Flood Planning and Coastal Resources in La Cieba, Honduras

The USAID-sponsored project examined in this case study aimed to improve management of 12 of Honduras’s 21 watersheds. This goal of the project, in La Ceiba, was to develop infrastructure and strategies to address this city’s urban drainage and flooding problems, which are expected to worsen due to climate change and a lack of action.

The project, Manejo Integrado de Recursos Ambientales – Integrated Management of Natural Resources (MIRA), was also aimed at stimulating economic growth. At the time of this case study, MIRA was in the early stages of design and implementation.

The study followed five steps: screening for vulnerability; convening stakeholders to determine next steps; analyses of climate impacts; selecting adaptation plans and implementing them; and evaluating the results.

The analysis found that by 2050, temperatures in this coastal city will likely see a mean rise of 1.5°C, rain will increase markedly and hurricanes will be more powerful. The sea level is projected to rise 20 cm relative to 1990 levels.

Stakeholders decided that improving urban drainage was their highest priority, due to the frequency of drainage problems and their impact on economic development. The case study identified ways that USAID could assist La Ceiba with this problem and build resilience against future floods.