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Cosecha de Agua

Project completed

The exit phase of the contribution to the CATIE project will improve the food security and resilience to climate change of at least 6,000 people living in Nicaragua's dry corridor through the consolidation of rainwater harvesting as a measure of adaptation and its scaling up to other sectors.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Nicaragua
Water
Water resources conservation
01.11.2022 - 30.06.2024
 CHF  2’000’000
The project in brief
Background The Central American Dry Corridor is highly vulnerable to recurrent extreme events due to climate change. Droughts or heavy rains are common. Since the main livelihoods are agriculture and livestock, the food security of thousands of poor farming families is permanently threatened. Although they implement certain adaptation measures, few have managed to adopt technological alternatives for the dry season. In this context, rainwater harvesting allows small farmers to produce food, water their livestock and generate additional income in the dry season. Thus, they mitigate the consequences of climate change and are more resilient to it. Given the departure of Swiss bilateral cooperation and the confirmation of the relevance of the intervention, this last phase will focus on consolidating results, scaling up the use of technologies to other sectors and managing the knowledge acquired. Switzerland, with its contribution and advocacy capacity, points to the development of innovative measures for adaptation to climate change, systematization and development of certain enabling conditions for scaling up.
Objectives Contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of 6,000 vulnerable people in the dry zone of Nicaragua as a result of the adoption of agricultural and livestock systems that are more resilient to climate change.
Target groups

Direct: 5,000 people to be attended directly and 1,000 associates from at least 3 livestock unions

Indirect: 55,480 people (5,240 from phase II, plus 50,240 members of associations and cooperatives of the livestock sector of the Nicaraguan dry corridor who will be irradiated by their own organization (by scaling up), during and after the exit phase)
Medium-term outcomes
  1. Families highly vulnerable to climate change living in the dry corridor are more resilient by integrating water harvesting as an adaptation measure in their agricultural and livestock systems
  2. Vulnerable families have access to water in the dry season, allowing them to increase their production and the derived economic and environmental benefits in a sustainable way
  3. Public and private actors have knowledge and information, which fosters analysis, reflection and decision-making for the improvement of public and private policy
Results

Expected results:  

  • 2,520 producers and ranchers have water supply in the dry season
  • 6,000 people strengthen their knowledge in water harvesting systems
  • Producers have a financial product to finance water harvesting works (scaling up)
  • CATIE's Biennial Plan includes water harvesting (scalability) and a CATIE curriculum includes it as an adaptation measure


Results from previous phases:  

  • 4,972 people harvest and store water, have irrigation systems, as well as 6,800 ha of food crops, fruit trees, forests and pastures in which they coexist
  • 3,000 ha of aquifer recharge
  • 200 trained/organized extension agents and 150 professionals with diplomas and master's degrees who work with 29 companies with experience in the construction of water harvesting works
  • 250,000 people reached on social networks, www.cosechadeagua.org, 7 learning routes and 17 investigations carried out
Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
Project partners Contract partner
Other International Organization
Private sector
  • Other OI
  • Foreign private sector South/East
  • Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE)


Coordination with other projects and actors

SDC programmes: Emprendimientos familiares, AGRIADAPTA

Government initiatives: Cuenca Río Coco, INTA

Other cooperation agencies: European Union
Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF    2’000’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF    1’880’214 Budget inclusive project partner CHF    3’800’000 Total project since first phase Swiss budget CHF   16’100’000 Budget inclusive project partner CHF   18’100’000
Project phases

Phase 3 01.11.2022 - 30.06.2024   (Completed)

Phase 2 01.11.2018 - 31.12.2022   (Completed) Phase 1 01.02.2013 - 31.12.2018   (Completed)
  • Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation WATER SUPPLY & SANITATION
    Sub-Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation
    Water resources conservation (including data collection)
    Aid Type Mandate without fiduciary fund
    Project and programme contribution
    Project number

    7F08604

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Last update 16.10.2024