1. Environmental protection of the Rio de la Plata and its Maritime Front: Pollution Prevention and Control and Restoration of Habitats PROJECT: RLA/99/G31 OP8, Water body based operational program Bi-national Executing Agency: CONSORTIUM CARP-CTMFM - Rio de la Plata Management Commission, - Bi-National Technical Commission for the Maritime Front 2000 2004 2006 www.freplata.org TDA SAP

2. Major trends in the project area will increase the pressure on the uses and resources of the aquatic ecosystem Río de la Plata (35.500km 2 ) Maritime Front (215.900 km 2 ) Río Paraná Río Uruguay (Sediment load: 20.000 t/day) Buenos Aires Montevideo Heavy metal discharges (t/day) into the Río de la Plata: lead chrome Rio Paraná: 6 7 Rio Uruguay: 1,6 1,6 Buenos Aires: 0,3 1,5 Sum: 7,9 10,1 230 km ( Sediment load: 260.000 t/day ) URUGUAY ARGENTINA

3. Human impact on the aquatic ecosystem threatens its uses and resources in quality or quantity

4. Land based point source and non point source pollution by urban, agriculture and industrial activities. Seaborne pollution due to aquatic transport activities Alien species invasion due to maritime transport activities Active and passive distribution processes generating transboundary effects of the environmental impacts CARP National exclusive areas Levels of jurisdiction: Bi-national:  CARP-area, CTMFM-area National: Central/Federal Government of Uruguay and Argentina  exclusive areas Local: Province of Buenos Aires, City of Buenos Aires, Municipalities of the Prov.of BA, Departments  exclusive areas City of Buenos Aires Province of Buenos Aires Municipalities of the Province of Buenos Aires Coastal Departments of Uruguay CTMFM Prohibition zone for pollution activities

5. URUGUAYARGENTINA International bodies FREPLATA Executing Unit CARP CTMFM UNDP National and strategic action plan formulation teams Secretary of Production, Tourism and Sustainable Development CARP= Rio de la Plata Management Commission, CTMFM= Bi-national Technical Commission for the Maritime Front *: Defense Ministry, Transport Ministry, Ministry of Agriculture, Environment Ministry **: Defense Ministry, Ministry of Economy and Production, Ministry of Justice, Health and Environment Ministry 6 Local Governments: - Colonia - San José - Canelones - Montevideo - Maldonado - Rocha Government of Uruguay Ministry of Foreign Affairs 4 other Ministries* Consortium Executive Board Advisory Committee Coordination Committee Non Governmental Organizations Government of Argentina Ministry of Foreign Affairs 4 other Ministries** Government of the Province of Buenos Aires Government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires Inter-ministerial committee FREPLATA Planning Agency Ministry of Planning

6. Lessons learned and best practices: Don’t get lost in endless scientific research during the TDA phase but make sure that people are informed about the project and encourage non governmental stakeholder participation. FREPLATA communication team FREPLATA Fund FREPLATA Fund for environmental education (financing of NGO activities) FREPLATA Bulletin FREPLATA Bulletin monthly information brochure, 2000 copies FREPLATA Public opinion surveys FREPLATA Public opinion surveys analyzing stakeholder opinion about the project and environmental issues FREPLATA Photography and painting contest FREPLATA Photography and painting contest on environmental issues of the Río de la Plata FREPLATA web-site FREPLATA web-site 7.000 visitors per month (with more that 30 minutes) FREPLATA video FREPLATA video e.g. in the ferry Montevideo-Buenos Aires-Colonia (1.5 million passengers per year) FREPLATA permanent exhibition FREPLATA permanent exhibition 300 m 2, 20.000 visitors July- November 05 FREPLATA cooperation FREPLATA cooperation e.g. with “Marine World” (co-financing of a first aid room for injured sea mammals and birds)

7. Lessons learned and best practices: FREPLATA communication team Launch pilot projects to find out if “good ideas” are really working and look out for strategic partnerships to share project experiences and resources of common interest. FREPLATA Cleaner production Pilot Project in Uruguay: Cleaner production and the reduction of pollution by industrial waste enterprise performances Pilot Project in Argentina: Increasing enterprise performances by cleaner production analyses of ecotoxicology Pilot Project in Argentina and Uruguay: Bioassays for the analyses of ecotoxicology of sediments water quality monitoring Pilot Project in Argentina and Uruguay: Bi-national network of local governments for water quality monitoring in the Río de la Plata biodiversity protection Pilot Projects: Local projects for biodiversity protection in Argentina and Uruguay ecological early warning system Agreement for the joint development of an ecological early warning system between FREPLATA and the UNEP- GEF Río de la Plata Basin Framework Project data base sharing Agreement for data base sharing between FREPLATA and the UNDP- GEF Patagonia Project co-financing of FREPLATA Pilot Projects Agreement with the GTZ Project GAPAS (Environmental port management in South America) for co-financing of FREPLATA Pilot Projects