March 22, 2023. Bogota, Colombia. The central theme of the 2023 edition of World Water Day, which is commemorated every March 22, is 'Accelerating Change', referring to the importance of acquiring more ambitious commitments and targets that will make it possible to meet Sustainable Development Goal 6, which aims to achieve universal and equitable access to safe drinking water and sanitation.
In line with this objective, the six EUROCLIMA+ Urban Water projects of the European Union, implemented in Latin America by the French Development Agency - AFD and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation - AECID, are focused on guaranteeing better access to drinking water in urban areas. They also seek to protect the watersheds that supply water to communities and strengthen the capacities of service providers to have an integrated management of the resource, while strengthening the resilience of communities to the effects of climate change.
Learn how the projects are working to accelerate change and ensure universal access to drinking water in an environmentally and community responsible manner:
Peru: The Water for Abancay project, implemented by Helvetas Peru, SUNASS and Emusap Abancay, seeks to contribute to ensuring future availability, equitable access and responsible use of water in the city of Abancay and its surroundings.
This project, which was launched in August 2020, has reported significant results: by February 2023, the number of forested areas in the watersheds has increased by 400%, while improvements have been made to the weather stations to be better prepared for any climatic phenomenon. Twenty-two leaders have also been trained in Integrated Water Resources Management, and the 'Yaquq Ñan' or Water Route was implemented, a pedagogical mechanism to learn about the path that water travels from the watershed to homes, promoting the care of this resource and raising awareness of its important value for the community.
Costa Rica: Since the selection of the 60 Community Water Supply Associations (ASADAS) that would benefit from the Resilient ASADAS project, executed by Cedarena, the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewerage and Aresep, a process of accompaniment and strengthening began. The ASADAS are responsible for providing water and sanitation services to the communities of the Greater Metropolitan Area of Costa Rica, and through the project, a diagnosis was made of the main needs of these associations to see how they can be supported. Works to be financed were selected, and in 45 of the ASADAS, a diagnosis of gaps with a gender perspective was made.
Currently, a process of accompaniment is being carried out with 13 ASADAS, so that they can implement the Water Resource Protection Tariff, which makes it possible to manage and obtain resources for the development of projects and studies to protect and improve water quality. In order to implement their tariff, each ASADA must create a five-year plan, which establishes long-term goals and actions.
Uruguay: The 'Adaptation in Action - Santa Lucía Watershed project, implemented by the Uruguayan Ministry of Environment, aims to solve the water and sanitation crisis through the use of technology to strengthen Uruguay's early warning system for droughts and floods, two climatic effects that are exacerbating in this region, both in periodicity and intensity. Uruguay is now facing one of the worst droughts in recent times, and these technologies make it possible to forecast the level of water that will be available for human supply, resulting in better management capacity so that no one is left without access to drinking water.
One of the needs that emerged from the project is the exchange and feedback of knowledge for an integrated management of groundwater, highlighting the empowerment that this generates in the communities that are exclusively supplied by this resource. As a result, citizens are better informed about where the water they consume comes from and how to protect it to avoid contamination and inappropriate use. In turn, citizens are better informed about extreme events that may affect them, either because they are communicated earlier or more accurately.
Guatemala: the 'Urban Water in the Marquense Valley' project, implemented by Helvetas Guatemala, seeks to provide a better service, and guarantee sufficient water supply in quantity and quality for the inhabitants of five municipalities in the Marquense Valley, relying on education and integrated water management, implementing initiatives such as reforestation. This has allowed them to impact more than 193,000 inhabitants, who are now familiar with their water rates, and understand why they are charged that price, the importance of paying on time and how their payment contributes to improve this service for the benefit of all.
In addition, work has been done with the five municipalities to implement environmental sanitation action plans, and regular tree planting activities are carried out in the water recharge areas in the Naranjo River basin, which supplies water to the surrounding communities.
El Salvador: From the 'Water Management in the San Salvador Metropolitan Area' project, nine maps have been developed that will strengthen the monitoring, study, and research system in the region, on issues such as water recharge, vulnerability studies and water pollution risks. In addition, a strong emphasis has been placed on generating spaces for training and exchange of experiences in which more than 250 people have participated. The project team conducts periodic field expeditions and documents the life stories of those involved in water management, to generate communication based on emotions and stories.
Recently, the project inaugurated monitoring wells to determine the depth of groundwater and water recharge oscillations in each of the areas where they are located: "Water management plays a fundamental role in sustainability, resilience and risk prevention through territorial planning, so it is beneficial to continue with research work, data analysis and execution of works to make decisions and develop policy proposals," said COAMSS/OPAMSS (the entity executing the project) executive director, Yolanda Bichara, during the launch.
Colombia: 537,525 inhabitants of the cities of Pasto and Tangua, in Nariño, will benefit from the "Water and Territorial Governance in the Water Region of the Atriz Valley (RHVA)" project, an initiative that seeks to achieve more sustainable territories through a territorial water governance system. Collaborative tools will be developed for water security as a strategy for adaptation to climate change, betting on a post-pandemic green recovery, providing water for all and for life. A sum of efforts among all stakeholders to address climate change. It is implemented by the AFD and executed by EMPOPASTO S.A. E.S.P., in alliance with the Government of Nariño, Pasto's Mayor's Office, Tangua's Mayor's Office, CORPONARIÑO, Patrimonio Natural Fondo para la Biodiversidad, Universidad Mariana and Fundación Grupo Social.
These initiatives demonstrate the importance of ensuring the participation of all parties in the integrated management of resources: from service providers to state institutions, and especially the communities, who are the ones facing the main effects of climate change. Accelerating change is, for EUROCLIMA's Urban Water projects, a way to be more resilient to phenomena such as floods and droughts, actively involving them so that they know the importance of valuing water and work together for its protection and for a dignified and fair access to this resource.
About EUROCLIMA+ Urban Water
Through this sector of the EUROCLIMA+ program, implemented by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and the French Development Agency (AFD), seven projects are being executed. For more information on each one visit: https://www.euroclima.org/en/water
About EUROCLIMA+
EUROCLIMA+ is a program funded by the European Union and co-financed by the German federal government through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), as well as by the governments of France and Spain through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation.
The Program's mission is to reduce the impact of climate change and its effects in 18 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean by promoting mitigation, adaptation, resilience, and climate investment. It is implemented according to the "Spirit of Team Europe" under the synergistic work of seven agencies: Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), AFD Group: French Development Agency (AFD)/ Expertise France (EF), Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policy (FIIAPP), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the UN Environment Program.