AIDIS publishes the INFOAIDIS Newsletter with updated information on news related to the environment, health, water and sanitation, as well as all the latest developments on relevant sector events, such as the Regional Water Dialogues and the UN Water Conference 2023.
AIDIS signed an agreement with IDB for the translation of IWA books. At the XXXVIII Inter-American Congress on Sanitary and Environmental Engineering of AIDIS held in the Dominican Republic, Mr. Sergio Campos (Head of the Water and Sanitation Division of IDB), Eng. Henry Moreno (Lead Specialist in Water and Sanitation, BID), Eng. José Luis Inglese (President of Inter-American AIDIS) and Eng. Daniel Nolasco (Vice President of IWA) signed an agreement that will allow the translation of IWA books into Spanish and Portuguese with financing from IDB. The translated books will be freely available to the public, allowing for important transfer of knowledge and technologies for the water and sanitation sector in Latin America. The first two books will be available in electronic version for AIDIS members in mid-2023.
With the aim of adopting the Water Action Agenda, AIDIS participated in the UN WATER CONFERENCE 2023, where 5 priority themes were addressed: 1. Water for Health 2. Water for Development 3. Water for Climate, Resilience and Environment. 4. Cooperating for Water 5. Water Action. In this context, AIDIS Inter-American, which was recognized as an NGO specially accredited for the Conference, also participated in parallel events, meetings with strategic allies, technical dialogue tables for the exchange of plans and strategies, as well as experience-sharing meetings, with the aim of strengthening international cooperation.
AIDIS signed an agreement with the Global Water Partnership. Eng. José Luis Inglese, President of Inter-American AIDIS, and Eng. Pablo Bereciartua, President of the Global Water Partnership, signed a memorandum of understanding at the Yale Club headquarters in New York City, on the occasion of both organizations attending the United Nations World Water Conference last March 22.
Inter-American AIDIS and its Chilean chapter celebrated 75 years of contribution to improving people's quality of life through the development of sanitary and environmental engineering. There, at the headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), it held its event with a series of institutional activities, such as the commemoration ceremony and a high-level seminar as a closing event, which offered a wine reception for all attendees. Specialists and national and international authorities who have been working on issues such as identifying and seeking comprehensive solutions to health and environmental challenges through analysis, discussion, experience-sharing, and information dissemination were also present. Also, decarbonization and energy transition were discussed in the context of climate change. Among the international organizations supporting AIDIS were the International Water Association - IWA, IDB, ECLAC, and PAHO, among others.
AIDIS participates in the Seminar "Path towards decarbonization." Topics were discussed on how different countries reach agreements on clean production and carbon neutrality, as well as policies on green hydrogen. Tools and prioritized action plans for decarbonization in Latin America, shared by IDB.
Additionally, in the context of the "Plant OXYGEN" campaign, each attendee received a seedling and bags of organic fertilizers from biodigestion, under the slogan "Plant a Tree." It is an Urban Tree Planting Campaign promoted by the AIDIS Healthy Environments Division, where each country, along with allied institutions and organizations, will plant 75 trees as a symbol of AIDIS' commitment to Sustainable Development in the Americas, on the occasion of its anniversary.
AySa
Aysa participated in the International Symposium on Submarine Outfalls. The meeting aimed to debate and exchange concepts by experts in water resources, sanitation, hydraulics, and environmental engineering on the impact of effluent discharge in coastal waters, estuaries, and rivers.
AySA organizes a parallel event within the framework of the International Symposium on Submarine Outfalls. In the context of the "International Symposium on Submarine Outfalls" organized by COFES, AySA, the International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR), and the International Water Association, AySA held the parallel event "New Sanitation Models as an Opportunity for International Cooperation". During the meeting, AySA's successful international cooperation cases with BIOFOS from Denmark, AdP - Águas de Portugal, HR Wallingford from the UK, KWR Water Research Institute, Royal HaskoningDHV, and IHE Delft Institute for Water Education from the Netherlands, and Sabesp, Brazil, were presented.
