Between July 3 and 4, Dr. Silvia Saravia Matus, ECLAC's Economic Affairs Officer of the water resource unit, participated in a training session held at the headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), in Geneva. The main objectives of the training were to strengthen the capacities of key water experts involved in transboundary water cooperation, to provide the knowledge and skills necessary to promote the Conventions and support their effective implementation. Technical and political guidance was provided regarding the Water Convention, including legal aspects of cooperation and agreements, the benefits of cooperation, adaptation to climate change, groundwater management, pollution prevention, and the water-food-energy-ecosystem nexus. The training session allowed to expand the community of professionals with a reinforced understanding of the Conventions, allowing them to promote adherence to the Conventions and their implementation. In addition, the information shared during this session enabled the strengthening of governance frameworks, supports the implementation of climate-related commitments, the achievement of the SDGs, and contributes to the sustainability of projects and investments.
Finally, on behalf of ECLAC, Dr. Silvia Saravia Matus, shared the water challenges of the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region, the relevance of the convention and the integrated management of the water resource in LAC. In addition, she held bilateral meetings with the countries of LAC and members of the ROSA project (Regional Network and Observatory for Water Sustainability), to support the implementation of the convention as part of their technical assistance requirements.
