By 2019, the Improved Coastal Watersheds and Livelihoods project will improve natural resource management of the Goascoran lower watershed and coastal zone in order to maximize four outcomes: 1) habitat for biodiversity, 2) water-related ecosystem services, 3) climate change adaptation and mitigation, and 4) economic returns from sustainable production.

Project objectives will be achieved through three expected results:
1.Natural ecosystems and biodiversity protected and restored through climate-smart approaches
2. Sustainability of rural livelihood systems improved through climate-smart approaches
3. Effectiveness and integration of source to sea watershed governance improved

Under Result 1, IUCN protects and restores mangrove ecosystems of La Union Bay (El Salvador) and Chismuyo Bay (Honduras) in the Goascoran coastal zone. Mangrove protection is increased by updating relevant management plans, effectively integrating the private sector and local communities into area-based management mechanisms to ensure rights-based approaches to conservation, as well as improving monitoring and surveillance of mangroves and fishing through strengthened park guard programs. To improve area management, the ICWL designed and implemented an integrated biological monitoring protocol, including a coastal blue carbon methodology to determine mangrove carbon stocks and promote the integration of blue carbon quantifications in at least one REDD+ national strategy.

Under Result 2, IUCN improves rural livelihoods sustainability by identifying sustainable market opportunities as well as improved management practices for sustainable fisheries, salt and agricultural products with high biodiversity conservation, food security and gender and youth integration benefits. Rural microfinance mechanisms (cajas rurales in Spanish) complement fisheries and agricultural technical assistance by increasing access of Goascorans rural poor especially women and youth to financial resources, thus promoting entrepreneurship and diversification of household businesses, cooperatives, and broader productive value chains.

Under Result 3, IUCN improves the effectiveness and integration of source to sea watershed governance by improving legal, policy and institutional frameworks, bi-national and community-based governance mechanisms, involving multi-sectorial stakeholders. Municipalities and local communities are supported to take on a stronger role in water, waste and natural resource management. The ICWL project builds on results of other initiatives implemented by IUCN in the Goascoran watershed to integrate coastal zones into a true resource to sea watershed governance approach.

Three cross-cutting themes are included in the program:
Gender and Youth Integration: IUCN ensures that gaps that exist between the vulnerability of males, females and youth are reduced (not widened), and enhance the leadership and decision-making role of women and youth in community-based governance, as well as livelihood enhancement processes.

Communications: IUCN designed a powerful and culturally-adapted communication strategy aiming to position the objectives of the program, as well as raising awareness on best practices for conservation and sustainable management of the resources of the Goascoran watershed and Gulf of Fonseca.

Knowledge Management: IUCN manages knowledge through communities learning workshops, cross-project learning, stocktaking, increasing staff capacity for program design and adaptive management, best practice transfer and knowledge repositories (e.g., web portals, databases) to ensure the adoption of best practices.