You can review more details of this event at the following link.
AySA launches the AySA-CAB-Águas de Portugal Cooperation. During the month of March, work began under the agreement signed at the end of 2022 by AySA and AdP - Águas de Portugal, with the Latin American Development Bank (CAF).
In this context, a circular economy project focused on energy recovery was proposed, based on the Hurlingham Wastewater Treatment Plant and extendable to others. In the first two weeks of March, AySA received a visit from the Portuguese company and members of CAF.
The cooperation between AySA and Portugal will also have another chapter: a contribution from the Environmental Fund of Portugal to develop a pilot project for the production and commercialization of reuse water at the Lanús Plant, which is currently being evaluated.
You can find more information at the following link.
AySA-Biofos-Danida Cooperation:
AySA continues its joint work with BIOFOS, an agreement signed in 2020, for cooperation in wastewater and energy within the framework of the strategic sectoral cooperation (SSC).
For more information, please see the following links:
CAF
Participation of CAF at the UN Water Conference 2023 in March in New York:
CAF organizes a webinar dedicated to Tertiary Wastewater Treatment and Water Reuse:
Upcoming CAF activities:
CeReGAS
Participation of CeReGAS in the Groundwater Summit. From December 6 to 8, the 2022 Groundwater Summit was held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. CeReGAS was present at two parallel events: as co-organizer of "Transboundary Aquifers in the world" together with UNESCO, and participating in "Enhancing the contribution of groundwater for water security" organized by the GEF.
Participation of CeReGAS in the Regional Water Dialogues in Santiago de Chile, in February 2023. During the third edition of the ALC Regional Water Dialogues organized by CEPAL, Alberto Manganelli, Executive Director of CeReGAS, participated in the session "Development of innovative capacities and data for water valuation".
Participation of CeReGAS in the UN Water Conference 2023, in March in New York. During the 2023 Water Conference, CeReGAS participated in the event "Transboundary Cooperation and Science for the Sustainable Management of Amazon Waters" organized by the Plurinational State of Bolivia, the OTCA, and UNESCO. The President of the CeReGAS Board of Directors, Dr. Gerardo Amarilla, spoke about cooperation in transboundary aquifers, highlighting the work carried out by the UNESCO ISARM Americas Program.
Additionally, CeReGAS co-organized the parallel event: "Groundwater: An Invisible Cross-Sectoral Fundament for Implementation of the Water Action Agenda" where a coordination platform for groundwater was proposed, within the framework of the UN-Water community to facilitate cooperation, knowledge generation and exchange, and global awareness.
CeReGAS is part of the Coalition for Transboundary Water Cooperation, a diverse and multilateral coalition of actors from around the world with a wide range of functions and capacities that inspires and promotes equitable and sustainable cooperation in transboundary waters and provides support through its members. The Coalition organized the parallel event: "Committing to advance transboundary water cooperation worldwide for sustainable development, climate action, stability and peace".
CODIA
CODIA launches the new CODIA website, an improved tool with greater functionality and security than the previous website.
The main new features of this space include the incorporation of a library where searches can be made by keyword and where new search parameters will soon be added to facilitate the location of any document. The creation of the forums module, conceived as a permanent workspace, aimed at a network of experts in the water sector from countries in the region, to maintain debates and exchange experiences on the topics included in the CODIA Work Program.
Currently, two forums are active that, framed in the CODIA Sanitation and Purification Roadmap, correspond to the Debate Platform on Sectoral Regulations that is being promoted by the FCAS (AECID) with the support of CEDEX.
