Viña del Mar, Chile, 3 March 2013. This event brought together more than 40 Latin American and European water management experts from 18 countries. Fifteen research centres and 14 government focal points of the Latin American Network of Knowledge Centres in the Water Sector (RALCEA), funded by the European Commission, attended the event. Participants included delegates from various institutions involved in water issues, international cooperation (UNESCO-IHP, AECID) and representatives from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the European Commission (Directorate General for Development and Cooperation - EuropeAid, Joint Research Centre and the European Union Delegations in Chile and El Salvador).
During the sessions, participants put emphasis on the project’s progress and the high level of commitment of participants for their continued support to the network and the achievement of pivotal results with a view to the network’s long-term sustainability. “These workshops have enabled integrated and cooperative work between government and scientific sectors. In addition, participants have aligned their visions and expectations to establish common goals and objectives in regards to water issues”, according to Mr Mario Schreider, the coordinator of the Faculty of Engineering and Water Sciences of the National University of the Littoral.
Amongst the agreements reached in the Stakeholder mapping workshop, 14 activities were selected for implementation throughout 2013 around three thematic areas: (1) Integrated management of water resources and governance, awareness and participation, conflict resolution; (2) Watershed and land management; (3) Specific issues such as flood management, groundwater monitoring and sanitation.
As a result of the Water Quality and Sanitation Workshop, three project initiatives were defined (indicators and methodologies for water resources, watershed observatory and strategies for the prevention and rehabilitation of eutrophic water bodies) and three capacity-building activities (sampling and analysis techniques, monitoring of water quality and quantity, water treatment and re-use technologies). These actions seek to enhance the technical capacity of decision makers, local managers and research centres to manage water resources in regards to the themes identified, which will be implemented during this year.
Moreover, the guide “Sustainable Water Management Initiatives in Latin America” was presented. This guide is a manual on the best practices and technologies which inform various governmental, social, technical and research stakeholders and is based on 29 case studies in the water sector.
Finally, the participants evaluated the progress of RALCEA and its activities, as well as the need to work on the sustainability of the RALCEA network, for which participants agreed on the design of a strategic plan and a sustainability plan.
Source: European Union Delegation in Peru