SNL - GAIA - Nicaragua Panel 3

Nicaragua Water Resources Management Initiative

The third panel reviewed the vital issues selected by the second panel and identified for each issue a preliminary list of information considered necessary for decision makers to successfully manage Nicaragua’s water resources. The panelists were divided into four working groups, one for each issue. Each group was tasked with identifying information needed to address the specified issue. The panels further identified the information needs by category: national, macro or regional, and micro levels. Within these categories, the panels addressed both specific and general topics. (Panelists)

The panelists adopted the list of specific information needs shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Vital Issues and the Corresponding Information Needs

Issue	Specific Information Needed
Inadequate planning and control for the management of water resources	National Level Updating the institutional framework Judiciary harmony Identification of roles Strengthening the community Sustainability norms Necessity or demand Macro-Regional Level Inventory and diagnosis Resource strategy Quality and quantity Current and potential uses, assessment of exploitation projects. Management and recuperation on an exploratory level and semi-details including participatory processes Micro Level Inventory and diagnosis at a detailed level Strategy Quality and quantity Current and potential uses in basic planning units Socioeconomic planning Decision making based on the water balance with participation of the society All information related to the water basin
Lack of human and financial resources	Database that includes capacities and experience of the market supply of professionals that have the capacity to contribute to the production of information and improving the management of the resource water that should be located in the new Water Authority Information to establish a relationship between the production of human resources and the labor market Database about the technicians in the municipalities and universities related to the resource water and its management Data about critical areas or basins that could be used as a model for the management of other basins, and could help stop the advancement of the agricultural frontier Available information that could be incorporated in formal and informal education with emphasis on the care of the resource Information regarding the use of water in the territory that could be used as a basis to guarantee financial resources for the recuperation and conservation of the resource
Deficient management of water resources caused by inaccurate or insufficient information	Climate conditions Hydrogeologic characteristics Hydrology Socioeconomic conditions Available volumes and demand Actual and potential use of soils Potential sources of contamination Water quality Feasibility of use Physiography Epidemiology Planning National and international agreements about water resources
Misuse and contamination of water resources caused by insufficient education of the population	Information that helps citizens visualize the deterioration of the water resource and its relationship to health, environment, economy, and social aspects Indicators of efficiency related to the water resource (costs per patient, costs per cubic meter of drinking water) Epidemiological studies related to water resources Successful experiences of good use of the water resource, appropriate technology and citizen participation Results of the research of contamination of water and its consequences Laws, regulations, norms and results of related topics of the water resource Programs of environmental education of the universities and schools

The following list of general information needs for establishing the IS was also identified:

Information macroindicators of the resource, such as:
- Volume in quantity and classification of quality
- Precipitation
- Volume of flow
- Temperatures
- Evaporation and wind speeds
- Infiltration
- Relative humidity
- Climatic, cyclical
- Demand and availability
Implementation of an information system for monitoring and environmental audit of water data
- Quantity and quality of the resource (What do we have?)
- Water balance
- Factors that interact with the resource
  - Pollutants
  - Users
  - Forest management

For more information contact Dr. Dennis Engi, (505) 845-8284.

Project Manager: Reynold Tamashiro Webmaster: Brad Nation

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Original Page Designer: Mark Engi

Last modified: 31 March 1999

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