In March of this year, CODIA organized an activity within the PFI: Lessons learned from water management for population health. The Peru experience: https://codia.info/eventos/lecciones-aprendidas-de-la-gestion-del-agua-para-la-salud-poblacional-experiencia-peru/?mc_id=178
Upcoming CODIA activities: Training within the framework of the PFI
Webinar: Third monitoring exercise of SDG indicator 6.5.2. https://codia.info/eventos/webinario-tercer-ejercicio-de-seguimiento-del-indicador-6-5-2-de-los-ods/?mc_id=179
National regulatory frameworks and transboundary agreements on water management. https://codia.info/eventos/marcos-normativos-nacionales-y-acuerdos-transfronterizos-sobre-la-gestion-del-agua/?mc_id=42
GWP Central America
GWP has carried out various activities which can be explored at the links below:
OTCA
The Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (OTCA) participated in the UN-Water Summit on groundwater held in Paris in December 2022. At the parallel event "Improving the contribution of groundwater to water security: from the local to the transboundary level," organized by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and at the meeting of experts from Latin America and the Caribbean "Groundwater in Latin America and the Caribbean: Perspectives and Challenges," promoted by UNESCO, the regional initiatives promoted by the OTCA to expand knowledge of the Amazonian aquifers, evaluate the joint use of surface and groundwater for water supply, and promote cross-border planning and protection of sources were presented.
OTCA participated in the Regional Water Dialogues between February 1 and 3, 2023, in Santiago, Chile. The Secretary-General of the OTCA, Alexandra Moreira, participated in the Water and Cooperation panel at the third edition of the Regional Water Dialogues, organized by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). On this occasion, Moreira presented the main initiatives that the OTCA has been developing in the field of transboundary management of water resources in the Amazon basin, such as the implementation of the Strategic Actions Program (PAE).
For more information, please see the following link: http://otca.org/secretaria-general-participa-de-dialogos-regionales-del-agua-de-cepal/
The OTCA held the Regional Workshop: Monitoring of Water Resources in the Amazon Basin within the framework of the implementation of the Strategic Actions Program (PAE), at the OTCA headquarters in Brasilia, on February 28 and March 1, 2023. At the event, representatives of the eight Member Countries of the OTCA and international agencies addressed the consolidation of an Integrated Water Resources Monitoring System in the Amazon Region, within the framework of the Amazon Regional Observatory (ORA), and formulated recommendations regarding institutional synergies and alliances with an emphasis on data integration and the use of disruptive technologies.
For more information, please see the following links:
http://otca.org/satelite-para-monitorear-las-aguas-de-la-cuenca-amazonica/
The OTCA organized the II Meeting of the Steering Committee of the Amazon Basin Project: Implementation of the Strategic Actions Program (PAE). Delegates from the eight Member Countries of the OTCA gathered at the OTCA headquarters in Brasilia on March 1 and 2 to provide strategic recommendations on the implementation of the PAE in the Amazon Region through regional initiatives within the framework of the OTCA, and to approve the 2022 Progress Report and the Project Work Plan for 2023. Additionally, the representatives of the countries conducted a technical visit to the facilities of the National Water and Basic Sanitation Agency (ANA) of Brazil in Brasilia.
For more information, please see the following links:
http://otca.org/recomendaciones-del-ii-comite-directivo-del-proyecto-regional-cuenca-amazonica/
The OTCA, the Plurinational State of Bolivia, and UNESCO organized the parallel event "Transboundary Cooperation and Science for the Sustainable Management of Amazonian Waters" at the United Nations Water Conference 2023 in New York. This event showcased the work of cooperation and implementation of actions on transboundary waters, based on science and research, that countries are developing in the Amazon basin to ensure the sustainable management of water resources and achieve target 6.5.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
For more information, please see the following link:
IUCN
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has launched the 5th phase of the BRIDGE Program with the aim of strengthening institutions that manage transboundary river basins for sustainable management of shared water and freshwater ecosystems, promoting blue peace and long-term regional integration, and increasing water security. Building River Dialogue and Governance (BRIDGE) is a global initiative that, with over a decade of experience in 20 transboundary river basins around the world, has developed approaches and tools that promote a more equitable distribution of benefits associated with the use and exploitation of shared water, while incorporating intersectional and nature-based solutions. The lessons learned from this project are an important contribution to raising the technical level of dialogue on cooperation in transboundary waters and ensuring the necessary political commitment to implement agreements on water use in border regions. This approach to capacity building for water diplomacy offers the possibility of reviewing, strengthening, and updating legal frameworks and institutions that allow for sustainable management of transboundary river basins, providing solutions tailored to geographic contexts and local priorities while supporting the urgent call to accelerate transboundary cooperation for integrated water management at the global level (SDG 6.5.2).
