The mayors of the 36 municipalities surrounding LakeCocibolca and a cache of top government officials and environmental experts are descending on the southern lake port town San Carlos this weekend in an attempt to execute plans to protect the lake and its wide-reaching basin.
“We’ll be coordinating sustainable development and creating a commission to save the lake and San Juan River,” said MARENA representative Jose Luis Galeano, who manages the Indio Maiz bio-reserve to the north of the San Juan.
Attendees expect to install the 36 municipal commissions that were created by law to develop and execute policies to protect the lake, which is currently threatened by rampant urban development, deforestation, agrochemicals and exotic species invasion (NT, Feb. 29).
Granada mayor Rosalia Castrillo, who is set to be vice president of the commission, said the lake will benefit from last month’s accord between the government and the German Development Bank KfW to improve Granada’s sewage system and protect its potable water sources.
