16 February 2012: The German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Central American Integration System’s (SICA) Secretariat of Central American Social Integration (SISCA) have launched a three-year Territorial Management and Sustainable Development Project. The project aims to help eight countries deploy improved planning, zoning and other tools and strategies for territorial management and sustainable regional development at the national, subnational and border levels.

The project was launched at a workshop held 13-14 February 2012, in San Salvador, El Salvador. The participating countries are: Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama.

The launch workshop introduced the participating actors to one another, and discussed the modalities, indicators and immediate tasks of the project. It also discussed the relationship of the project with the Central American Agenda for Territorial Management, under SICA’s Central American Council of Housing and Human Settlements (CCVAH).

The project’s activities will be based on a common conceptual framework agreed at the SICA level. At the SICA level, the project will be guided by GIZ and SISCA, and also have CCVAH’s participation. At the subnational level, the project intends to work closely with municipalities and interested civil society and private sector actors. [SICA Press Release (Spanish)]