Project Detail

Management center and organization of collect and disposal of inorganic garbage at Panajachel

To provide options to avoid the pollution of the Lake Atitlán watershed due to inorganic garbage and provide options for local people's management of this kind of garbage through training and recycling practices that generate direct income.
/This project will build a recycling center at the village of Panajachel, which is an important tourist center on the Lake Atitlán protected area.
Local people will be trained on recycling activities as an income generation option, and garbage will be sold to recycling companies.
A collection system will be designed and implemented on site.

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Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Comité Prosaneamiento Ambiental de Panajachel

Country:

Guatemala

Area Of Work:

International Waters

Operational Phase:

Phase 1

Grant Amount:

US$ 9,921.00

Co-Financing Cash:

US$ 9,919.35

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 23,780.25

Project Number:

PPS-03-98

Start Date:

10/1998

End Date:

10/1999

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Project Characteristics and Results

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples

All participants belong to the caqchikel ethnic group.

Notable Community Participation

Outstanding. On the Atitlán Lake protected area, this project allowed this local committee to educate local people on recycling techniques and methods to diminish pollution. The participation of the community was enthusiastic and to date (Oct. 2000) all households and local bussinesses separate their organic and non degradable garbage, a recycling center has been build and 4,200 school children participate on permanent recycling campaigns. The recycling center is self sustainable since August 2000

Capacity - Building Component

Project allowed the Committee to train 65 teachers at local schools about the recycling processes and possibilities, the teachers introduce this theme on their school's curricula.

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

The environmental education program allowed the committee to disseminate information about international waters and environment protection.

Project Results

In six months 6.7 Tons of paper was gathered and purchased to be recycled. Also 5.5 Tons of many kinds of glasses and 0.25 tons of aluminium cans were purchased. The garbage come from homes and tourist activities.
Because of the weak involvement of the community, the project did not generate the expectations andhas not transcended to the community. The lack of participation from the all the sectors of Panajachel society, constituted the main factor for not achieving the objectives.
The project had a strategy and a model of participation where the main civil actors were not adequately identified and did not established the social communication mechanisms that would allow the population to adhere to the project. The activities in the schools, stimulating the participation of students in exchange of points for the collection of organic waste, contributed for the collection to be only temporary and not under a permanent collection, cleaning, and sanitation program.
The participation of the local people is essential to produce a positive impact and to achieve a
systematic process of solid waste disposal and collecting. The accumulation of solid waste in the banks of the lake -caused by the inhabitants of Panajachel- is a continuous problem.
Unfortunately, the project has not achieved community participation and is perceived by the locals as a project directed towards the tourism sector instead than to the whole community.

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