Participatory strategic planning at the local level is an important prerequisite for effective environmental quality management. To strengthen the capacity of municipalities in this area, the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Telecommunications of Costa Rica (MINAET) with support from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) implemented a project on “Implementation of Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration: Construction of a Participatory Space for Environmental Quality Management”. Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration was adopted in 1992 at the Rio Summit and promotes access to information, public participation and access to justice in environmental matters. “The project contributed to fostering local leadership to effectively manage our natural heritage”, says María Guzmán Ortiz, Director of the Environmental Quality Management Directorate of Costa Rica.
A series of five workshops were organized with support from the project during the course of 2010. The workshops brought together 70 participants from different sectors and institutions from the cantons of Atenas, Santa Ana, Mora, Puriscal and Turrubares. At the workshops, experts from the MINAET engaged with municipal representatives to develop capacity for preparing environmental quality management plans through multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder processes. One of the five workshops focused specifically on renewable energies and how to promote their development at the local level. At a final reunion with all cantons, participants endorsed a training document that summarizes the lessons learned from the pilot workshops and provides practical guidance to other local authorities interested in strengthening environmental quality in a participatory manner.
The project is a follow-up to the 2007-2008 project “Preparing a National Profile and Action Plan on the Implementation of Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration” that was implemented by the MINAET with support by UNITAR. For further information please contact Olman Mora, Environmental Quality Management Directorate of Costa Rica at omora@minaet.go.cr or visit:
http://www.digeca.go.cr/goberna/goberna_proyectomuni.html or