More information is available at: https://www.iucn.org/es/noticias/202302/bridge-inicia-su-5ta-fase
In February 2023, IUCN participated in the Regional Water Dialogues organized by CEPAL in Santiago, Chile. The Regional Director for South America, Gabriel Quijandría, participated in the "Water, Energy and Food" panel, where he emphasized the importance of maintaining environmental flows to ensure water ecological services and also conducted an important analysis on cooperation in water governance to maximize the benefits that arise from the uses of this resource among all stakeholders.
More information is available at: https://www.iucn.org/es/articulo/202302/america-latina-y-el-caribe-llegaran-con-una-hoja-de-ruta-conjunta-la-conferencia
During the 2nd International Symposium on Transboundary Waters for Latin America and the Caribbean, organized by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Environment and Water of Bolivia, held in La Paz from November 30th to December 2nd, 2022, cooperation ties between organizations of transboundary river basins were strengthened, their advances, challenges, and management tools were known, and dialogue and reflection were promoted on the need for a framework that guides sustainable management of shared water in the region. IUCN contributed with the experience of the BRIDGE project, in particular, a presentation was made on the importance of integrating the gender perspective in the governance of transboundary river basins.
More information is available at: https://www.iucn.org/es/articulo/202212/uicn-participo-en-el-ii-simposio-internacional-de-aguas-transfronterizas-para
IHP – UNESCO
2022 UN Water Summit on Groundwater, "Groundwater in Latin America and the Caribbean: Perspectives and Challenges", a meeting of experts from Latin America and the Caribbean. In December of last year, during the UN Water Summit on Groundwater (UNESCO Paris), a meeting of experts from Latin America and the Caribbean was held, titled "Groundwater in Latin America and the Caribbean: Perspectives and Challenges". At this meeting, perspectives on the governance of groundwater and the state of groundwater resources in the region, possible solutions and concrete views on groundwater management, including post-disaster hydro-meteorological management, were shared.
You can find more information about the event at the following link.
Launch of the International Conference on Ancestral Hydrotechnologies in Response to the Climate Emergency, during February 16 and 17, 2023. The UNESCO Chair on Sustainability at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), with the support of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Hydrological Program (IHP), the IHP Working Group on Water Education and Cultures for Latin America and the Caribbean (IHP-LAC), the Global Network of Water Museums, and AECID, brought together more than 50 specialists from diverse areas of knowledge, from 21 countries, to discuss and evaluate the feasibility of ancestral hydrotechnologies and their potential as integrated solutions for the adaptation and transformation of territories (Barcelona, February 2023). This space generated a debate on their implementation to respond to contemporary global emergencies, such as climate challenges, water scarcity, biodiversity, health, and food. One of the proposals of the Conference contemplated the creation of a Network of Demonstrative Sites of ancestral hydrotechnologies.
To find more information about the conference, follow the link.
UNESCO launches the document "Community Water and Sanitation Service Organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean: Water Management in Rural Areas from a Technical-Social Perspective". More than 180,000 Community Water and Sanitation Service Organizations provide potable water to about 80 million rural inhabitants of Latin America and the Caribbean. These social structures created by groups of neighbors in rural, peri-urban, and even urban areas that have emerged as support for efforts to ensure the availability and management of water, stimulate collaborative management. This publication, led by the Regional Water Center for Arid and Semi-Arid Zones of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAZALAC), presents experiences from countries in Latin America and the Caribbean in the management of Community Water and Sanitation Service Organizations in rural areas and analyzes their strategies and achievements.
To find more information about the publication, follow the link.
UNESCO and CODIA launch the publication "Water and COVID-19 in Ibero-America and the Caribbean, impacts, challenges, and opportunities". This publication gathers advances and lessons learned about the management and governance of water in the region during and after the pandemic, seeking to synthesize some aspects and reflections on the interaction of Water and COVID-19 with the aim of visualizing and evaluating related issues.
