22 March 2023. Abancay, Peru. In the framework of International Women's Day, which is commemorated every 8 March, and understanding the important role played by women

in water management, the EUROCLIMA Urban Water Project "Water for Abancay and the Communities" of EUROCLIMA, closed the contest " Best Practices for the Efficient and Responsible Use of Water for Human Consumption in Periurban Neighbourhoods of the City of Abancay"..

The activity took place on Thursday, March 9th, in the sports field of the Micaela Bastidas Urbanisation in Abancay, with the participation of authorities from the Regional Government of Apurímac, the Regional Housing and Sanitation Directorate, the Provincial Municipality of Abancay, the ODS SUNASS Apurímac, the EPS EMUSAP ABANCAY, and CEDES Apurímac.

The main protagonists were the winners of the competition from the neighbourhoods of Micaela Bastidas, Virgen del Rosario, Los Naranjales, San José and El Ampay, who presented and explained details of their best practices.

According to Engineer Rosaura Villafuerte Fernández, the project's water governance officer, more than 120 women participated. The competition was divided into three categories, and the winners were:

1st Category single-family

• 1st place: Silvia Dorregaray Ramos de Aguilar, from the Micaela Bastidas neighbourhood;
• 2nd place: Roció Evelin Pimentel Sotomayor from the Ampay neighbourhood;
• 3rd place: Lucía Yupanqui Taype, from the Micaela Bastidas neighbourhood;
• 4th place: Ana María Gonzales Aymara, from the Los Naranjales neighborhood;
• 5th place: Marielena Silva Quispe from the San José neighborhood

2nd Category Multi-family:

• 1st place: Clotilde Merino Tello, representing the Micaela Bastidas neighbourhood;
• 2nd place: Carmen Luisa Trujillo Castañeda, representing the Virgen del Rosario neighborhood;
• 3rd place: Alicia Peralta Hurtado from the Micaela Bastidas neighborhood;
• 4th place: Elizabeth Sarmiento Manuelo from the Ampay neighborhood;
• 5th place: Judith Valverde Salas - Micaela Bastidas neighborhood;

3rd Category Organizational Level:

• 1st place: Glass of Milk Committee “Micaela Bastidas” of Micaela Bastidas neighbourhood;
• 2nd place: Mothers' Club "María Inmaculada". of Micaela Bastidas neighbourhood;
• 3rd place: Glass of Milk Committee of Ampay.

The authorities present agreed that there has been an increase in the culture of appreciation of the water service, specifically in the responsible use of water for human consumption in the participating neighbourhoods, with one of the evidences being the low consumption shown in their drinking water bills. Likewise, there has been an increase in awareness among families and organisations about the urgency of protecting this resource.

The contestants committed themselves to continue practising good habits and to make sure that their family members are also aware of the importance of saving water. They also considered the need to carry out this type of initiative in other neighbourhoods of the city of Abancay, so that more families join this initiative, which socialises best practices in the management of water resources, in addition to taking care of the economy of each household.

Finally, the representatives of public and private institutions expressed their commitment to support this type of activities that improve the quality of life of the population.

The project "Water for Abancay and the Communities" is developed in the framework of the EUROCLIMA Programme and is implemented by the French Development Agency - AFD. It is led by SUNASS and implemented by Helvetas Peru. Local partners are EPS Emusap Abancay and CEDES Apurímac.

About EUROCLIMA+ Urban Water

Through this sector of the EUROCLIMA+ programme, implemented by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and the French Development Agency (AFD), seven projects are being implemented. For more information on each one, please visit: https://www.euroclima.org/en/water

About EUROCLIMA+

EUROCLIMA+ is a programme 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 Programme's mission is to reduce the impact of climate change and its effects in 18 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, promoting mitigation, adaptation, resilience and climate investment and biodiversity. It is implemented according to the "Spirit of Team Europe" under the synergistic work of seven agencies: the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), the French Development Agency (AFD), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Expertise France (EF), the International and Ibero-America Foundation for Administration and Public Policy (FIIAPP), the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) GmbH, and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).