Context

Paraguay has expressed its interest in reducing the adverse effects of climate change. As a landlocked country whose economy is predominantly based on agriculture, Paraguay is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts. Adaptation is an essential part of reducing these negative impacts. However, due to the lack of information and strategies to enhance resilience against climate risk, this country has faced environmental, social, health and economic problems.

Paraguay intends to monitor the behaviour of the hydrological cycle and delivers control measures for climate change response at river basin levels, using a valid framework for an Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM). A suitable process based on the framework will make it possible to collect hydrological and ecological data and identify adaptive measures to protect aquatic system from climate change. To provide a right decision for enhancing sustainable and climate-resilient IWRM, environmental flow (EF) at river basin levels needs to be defined and provided to decision makers. Understanding environmental characteristics and associated water drainage through applying EF tools is required to determine monitoring process and control measures for managing the quality and quantity of water and enhancing resilience against climate risk.

Requested CTCN Response

• Identification of a river basin scaled environmental flow tool that is applicable to Paraguay and can be replicated in other basins throughout the country
• Development of  a framework for the integrated water resource management as the basis for implementing measures to adapt to and mitigate climate change
• Capacity building for Secretariat for Environment technicians and possibly also the municipal and departmental governments of the Tebicuary River Basin 

Relevant Technologies and Approaches

• Basin level planning
• Integrated Water Resources Mangement
• Water resource assessment

Expected Results

Improvement of decision-making on the use and management of water resources as a result of two key methodological tools:

• Methodology for determining environmental flows
• Methodology for formulating plans for the use and management of water resources via drainage basins

The long-term expected outcomes: 

• Greater potential for the implementation of the national policy for adaptation to climate change 
• Continuation of water-dependent development activities through the more efficient management of water resources by the Secretariat for Environment