Activities by the members of the Regional Group of Experts on Water Resources in Latin America and the Caribbean between May and December 2023

CAN

The Andean Regional Water Forum 2022 was organized by the General Secretariat of the Andean Community (CAN) in Lima with the objective of contributing to the implementation of axis number 1 of the Andean Environmental Charter, approved by the Member Countries of the Andean Community. Participants from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru participated: government representatives, independent experts , local actors linked to territorial spheres and academic actors. The Forum was a sustained process of Andean cooperation on this topic, presenting information on challenges and topics of common priority. The 2024 Forum is a follow-up event to the common priorities that emerged in the 2022 Forum. The event will be organized in 2 days: 1) plenary session and presentation of technical working documents by the governmental environmental authorities of each member state; 2) meeting and workshop to systematically summarize the information in an updated draft version of Decision 763 on the Andean IWRM Strategy. 

UICN

UICN continues to support the governments of Ecuador and Peru in the good governance of their transboundary basins. After a successful negotiation process, on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, the Statute of the Binational Commission for the Integrated Management of Water Resources of the 9 Transboundary Hydrographic Basins between the Republic of Ecuador and the Republic of Peru (Binational Ecuador-Peru IWRM Commission) was ratified. A milestone that operationalizes this mechanism as an effective space for bilateral articulation, participation and coordination so that, with an ecosystemic and sustainable vision, it generates a positive impact on the quality of life of the population, productive activities, the conservation of freshwater ecosystems, and allows them to move towards SDG 6.5.2. The BRIDGE Project, implemented by UICN and funded by COSUDE, has supported this process since 2018, when the Commission was established.

More information: https://www.iucn.org/es/articulo/202310/peru-y-ecuador-consolidan-su-historia-de-cooperacion-en-gestion-de-aguas

Virtual Seminars on Water Diplomacy

Shared waters: conflict or cooperation? It is the title of the virtual seminar that took place on August 23, whose objective was to share success stories that make visible how cooperation can be the key to good governance in transboundary basins, as opposed to the conflict over water as a challenge for regional integration. More than 150 participants from Latin America and Europe joined this virtual seminar, organized by UICN and ARFE, which demonstrates that integrated water resources management at a transboundary level is an increasingly important and necessary topic to achieve SDG 6.5.2. 

Learn more: https://www.iucn.org/es/noticias/202309/aguas-compartidas-conflicto-o-cooperacion

Water diplomacy: materializing international cooperation through data sharing. More than 130 people were part of the Virtual Seminar "Information for Water Diplomacy" organized by UICN, ARFE and UNECE. At this event, it was highlighted that good governance of transboundary basins requires the implementation of cooperative mechanisms for the exchange of data on hydrographic basins that guarantee easily accessible, reliable, comparable and operational information. This is the first requirement to have an operational river basin organization, which can plan and manage in an integrated manner the water resources shared by countries based on informed decisions. Learn more at: https://www.iucn.org/es/noticias/202312/diplomacia-del-agua-materializado-la-cooperacion-internacional-traves-del

ECLAC

ECLAC announced the fourth edition of the Regional Water Dialogues of Latin America and the Caribbean, an event that will be held in a hybrid manner (in-person and virtual) in San José, Costa Rica, between March 11 and 13, 2024, at the headquarters of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). For more information click here.

The workshop "Rural Sanitation Sector in Latin America and the Caribbean - Vision of International Cooperation", held on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, brought together ECLAC and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to explore the challenges and opportunities related to the supply of drinking water and sanitation in rural areas of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The organization of this workshop was in charge of the Division of Drinking Water and Rural Sanitation (DISAR) of the Inter-American Association of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering (AIDIS). For more details click here.

On October 11, 2023, ECLAC held the 65th Meeting of the Presiding Officers of the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean. The relevance of the connections between this conference and other ECLAC bodies was emphasized. The role of water in gender equity was highlighted, identifying four gaps and promoting specific investments, execution of projects with a gender perspective and inclusive monitoring, in accordance with the Regional Action Agenda for Water. Look at the details here.

The ECLAC Keynote Talk: Towards a sustainable and inclusive water transition as the closing of the Mission of the Brazilian Association of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering (ABES) with the winners of the national quality award in sanitation (PNQS), took place at ECLAC facilities on September 15 and was transmitted in hybrid format. The event was organized by ECLAC and ABES.

ECLAC carried out a comprehensive mission in San Salvador, El Salvador, on September 5 and 6, 2023. This mission focused on the promotion and advanced training in circular economy applied to the Drinking Water and Sanitation sector. More information here.

The Water and Energy Unit of the Natural Resources Division of ECLAC carried out a training mission in Mexico from July 17 to 21, with the aim of promoting circularity in the Drinking Water and Sanitation sector. The mission included theoretical training, technical workshops and field visits to local plants, where topics in methane utilization, nutrient recovery and energy efficiency were addressed. The visit to on-site plants made it possible to evaluate specific improvements in the treatment plants, in addition to evaluating the viability of methane recovery and carrying out pre-feasibility plan calculations and investment in circular technologies. A socialization session with the community was also organized. For more details click here.

