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The PACC Project in Ecuador (implemented
between July 2008 andMay 2015) was a pioneering
initiative by improving water resource governance
as a means for climate change adaptation. Many
communities in the country suffer from the risk
of water shortages, and/or are highly vulnerable
to the effects of floods and landslides associated
with heavy rainfall. The PACC was financed
mainly by the Global Environmental Fund
(GEF), the implementing agency was the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and
the Ministry of Environment of Ecuador was the
executing agency, through the National Office
of Climate Change Adaptation (DNACC) of the
Under Secretariat for Climate Change (SCC).
The PACC aimed to increase the ability to respond
to the risks of climate change in water resources
management at the national and local levels. It
was designed as a project generator, implementing
pilot projects to generate knowledge for different
types of interventions applying the integrated
water resources management (IWRM) approach.
IWRM is a framework for sustainable watershed
management, and is an essential element of
adapting to climate change. Pilot projects included
constructing water management infrastructure
and plans in highland communities.
The intervention had the following priorities:
• Promote sustainable use of water for irrigation
and drinking using a watershed approach and
support GADs in project management with the
participation of other local stakeholders;
• Develop planning tools that integrate climatic and
historical findings with hydrological models to
inform management plans;
• Support basin management organizations that can
manage the use of water within the basin, while
working on own GADs programs that increase
energy and food security in accordance with the
Buen Vivir principle.
The PACC implemented 20 pilot projects in the highland
provinces of Azuay, Canar and Loja, in the Ecuadorian
Adaptation to Climate Change through Effective Water Governance in Ecuador (PACC)
coastal provinces of Manabi and Los Rios, and in
the Amazon province of Morona Santiago.
The main project results were:
• The risk of climate change in the water sector
was integrated into key plans and programs.
• Strategies and measures to facilitate adaptation
to climate change impacts on water resources
were implemented locally.
• Institutions had capabilities strengthened, and
research findings were disseminated.
CASE STUDY
Cajas National Park, Azuay, Ecuador