BIO-PLATEAUX: strengthen transboundary cooperation for water resources and aquatic biodiversity management in the Guiana shield
Guiana Water Office (OEG), France
(
Local / Regional Government
)
#SDGAction51650
Description
1. Context and objectives
The BIO-PLATEAUX initiative aims at promoting international cooperation for the transboundary river basins of Maroni and Oyapock, where significant progress has been made over the past 4 years of collaboration between French Guiana, Suriname and the Brazilian state of Amapá.
In a context of exceptional environmental richness and cultural diversity within both the Guiana shield and the Amazonian region, the shared basins are facing transboundary challenges:
-Lack of access to essential services (drinking water supply, sanitation and solid waste management) in isolated areas,
-Increasing pressures on water resources and aquatic environments (especially linked to illegal gold mining and overuse of sediments)
-Climate change and its consequences for the territories, with higher frequency and intensity of extreme events, including floods.
To tackle these issues, the objective of the initiative is to establish joint governance and river basin planning, with the creation of a transboundary Observatory on water resources and aquatic biodiversity.
The collaborative work initiated in the first phase of BIO-PLATEAUX initiative (2019-2022) allowed to develop a joint knowledge and identified specific needs for future integrated water resources & aquatic biodiversity management (IWRBM) in the Maroni and Oyapock river basins. The second phase of BIO-PLATEAUX (2022-2026) is developing concrete activities to respond to these priorities.
2. Results of Phase 1 (2019-2022)
The first Phase of BIO-PLATEAUX focused on knowledge, as a leverage basis for the IWRM long term strategy. Knowledge has been developed in three dimensions:
-to know each other better, at high level (BIO-PLATEAUX Conference in November 2019, labeled as an action of French National Plan of Biodiversity –Action N°62) and technical level, with creation of thematic technical working groups on priority issues
-to know better water resources, with strengthening interoperability, development of a joint platform for data and information sharing (www.bio-plateaux.org), consolidating the rivers monitoring networks, studies and joint campaigns,
-to make known the challenges and expectancies of the territories in an inclusive manner with populations (participative activities, water classes) and technicians (innovative studies and capacity building).
3. Commitments for Phase 2 (2022-2026)
The Phase 1 closed on 30th April 2022 with the signature of a statement by the implementing partners. They formulated the common willingness to prepare the creation of a Transboundary Observatory. The Phase 2 focus on this Transboundary Observatory, with four components:
-Institutional prefiguration (legal, organizational, and economic studies), and proposal of participative governance schemes for the Observatory and its articulation with the existing institutional framework of transboundary basin,
-Animation of the network of actors, with International Conference, participative activities in coordination with local authorities and autochthonous communities, territorial workshops, identification of priority joint projects, awareness raising, and articulation with the Amazonian basin,
-Knowledge and studies, with 3 main technical working groups on hydrology & risks; pollution, quality of aquatic environments & aquatic biodiversity; and essential services (drinking water supply, sanitation, solid waste management),
-River basin planning, starting with defining a joint methodology, prepare baseline, common diagnosis on the basin and definition of joint objectives.
This action will be a real accelerator for SDG implementation in the Guiana shield. For SDG n°6 and n°15, challenges are shared by all the territories. No long term solution would be found in the region without sustainable transboundary cooperation, which requires adapted governance, citizen participation, knowledge management and river basin planning.
This long term process will be a concrete support to achievements of SDG on essential services (drinking water supply, sanitation, hygiene, solid waste management) in isolated areas. It will address issues at basin level for water resources & aquatic biodiversity management (reduce contaminations and improve water quality, limit use of sediment, know better to protect stronger natural habitats and biodiversity).
One of the main difficulty identified in Phase 1 was the compartmentalization of responses (within and between countries), although territorial challenges are in facts intertwined. This has been a genuine limitation to achievements of SDGs. The transboundary Observatory will furthermore be a concrete and sustainable instrument to strengthen cooperation in the area, in order to promote an integrated vision. Thus “Interlinkage” is a core objective of this initiative, to avoid sectorial and partial approach, and promote interinstitutional articulation, thematic integration and citizen participation.
