The development objective of this project is to promote sustainable water and environmental management and human sustainable development. This will be achieved through capacity building, organizational strengthening, direct public participation, decentralized local governance, and small business development. Thus, the project proposes a participatory and bottom-up methodological framework to jointly address the water and environmental management issues, find feasible solutions and suggest new environmentally sound economic activities. Furthermore it is conceived as a project belonging to the local governments with which a protocol of cooperation has been established with CATHALAC. The application of participative strategies is expected to contribute to the strengthening of democracy and give a prominent role to achieving sustainable development, improving the quality of life of the population as a whole and especially the weaker strata including the indigenous Emberá tribe and women, and empowering them as stakeholders of their own destiny.

Major Groups:
Local Authorities of Chagres District, Province of Colon (Panama)

Other intergovernmental organizations:
The Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean (CATHALAC) (Panama)

Other:
The White Water to Blue Water Initiative (WW2BW) (United States of America)