Training on Mathematical Modelling for the Santa Lucia River Basin, run by the Deltares Institute, started on 20 June.

Montevideo, Uruguay. The training on Mathematical Modelling for the Santa Lucia River Basin, run by the Deltares Institute, began on 20 June. The opening ceremony was attended by the Spanish ambassador, José Javier Gómez-Llera and García-Nava; the head of cooperation of the Delegation of the European Union in Uruguay, Markus Handke; and the Minister of Environment, Adrián Peña.

This course is part of the Adaptation in Action - Santa Lucia Basin project, which is funded by the European Union through EUROCLIMA+ and supported by the implementing agencies AFD (French Development Agency) and AECID (Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation).

The main objective of the project is to strengthen the resilience of the urban localities of the basin, Montevideo and its metropolitan area to the impacts of climate variability and change, focusing efforts on an integrated management of water resources to guarantee the quantity and quality of their source of drinking water.

As a specific objective, it is proposed to adopt technology and modelling in the management of water resources in the Santa Lucía river basin and to strengthen its governance from a human rights perspective.

At the official opening ceremony, the Spanish ambassador referred to the relevance of this project and, in particular, of the course that is beginning, as it is aligned with the commitments made by the country and with the challenges facing the planet in relation to climate change adaptation and mitigation. In this regard, he thanked EUROCLIMA+ for the efforts made, and highlighted the contributions made by Spain in this area.

The head of cooperation of the Delegation of the European Union thanked the Ministry of Environment for promoting these policies and expressed that Uruguay is a great ally of the European Union in environmental issues. 

For his part, the minister highlighted the start of this course as a milestone within the Adaptation in Action - Santa Lucia Basin project, and recalled the importance of the basin for the country, as it is the source of drinking water for 60% of the population. 

He also mentioned the importance of continuing to enhance spaces for participation and governance from a human rights perspective.

With regard to the course, he expressed that it is of utmost importance to strengthen the Situation and Forecast Room of the National Water Directorate and to have an early warning system to better prevent and manage risks. 

Finally, he thanked EUROCLIMA+ for its support and announced that the annual meeting of this programme will be held in our country in September.

It should be noted that technicians from the Ministry of Environment; technicians from the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries; from OSE and from academia are participating in the course.  

EUROCLIMA+ sector Water management with an urban resilience perspective

Through this sector of the EUROCLIMA+ programme implemented by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and the French Development Agency (AFD), a total of seven projects will be implemented. For more information on each project, 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. 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 AFD Group: the French Development Agency (AFD)/ Expertise France (EF), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), 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).