Participation will be an important objective of the initiative, to prepare the creation of an inclusive Observatory, including autochthonous populations who are living in the transboundary basins, water and aquatic biodiversity users, in close coordination with local authorities and municipalities.
Innovation will also be a keyword of the initiative, with promotion of both:
-nature based solutions, considering remarkable ecosystem services provided by the Guiana shield at global level (ecosystem services of regulation ; water cycle ; amazon rainforest green carbon capture ; blue carbon sinks with mangroves and aquatic biodiversity), and at local level (risk vulnerability reduction ; natural purification of environment ; provisioning services ; cultural services).
-new disruptive technologies (monitoring of the hydrology of rivers with satellite spatial altimetry; and monitoring of aquatic biodiversity with methods of environmental-DNA), already developed at pilot level in French Guiana, that will be promoted by the project, shared to the neighbors, and integrated to the observatory as operational tools with studies, training and outreach. They could contribute to future solutions in other regions of the world.
In addition, the initiative is holding strong assets:
-BIO-PLATEAUX is supported and promoted by authorities of the three beneficiary territories, with involvement of stakeholders at national and territorial levels,
-the initiative is financed by a group of donors (see below),
-activities are consistent with legal framework of each country, and are actually part of the French Guiana river basins management plan (SDAGE, with legal scope).
Guiana Water Office (OEG), France
French Guiana Committee on Water and Biodiversity (CEB)
Amapa Secretary of State for International Relations and Foreign Trade (SECRICOMEX)
Anton de Kom University of Suriname (AdeKUS)
International Office for Water (IOWater), technical coordinator of the activities
SDGS & Targets
Goal 6
Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
6.1
By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all
6.1.1
Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services
6.2
By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations
6.2.1
Proportion of population using (a) safely managed sanitation services and (b) a hand-washing facility with soap and water
6.3
By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally
6.3.1
Proportion of domestic and industrial wastewater flows safely treated
6.3.2
Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality
6.4
6.4.1
Change in water-use efficiency over time
6.4.2
Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources
6.5
By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate
6.5.1
Degree of integrated water resources management
6.5.2
Proportion of transboundary basin area with an operational arrangement for water cooperation
6.6
6.6.1
Change in the extent of water-related ecosystems over time
6.a
6.a.1
Amount of water- and sanitation-related official development assistance that is part of a government-coordinated spending plan
6.b
Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management
6.b.1
Proportion of local administrative units with established and operational policies and procedures for participation of local communities in water and sanitation management
Goal 15
Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
15.1
By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements
15.1.1
15.1.2
15.2
By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally
15.2.1
15.3
By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world
15.3.1
15.4
By 2030, ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity, in order to enhance their capacity to provide benefits that are essential for sustainable development
15.4.1
15.4.2
15.5
Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species
15.5.1
15.6
Promote fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and promote appropriate access to such resources, as internationally agreed
15.6.1
15.7
Take urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna and address both demand and supply of illegal wildlife products
15.7.1
15.8
By 2020, introduce measures to prevent the introduction and significantly reduce the impact of invasive alien species on land and water ecosystems and control or eradicate the priority species
15.8.1
15.9
By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies and accounts
15.9.1
(a) Number of countries that have established national targets in accordance with or similar to Aichi Biodiversity Target 2 of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 in their national biodiversity strategy and action plans and the progress reported towards these targets; and (b) integration of biodiversity into national accounting and reporting systems, defined as implementation of the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting
15.a
Mobilize and significantly increase financial resources from all sources to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity and ecosystems
15.a.1
(a) Official development assistance on conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity; and (b) revenue generated and finance mobilized from biodiversity-relevant economic instruments
15.b
Mobilize significant resources from all sources and at all levels to finance sustainable forest management and provide adequate incentives to developing countries to advance such management, including for conservation and reforestation
15.b.1
(a) Official development assistance on conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity; and (b) revenue generated and finance mobilized from biodiversity-relevant economic instruments
15.c
Enhance global support for efforts to combat poaching and trafficking of protected species, including by increasing the capacity of local communities to pursue sustainable livelihood opportunities
15.c.1
SDG 14 targets covered
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Region
- Latin America and the Caribbean
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Other countries of the Guiana shield
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Contact Information
Franck , Head of Water Planning Division, Guiana Water Office (OEG), France