MACHC, ECWG Task Group 1 Status Overview Denis Fuentes Chair, Task Group 1

Electronic Chart Working Group Task Group 1 – MesoAmerican Capacity Building Pilot Project Chair: Mr. Denis Fuentes, Panama General Director National Geographic Institute Task Group Members: BelizeCubaGuatemalaHondurasMexicoNicaraguaPanamaUSA

MesoAmerican-Caribbean Sea Hydrographic Commission Electronic Chart Working Group, Task Group 1 Environmental Protection and Maritime Transport Pollution Control in the Gulf of Honduras Project ECWG TG1 has actively engaged in the preparation of the proposed IADB/GEF Environmental Protection and Maritime Transport Pollution Control in the Gulf of Honduras Project: working with IADB, GEF, and the recipient countries to develop elements of the project components on Enhancing navigation safety in shipping lanes Enhancing navigation safety in shipping lanes Improving env. management in the regional network of five ports within the Gulf of Honduras serving as a technical advisor for the project implementation

Environmental Protection and Maritime Transport Pollution Control in the Gulf of Honduras Project Development objective: T o reverse the degradation of the coastal and marine ecosystems within the Gulf of Honduras by enhancing the prevention and control from maritime transport- related pollution in the major ports and navigation lanes, improving navigational safety to avoid groundings and spills, and reducing land-based sources of pollution draining into the Gulf.

Environmental Protection and Maritime Transport Pollution Control in the Gulf of Honduras Project ECWG TG 1 involvement ECWG TG 1 involvement – – Making the case for Hydrography’s importance for environmental management and protection – – Regional hydrographic capacity analysis and gap assessment – – Input in the project’s Trans- boundary Diagnostic Analysis – – Active involvement in the Puerto Barrio, Belize City, and Tegucigalpa project preparation meetings – – Input in the project’s final design – – Commitment to develop and help execute the implementation plan for all project’s hydrography- related sub- components Present status – Pre-approval consultations with GEF – Expected project approval end of 2004 – Spring of 2005 – Expected effectiveness by the middle of 2005 – Expected funding levels: Apprx. $ for hydrographic and cartographic capacity- building (apprx. 1/5 of total GEF funding) Apprx. $ for piloting of Environmental Marine Information Objects in ENCs

Major Project Components Component 3: Enhancing navigational safety in shipping lanes. Key Hydrographic Elements/Objectives Component 1: Building regional capacity for maritime and land-based pollution control. Component 2: Updating the TDA, developing a region-specific SAP, and creating, analyzing and distributing marine environmental information. National Institutional Capacity Building Component 4: Improving env. management in the regional network of five ports within the Gulf of Honduras Regional Institutional Capacity Building Technical Support Demonstration

Hydrographic data acquisition for priority ports including updating surveys where needed. Create ENC for priority ports and pilot an inclusion of env. data layers. Integrate hydrographic data / ENC applications in the project’s env. information management system and facilitate access. Create institutional arrangement for conducting hydrographic work. SurveyENCGIS Project Hydrographic Support Establishment of formal training.

Expectations for Task Group 1 Come to agreement on implementation plan. Come to agreement on outcome/product of plan. Identify needs for each activity. Identify strategies for each need. Develop timeline for overall project.