You can find the complete publication at the following link.
New Ecohidrology Demonstrative Sites in Latin America and the Caribbean, part of UNESCO's Global Network of Ecohidrology Demonstrative Sites. Eight new Ecohidrology Demonstrative Sites were approved at the last meeting of the Scientific Advisory Committee of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Hydrological Program's Ecohidrology Program (December 2022, Paris) to be part of UNESCO's Global Network of Ecohidrology Demonstrative Sites. Two of them are located in Latin America and the Caribbean:
ECLAC
ECLAC organized the workshop "Capacity development to promote investments in the potable water and sanitation sector, with a circular economy approach". The workshop was sponsored by the projects "Potable Water, Sanitation, and Renewable Energy in El Salvador, Mexico, and Panama" (UNPDF) and "Transformative Reactivation: Overcoming the Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic" (GIZ). It was held on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, at the El Trebal Sewage Treatment Plant (Talagante).
For more information, you can check the following link.
ECLAC organized the Regional Water Dialogues 2023 between February 1 and 3 at the headquarters of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean in Santiago, Chile. This event is part of the regional preparatory process for the UN Water Conference 2023. It was attended by 200 in-person participants representing more than 20 countries in the region, and with the participation of more than 80 high-level panelists. Among them were the Vice President of El Salvador, Mr. Félix Ulloa, six ministers, and seven deputy ministers from different countries in the region. Additionally, there was a strong representation of civil society, indigenous groups, primary and secondary school students, women's and youth associations, rural communities, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The private sector, international development banks, and academia were also present. The objectives of the event were 1) to communicate and consolidate the commitments made to accelerate the implementation of SDG 6 in Latin America and the Caribbean, and 2) to exchange experiences and lessons learned for the fulfillment of the same SDGs. As a result of this event, a Regional Water Action Agenda was obtained, highlighting the main commitments and courses of action that ALC countries must follow to accelerate the implementation of SDG 6. This is based on a sustainable and inclusive water transition.
For more information on the event, you can check the following link.
ECLAC participated in the "Water for Life Dialogues" event, whose objective was to create an action proposal that Bolivia presented at the United Nations World Water Conference on March 22-24. In this context, on March 6, the "Water for Life Dialogues" took place in the city of Sucre, where the position of the Plurinational State of Bolivia regarding water for life, integral development in the framework of Living Well, and perspective of the United Nations World Water Conference was consolidated with the collective participation of all those involved to achieve the objectives in the public management of water and sanitation.
For more information, you can check the following link.
ECLAC participated in the United Nations Water Conference 2023, which took place in New York from March 22 to 24, 2023. The objective of the event was to evaluate the progress related to SDG 6 concerning water and sanitation, within the framework of a broad mid-term review of the International Decade for Action "Water for Sustainable Development" (2018-2028). Here, the ECLAC participated in different events to highlight the needs and commitments of the region, so that they are framed in the Agenda for Action on Water that was developed there.
For more information on the ECLAC's participation, you can check the following link.
The Water Team of the ECLAC gives a master class on water governance in the Federal Program for Training on Integrated Water Resources Management, organized by the Federal Investment Council of Argentina (CFI). The ECLAC participated in the key concepts module for water management of the Federal training program, organized by the CFI, aimed at professionals who work in the management of water resources at the provincial level.
You can consult more information about the class in the following link.
The ECLAC Water Team participates in the SDG 6 roundtable at the 6th Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development 2023. Last Thursday, April 27, the first roundtable of the 6th forum on SDG 6 - Clean water and sanitation. This meeting served as a space for reflection and exchange of experiences on issues related to the management of water resources. A variety of stakeholders, both from the public and private sectors, had space to share their reflections. The countries also shared their vision on SDG 6 and what is being done to reach the 2030 goals. Important issues such as drought, floods, financing and water governance were highlighted throughout the session.
For more information, you can consult the following link.
