1. Honduras 2017-18 Water Management Country Status Factsheet
SDG Indicator 6.5.1: Degree of implementation of
integrated water resources management (0-100)
Honduras
Target 6.5 By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate.
SDG implementation
Country Background (WB 2017)
Population: 9.3 million
Area: 112,490 sq. km
Human Development Index rank/category: 133/Medium (UNDP 2017)
General overview: Honduras has abundant surface water, though unregulated groundwater use risks salinization of aquifers. Pollution control measures are generally limited and ineffective. Many aspects of water resources management are in place yet technical and financial capacity remain limit effective implementation.
Water Governance Background
National Institutions: Mi Ambiente, Dirección General de Recursos Hídricos
National Policy: National Water Policy (2008, currently being revised)
National Law: General Water Law (2009, still in draft, though supported by an Executive Decree (2016)).
National IWRM Plan: Under development.
Basin Management: 61 out of 871 management plans have been developed for sub-basins and micro-basins. The few existing basin organizations lack technical and financial capacity and their sustainability is threatened.
Aquifer Management: The few technical instruments need updating. In southern Honduras, there are 2,000 unregulated artesian and industrial wells which require urgent regulation to avoid salinization of aquifers.
IWRM dimension
Score (0-100)
Summary of implementation status
1. Enabling environment (policies, laws and plans)
Low: 20
The 2008 water policy is being updated to be more closely aligned with IWRM principles, the National Water Plan is being developed, and there is a draft General Water Law (2009). A minority of municipalities and river basins have plans, and transboundary arrangements are in their infancy.
2. Institutions and Participation (institutional capacity, cross-sector coordination and stakeholder participation)
Low: 24
There are institutions at various levels but technical and financial capacity, and cross-sectoral coordination, are generally low. There are mechanisms for stakeholder participation but communication and engagement is generally low. There are limited attempts to develop gender-specific objectives, and the level of information is low.
3. Management Instruments (management and monitoring programmes, data & information sharing)
Low: 22
The basis for many management instruments, such as availability, use and pollution monitoring, exist, but coverage and effectiveness are relatively low. Data sharing within Honduras and with neighbouring countries is low.
4. Financing (budgeting and financing)
Low: 16
There is insufficient budget allocated and disbursed for investments and ongoing costs, and revenue raising from users is low.
IWRM implementation status (0-100)
Low: 21
Most of the elements for effective water resources management are in place or being developed, but technical and financial capacity, as well as coverage across the country, remain low.
IWRM Implementation
Very low
Low
Medium-low
Medium-high
High
Very high
Score range
0-10
11-30
31-50
51-70
71-90
91-100

2. Water Resources Background (source: Aquastat)
Water availability: 11,413 m3/cap/yr (2014)
Water withdrawal: 225 m3/cap/yr (2003)
Renewable Surface Water: 83 10^9 m3/year (2014)
Renewable Groundwater: 39 10^9 m3/year (2014)
Envir. Flow Req. (EFR): 28 10^9 m3/year (2017)
Water Services Background (International Benchmarking Network IBNET)
Dam capacity per capita: 719 m3/cap (2013) (Aquastat)
Water connection coverage: 83% (2017)
Sewerage connection coverage: 48% (2017)
Revenue to operation cost revenue: 1.15 (2017)
Non-Revenue Water (NRW): 55% (losses) (2017)
Investment in water and sanitation with private sector participation: USD 208 mill. (2001 only)
Financing: Budgets for investments and ongoing costs are extremely low, and revenue raising is minimal. The water sector is not well-defined or coordinated at the level of sectoral offices. The limited resources are used inefficiently, being mostly allocated to administrative costs.
Private sector: Communication with the private sector is very low, and revenue raising from the private sector is minimal. The extent to which the private sector is aware of the value of sound water resources management is not known.
SDG 6 indicators
Status
6.1.1 Access to safely managed drinking water
92%1 (2015)
6.2.1 Access to safely managed sanitation
80%1 (2015)
6.3.1 Proportion of wastewater safely treated
No data
6.3.2 Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality
6.4.1 Water-use efficiency
6.2 USD/m3 (low) (2015)
6.4.2 Level of water stress (withdrawals / available freshwater resources)
2% (2014)
6.5.2 Proportion of transboundary basin area with operational water cooperation arrangements
0% (2018)
6.6.1 Change in extent of water-related ecosystems
0.2% loss ( vs )
1 ’At least basic’ service only.
Sectoral use
% of total withdrawals1
Municipal (Domestic)
20%
Agriculture
73%
Industry 7%
Energy
Environment
EFR 30% (2017)
1 Aquastat 2003
IWRM Implementation
Very low
Low
Medium-low
Medium-high
High
Very high
Potential priority areas, constraints and enablers
Ensure that the water sector is adequately prioritised in national budgeting. Better coordination is needed between sectoral offices to ensure this prioritization and effective use of limited resources.
Strengthen the technical capacity of institutions at all levels.
For more information and support
Including completed country questionnaires:
This factsheet has been produced by: UN Environment-DHI Centre
Financial support: Danida.