The Honduran government has begun infrastructure work to reduce the risk of overflowing rivers and flooding in 10 highly vulnerable municipalities. Over one million dollars will be invested in the construction of drains, channels and retention walls along river banks, among other infrastructure, combined with environmental education activities based on community participation.

This initiative forms part of a project to strengthen local and national risk management capacities that encompasses 81 of the country’s 298 municipalities, Lisandro Rosales of the Permanent Emergencies Commission told Tierramérica.

The participating municipalities are in the western Honduran departments of Copán, Ocotepeque, Lempira and Santa Bárbara, and the port city of Tela, in the northern department of Atlántida.