role of the Network. Also, provide direct technical collaboration, coordinates compatible efforts, distributes information on this, disseminates the activities and results of REDLACH and collaborates in the follow-up actions.

REDLACH is constituted by National Coordinations and a Regional Coordination. At the national level of each country, the National Coordination will be in charge of an institution accredited by the own country for the purpose. The Regional Coordination is performed by a National Coordinator elected by the other National Coordinators.

Currently, REDLACH is integrated by Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. The Regional Coordination is in charge of Uruguay. 

The role of REDLACH is to facilitate the exchange of information and promote technical cooperation between countries, through the development of the following activities:

1. Disseminate valid knowledge and experiences of use to the remaining countries of the Region in relation to the use, conservation, natural resource protection and community participation in watersheds.
2. Consolidate the watershed concept as a physical unit of management and encourage its application at governmental level in each one of the countries of the Network.
3. Strengthen the process of exchange of information and technical cooperation between member countries of REDLACH, in particular the training processes at all level.
4. Promote the harmonization of criteria with respect to the conceptual and methodological framework to be applied to the management and conservation of watersheds.
5. Maintain close relationship and promote joint activities between REDLACH and agencies of technical cooperation and multilateral financing.
6. Identify and promote regional strategies and management actions in shared watersheds, to establish a plan of action between the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Objectives of a Watershed Network

• Seek the technical complementation of the public and private agencies involved in watershed management.
• Articulate the institutions that handle standards in force on the use of the resources available in the watersheds.
• Harmonize criteria between the different agencies involved in watersheds, before the formulation of strategies or execute development programs.
• Establish a reference framework, coordinating technical, legal and financial actions.
• Guide integrated and sustainable development, under an efficiency and equity criteria.
• Generate alternatives for action.
• In accordance to available resources.
• Feasible to put in practice.
• Politically feasible so that they are considered as effective elements of decision.

Way of action of a National Watershed

MUST HAVE: 

• total coordination of participating actors of the watershed,
• management authority of its constituents for decision making,
• capacity to issue clear mandates,
• demand results and ensure continuity of actions.

MUST APPROACH DEVELOPMENT: 

• from inside: with technical assistance systems, encouraging self-management,
• from outside: with participation in regional and national programs,
• systematizing them in a common focus, conciliating the different interests, joining efforts and routing the actions in an inter-institutional and multisectoral way.

MUST COMPATIBILIZATE:

• the interests of the different sectors involved,
• production with the conservation of natural resources,
• the quality of life of its inhabitants with the environmental balance,
• watershed management with the national policies and development strategies.

Activities to be carried out

1. Define the concept, scopes and characterizations of integrated and sustainable watershed management.
2. Encourage the creation and promote activities of local Committees in each one of the national watersheds.
3. Carry out training and extension courses, both for technicians and community inhabitants. 
4. Organize workshops, congresses and seminars to disseminate the knowledge on the issue. 
5. Create a database on integrated watershed management. 
6. Promote the creation of pilot watersheds with the application of integrated management. 
7. Carry out technical visits through the different national watersheds. 
8. Keep a fluid exchange with the member countries of the Latin American Technical Cooperation Network on Watershed Management. 
9. Obtain financing to carry out promotion and development activities in the issue.
10. Tend to consolidate and apply the integrated and sustainable development concept of watersheds with an inter-institutional and multisectoral approach, trying to enhance the livelihood of its inhabitants and the equilibrium of its environment.