Establish the Antiguan Alliance for Environment, Climate Change, and Sustainability. (GTAGA0001)

Commitment ID

GTAGA0001

Commitment Title

Establish the Antiguan Alliance for Environment, Climate Change, and Sustainability.

Problem

The lack of an effective communication channel between citizens and the municipality hinders a prompt and efficient response to environmental issues and emergencies. This absence complicates both the reporting and the management of incidents that affect the environment. Additionally, the low level of environmental awareness among the population is partly due to the lack of communication strategies and materials from the municipality, which limits citizen participation in the protection and conservation of the environment.

Status quo

Although the Municipality has currently opened various communication channels between citizens and the local government—such as citizen consultation forums, thematic roundtables, municipal camps, and sectoral dialogues—there is still no dedicated communication channel to address issues related to environmental sustainability and climate change.

Action

The Antiguan Alliance for Environment, Climate Change, and Ecological Sustainability is a permanent space for dialogue and collaboration among civil society, academia, specialized stakeholders, and the Municipality of Antigua Guatemala, designed to jointly address the environmental issues affecting the municipality. Its main objective is to promote the participation of diverse sectors in identifying environmental challenges and developing sustainable solutions that contribute to the conservation and responsible management of natural resources.
In addition to serving as a forum for deliberation and decision-making, the Alliance functions as a coordination mechanism among the municipality, civil society organizations, the private sector, academia, and other actors.
Through this collaborative effort, the initiative aims not only to address citizens’ needs and demands regarding environmental matters but also to strengthen a support network that promotes climate change adaptation and mitigation initiatives, environmental education, and sustainable practices throughout the municipality.
By establishing a direct link between the community and municipal authorities, the Alliance helps generate innovative actions such as monitoring the Municipal Development and Land-Use Plan (PDM-OT), co-created solutions with citizens, and the development of a comprehensive Environmental Policy (see Commitment 2).

How will the commitment contribute to solving the public problem described above?

The commitment establishes a direct communication mechanism between citizens and the municipality to address environmental issues and emergencies more efficiently. Through the Antiguan Alliance for Environment, Climate Change, and Sustainability, citizen participation is encouraged in identifying environmental challenges and developing joint solutions, in order to promote participatory management of natural resources. The commitment also seeks to assign responsibilities to citizens to create a support network for resolving environmental problems.
In addition, this commitment promotes the creation of innovative actions such as the development and validation of Environmental Policies (see Commitment 2).
Expected outcomes:

Consolidation of a multisectoral network to promote sustainable environmental actions in the municipality.
Participatory implementation of environmental policies and plans, including monitoring of the Municipal Development and Land-Use Plan (PDM-OT) and the design of public policies focused on sustainability.

Primary Policy Area

Civic Space, Social Accountability

Primary Sector

Cross-sectoral, Environment & Climate, Public Services (general)

What OGP value is this commitment relevant to?