It will involve an investment of 2.5 million euros (around 68 million lempiras) in four strategic actions in the areas of water resources, environmental information, public awareness and decarbonization.
Tegucigalpa, May 16, 2023. The European Union (EU) and the Government of Honduras, through the Euroclima Program, launched today an ambitious plan to combat climate change, valued at 2.5 million euros (about 68 million lempiras). The Honduras-Euroclima Country Action Plan includes actions in the areas of water resource management, improvement of environmental and climate information systems, training, and awareness of the public on climate change and decarbonization and climate resilience of the Honduran economy.
The plan's launch event, held at the Auditorium of the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH), was co-chaired by Lucky Medina, Minister of the (SERNA), and Felice Zaccheo, Head of Unit for Central America, and the Caribbean of the European Commission's Directorate General for International Partnerships. It was also attended by other SERNA authorities, including the Vice Minister of Environment, Malcolm Stufkens, and the Ambassador of the European Union in Honduras, Jaume Segura.
Minister Lucky Medina has stated "climate justice is a priority in the Government of Refoundation. This funding will be translated into direct support to communities, generation of publicly accessible data, community planning and institutional strengthening. The long-term vision of this Program is in line with the mission entrusted by President Xiomara Castro: to build spaces in harmony with nature", he emphasized.
Felice Zaccheo explained that "the Global Gateway Strategy is the mechanism being promoted by the European Union to reduce the investment gap in partner countries, strengthen economic recovery and resilience and accompany the just, green and digital transition, supporting the fulfilment of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agenda".
The Honduras-Euroclima Action Plan is the result of the participatory dialogue that the program has developed with the country. This dialogue process was facilitated by the International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policy (FIIAPP)and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH - in close coordination with the Secretariat of Natural Resources and Environment (SERNA).
The plan, which will be implemented by the EU's Euroclima Program, includes four actions:
- Sustainable management of water resources in the Goascorán river basin.
This action seeks to strengthen the sustainable management of water resources in the Goascorán river basin by strengthening the capacities of the basin's governance institutions.
2. Development of the National Environmental and Climate Information System (SINIAC).
This action will support SERNA in the development of SINIAC, which will integrate environmental and climate information from different sources and systems.
3. Development of the Climate Empowerment Action Strategy (CEA).
This strategy seeks to empower the whole society, through education, awareness, training, participation, and information to participate in climate action.
4. Development of the National Strategy for Decarbonization and Climate Resilience of Honduras (ENDRCH).
This action includes support for the ENDRCH (NSDCRH)implementation, which seeks to promote economic development compatible with climate change mitigation and adaptation measures.
All these actions will consider the gender perspective and seek the participation of vulnerable groups, indigenous peoples and local communities to formulate climate policies and action plans.
Background Information
Euroclima is an EU regional program that seeks to promote environmentally sustainable and climate change resilient development. To this end, it accompanies processes aimed at supporting the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The NDCs are the framework plans that countries submit to the United Nations to meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement, the international treaty to counteract the effects of climate change and prevent the planet's temperature from continuing to rise.
About Euroclima
Euroclima is a program funded by the European Union and co-financed by the German federal government through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), as well as by the governments of France and Spain through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union, and Cooperation.
The Program's mission is to reduce the impact of climate change and its effects in 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean by promoting mitigation, adaptation, resilience, climate investment and biodiversity. To this end, it is implemented according to the "Spirit of Team Europe" under the synergistic work of eight agencies: Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), AFD Group: Agence Française de Développement (AFD)/ Expertise France (EF), Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policy (FIIAPP), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).