On December 4, ECLAC presented the challenges in mitigating and adapting to climate change and proposals on sustainable transitions in water and energy at the COP 28 side event in Dubai. More information here.

On December 1, 2023, ECLAC presented the opportunities and challenges of water and gender gaps, in the presentation of the Institute for Equality and Equity for Sustainable Development, of the University of Mendoza. More details here.

On November 28, 2023, ECLAC participated in the IX Water Dialogues LAC - Spain, whose focus was Financing for the Reduction of Gaps in the Water Sector. The high-level event was organized by the Latin American Development Bank (CAF) and took place in Madrid on November 28, 2023. In its IX version, the Water Dialogues LAC - Spain, emphasized financing for key infrastructures in water security and climate resilience, highlighting the importance of achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 and reducing gaps in the sector. For more information click here.

On November 17, 2023, ECLAC participated in the XXIV Conference of Ibero-American Water Directors, presenting the Network and Observatory for Water Sustainability (ROSA) project and inviting them to take part. Read event details here.

On November 15, 2023, ECLAC held the Circular Economy Workshop in the Water and Sanitation Sector, co-organized with the Commission for the Regulation of Drinking Water and Basic Sanitation (CRA) in Colombia. The workshop covered topics such as the sustainable water transition, methane management and nutrient recovery, with sessions led by distinguished experts and with the presence of senior managers from national public service companies, regional corporations and national  law enforcement entities related to water and sanitation. More information here.

On October 30, ECLAC participated in the CODIA workshop on Water Quality, Discharge Management and Wastewater Recovery. The theme of the workshop focused on water quality, discharge management and wastewater recovery in Latin America. The workshop addressed pressing water and wastewater quality issues in the region, including the lack of adequate sewage systems, industrial and agricultural pollution, and the importance of wastewater treatment and recovery. More details here.

In October 2023, during the Latin America and the Caribbean Climate Week 2023 (LACCW 2023), ECLAC, together with UNICEF and SIWI, organized the side event titled “Water and Sanitation in the context of Climate Change”, with the motto of guaranteeing the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for the most vulnerable in the context of climate change. The challenges related to water and sanitation in the context of climate change were highlighted, especially the vulnerabilities of the populations in LAC. Prominent experts contributed from their various areas of expertise towards a comprehensive understanding of the current situation in the region. Read more here.

On October 17, the WCC Clorosur Forum 2023 took place, a joint initiative of the World Chlorine Council – WCC and Clorosur . Through this event, ECLAC joined the conversation about the importance of sanitation and its vital link with economic, social and environmental development. For more details click here.

The DIAA 2023 seminar on October 6, 2023, organized by the Inter-American Association of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering (AIDIS), explored the intersection of water governance, human rights and social consensus in Latin America and the Caribbean. Several experts from different organizations, including ECLAC, were present to share their ideas on these important topics. Read more information here.

On Friday, September 29, the first virtual seminar of the ROSA Network was held. The seminar was held in synergy with the Conference of Ibero-American Water Directors (CODIA), the Cooperation Fund for Water and Sanitation (FCAS) and the Center for the Study and Experimentation of Public Works of Spain (CEDEX). The event was part of the Third Session of the Virtual Course “Sectoral Policy and Planning of Sanitation and Wastewater Treatment, specifically in the second module with the theme “Development of the Regulatory, institutional and financial framework of the Sanitation Sector in LAC”. Read more here.

On September 25, ECLAC participated in the First Workshop for the Valuation of Water in Latin America and the Caribbean. The event was held in Bogotá, and organized by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, through its Water Valuation Initiative, and was also attended by delegations from Chile, Colombia and Peru. Review the details here.

Between June 26 and 30, 2023, ECLAC participated in the event "Sustainability Research and Innovation Congress 2023", in Panama City, Panama. The hybrid event featured the participation of more than 2,000 world leaders related to sustainability research, government experts, financiers, innovators, and civil society representatives. The transdisciplinary nature of the Congress provided a valuable platform to share innovative ideas and diverse knowledge on sustainability, an element that for the organizers could constitute an inspiration for action and promotion of positive transformation towards a more sustainable future. More details here.

On July 20, 2023, ECLAC participated in the Hemispheric Water and Agriculture Initiative, where IICA presented the proposal to confront the water crisis and ensure food security. Read more here.

Between July 3 and 4, ECLAC participated in the training “From practitioner to practitioner: how to use the two global water conventions to promote cooperation on terrain” held in Geneva, at the headquarters of the Economic Commission for Europe of the United Nations (UNECE). The purpose of the event was to increase awareness and adherence to the Water Convention and application of its principles, based on the benefits of the cooperation of the Convention's 2022-2024 work program. Read more information here.