UNDP - GEF Project RLA/99/G31 FREPLATA Environmental Protection of the Río de la Plata and its Maritime Front: Pollution Prevention and Control and Habitat Restoration Argentina Uruguay FREPLATA CARP CTMFM

THE FREPLATA PROJECT Bi-national joint initiative of the Argentinean Republic and the Republic of Uruguay. It intends to provide some response to the need for actions aimed at protecting the environment of the Río de la Plata and its Maritime Front, and at the sustainable development of its uses and resources. The project is executed by the Administrative Commission for the Río de la Plata (CARP) and the Bi-national Commission for the Maritime Front (CTMFM); funded with resources from the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), with contributions from other cooperation agencies, and with funds contributed by both countries, and it is implemented by the United Nations Developing Programme (UNDP).

SAP Strategic Action Programme Additional stress reduction measures to meet causes for aquatic environment degradation

T H E P L A T A R I V E R A traunsboundary fluvio and fluvio-marine water system of 35.500 km2, unique at a global level shared by Argentine & Uruguay. It is the most seriously threatened basin in South America and among the 10 most vulnerable in the world (WWF-2007). 16 million people live along its coastline which concentrates the main industrial, portuary and economic activities of both countries. It is the threshold of the Plata Basin, the second largest in South America (3.1 million km2). GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: - Mouth width: 230 km - Average depth: 10 m - Flow Rate: 22.000 m3/sec

T H E M A R I T I M E F R O N T Is the oceanic area adjacent to the outer limit of the Plata River. It includes the Common Fishing Zone with an approximate area of 216.000 km2. It is an area of high biological diversity, resulting in a significant fishing abundance. Depth: variable. The average depth at the mouth of the Plata River is 10 m. The depth in the Common Fishing Area can reach 3.000 m or more.

K E Y T O S U C C E S S Agreement and commitment of a wide and diverse group of people from both governments and civil society. Active participation in SAP development.

The Physical Boundaries and Legal Frameowork

The Ecosystem Quality Objectives (EQOs) What results expect the Stakeholders in the long run by means of tackling the priority issues identified in the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis. 1. Safe water for population health, recreational use and aquatic biota development. It is essential to adopt adequate measures to prevent, remediate and control present and future pollution. Operational Objectives needed to attain this EQO: 1.1. Prevent and reduce input of polluting agents from land and others (i.e. industrial and sewage effluents). 1.2. Prevent and reduce pollution caused by aquatic activities. 1.3. Remediate highly polluted sites.

The Ecosystem Quality Objectives (EQOs) 2. Protection of priority habitats and ecological sustainability of living aquatic resources. It is essential to prevent and reduce the impact on the biological system protecting priority habitats and threatened species and securing the ecological sustainability of the aquatic resources. Operational Objectives needed to attain the EQO: 2.1. Contribute to the protection of the major threatened species. 2.2. Protect significant endangered habitats and restoring degraded areas. 2.3. Encourage responsible fishing practices.

Water and sewer service for almost 10.000.000 inhabitants Buenos Aires City Metropolitan Area: Master Sanitation Plan THE CONTEXT Surface: 1.800 km2 Water and sewer service for almost 10.000.000 inhabitants Sewer collectors receive direct of spills of 3400 industrial plants: regarded as high critical priority 2 million m3/day of wastewaters containing domestic and industrial effluents are discharged without treatment to the coast of the Plata River INVESTMENT SCOPE Sewer service expansion Effluent interception Transport Main system decentralization Effluent treatment Emissaries Treatment and disposition of biosolids and monitoring YEAR 2011 Base Line: U$S 1,231,000,000 Adittional Cost: U$S 1,130,000

Buenos Aires City Metropolitan Area: Matanza - Riachuelo Basin Remediation Plan THE CONTEXT Basin Surface: 2.034 km2 4.5 million inhabitants 55% without access to sewer service 35% without access to potable water 368.000 m3/day of wastewaters are discharged to the basin Only 5% received some kind of treatment 3.036 industries: 88.500 m3/day of liquid effluents discharged to the river. 42 garbage dump sites INVESTMENT SCOPE To restore the environmental quality of the basin Construction of new sewers infrastructure, Reconversión of polluting companies, effective control policies, And interjurisdictional agrrements Investment (over 5 years): U$S 1,800,000,000 First phase (18 months): U$S 370,000,000

Montevideo Western Metropolitan Area: Montevideo Bay Remediation Plan THE CONTEXT Montevideo is the Capital City of Uruguay. Population: 1.300 million The PSU is in its 4th phase The Bay of Montevideo received the wastewaters of the western area of Montevideo and its metropolitan area. INVESTMENT SCOPE Coverage Extensions of Sanitation and Rain Drainage in western area: Environmental improvement of Montevideo Bay. Construction of a new sewage outfall: watewaters will be discharged directly to the Río de la Plata Management of sanitation and drainage service Monitoring YEAR 2011 Base Line: U$S 140,000,000 Adittional Cost: U$S 646,000

GOVERNMENTS & STAKEHOLDERS COMMITMENT WITH SAP’S GOALS The need for a bi-national strategic perspective to meet transboundary environmental issues, ensuring consistency between SAP objectives, proposed actions and national policies SAP projects were declared “of environmental interest” and budgetary items were allocated to carry out proposed actions. Creating an inter-ministry commission for the coordination and monitoring of the SAP and of the National Action Plans. August 28th 2007 Montevideo, Uruguay SAP endorsement by the Project Coordination Committee. Support from both countries at ministerial level and by the Commissions.

Preparing the Ground for SAP Approval and Implementation Some Learned Lessons Our experience is that is advisable to begin to implement confidence creating and consensus building strategies from very early stages and setting short and long term goals. Binational intersectorial working groups: Allowed in parallel with the process of developing the SAP, the generation of16 tools for enhanced national and transboundary environmental management (catalythic role), some of them have been included in the national government policies. 2. Disseminating the information: The project has developed procedures and tools for the management of environmental information and has incorporated them into its own Integrated Information System. 3. The project strengthened the capabilities of governmental agencies and civil society: 72 technical agreements were signed with key governmental, scientifical agencies and NGOs. This achivements resulted in the creation of a bi-national cooperation environment among stake holders and facilitated the SAP process elaboration and approval.

For more information, please visit our web site: www.freplata.org