Water Resource Management in Costa Rica - NSTA 2010

WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

IN MONTEVERDE, COSTA RICAIntegrated Water Resources Program

Monteverde Institute

Justin C. Welch03 August 2010

Aspects of Water Resources

Anthropogenic: Health/ Wellbeing Economic Recreation Human right

Natural: Hydrologic Biological Chemical Ecological

Considerations Quality & Quantity

Variable: Time & Space

Source: Astorga, 2008.

Availability vs. Usability

Source: Astorga, 2008.

• 97.4% access to drinkable water and 76% to potable water

• Of the 24.8% of the total population with sewerage, only 6.7% has wastewater treatment plant

Key Legal MechanismsConstitution Regulations

OVER 100 LEGAL INSTRUMENTS!

1

DPAH

AmbienteHumano

Ruido

Desechos

Vertidos

Emisiones Fuentes fijasSustanciaspeligrosas

2

DT

Emisionesvehiculares

3 4 5 6 7 8

CA SETENA DIGECA TAA

LegislaciónAmbiental

EIAOAT

Suelo

Aire

Agua

Biota

Social

Paisaje

Prevención ycontrol de la

contaminación

ÁreasprotegidasRecursosBiológicos

SINAC

CorrecciónAmbiental

Gestión de Recursos Hídricos

superficiales

DA

9 10 11 12

DS DSV DSA

Uso yconservación

Del suelo

Gestión de Recursos Hídricos

subterráneos

SENARA

Sanidadvegetal

Sanidadanimal

13 14 15 16 17

DPDUICTDCVC

Control yvigilancia de

cuencashidrográficas

Zonamarítimoterrestre

Recursosarqueológicos

DA

Planificacióny desarrollo

urbano

PrevenciónY atención

de desastres

MS MINAE MAG AYA MT MJCD INVU CNE

CONAM

PresidenteMP

MEP MICIT

MIDEPLAN

MOPT

Geología / Recursos del

subsuelo

Gestión de Recursos

Hidrocarburados

Fuentes de

energía

Source: Astorga, 2008.

Non-regulatory Management

– Communities – Education centers– Watersheds– Carbon neutral institutions

Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT)

By Will Kutosky

Urban Pollution–Grey water (312-365k L/d)–Black water (98%- septic)–Stormwater–Solid waste

General Problems

Agricultural Pollution–Organic pollution–Erosion

Supply–Distribution systems–Legal/Governance

Integrated Water Resources Program

- I W R P -

EDUCATIONCOMMUNITY

ENGAGEMENTRESEARCH

Growth Trends

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

Año

Población

Población Local-EBAIS No. 8 Visitantes Extranjeros- RBNMV

Visitanted Nacionales-RBNMV

5.03%

3.8%

PROGRAMA BANDERA AZUL ECOLÓGICA II Categoría: “Comunidades”

Potable water

Solid & liquid wastes

Road signage

Environmental education

Public health & saftey

Protection of water resources

Aquatic Macro-Invertebrates

Dissolved Oxygen

Conductivity

Stream Flow

Temperature

Phosphate

Turbidity

Nitrate

pH

Parameters

ENE

FEB

MARABR

MAYJU

N JUL

AGO SEP

OCTNOV DIC

0

20

40

60

80

100

Turbiedad

Esc. Creativa

Col. Sta Elena

Esc. Adventista

Friend's School

Jr Rangers

Mes

Turb

ieda

d (J

TU)

EXCELLENT

GOOD

FAIR

POOR

Justin C. Welch, MScCoordinator, Integrated Water Resources ProgramMonteverde Institutejcwelch@mvinstitute.org+011-506-2-645-5053 (ext. 119)

Questions?