This initiative will benefit 222,000 users of the services of 60 ASADAS in the Greater Metropolitan Area.
October 21, 2020. Bogotá, Colombia. With a long-distance toast to the pandemic, European Union Ambassador Maria Antonia Calvo, French Ambassador Phillippe Vinogradff, Costa Rican Minister of Environment and Energy Andrea Meza Murillo, AFD Regional Director Juliette Grundman and AyA Executive President Yamileth Astorga Espeleta celebrated the launch of the project: "Strengthening GAM's ASADAS and peripheral cities to improve their management and resilience to climate change", of the Urban Water sector of EUROCLIMA+, which will be implemented in Costa Rica.
Through this project, one of seven for this sector, which was launched on October 21, the aim is to strengthen 60 Administrative Associations of the Communal Aqueducts and Sewerage Systems (ASADAS) in the Greater Metropolitan Area of Costa Rica, which are vulnerable to decreases in water sources and climate phenomena such as storms or droughts, added to the pressure of unplanned urban growth. In this way, it is expected that during the 36 months of implementation, ASADAS will become more resilient to climate change, benefiting its 222,000 service users.
The event was attended by the Minister of the Environment and Energy, Andrea Meza Murillo, who stressed the importance of working together to mitigate the effects of climate change: "Today more than ever we need these shared visions, we need to implement this green transition with approaches based on multilateralism. We appreciate the efforts of the European Union and the Government of France. We know that this is the way forward with our societies," she said during her speech.
For Ambassador Calvo, this project is the result of a sum of efforts: "The project that brings us together today is the result of a very successful collaboration: the European Union, a great ally such as France and the Costa Rican institutions. With this initiative, Costa Rica once again demonstrates its global leadership in environmental issues".
Ambassador Calvo also recalled the importance of water in urban areas: "Water is at the centre of all climate change adaptation strategies in many countries, as it is the one that channels most of the impacts of climate change. This is why EUROCLIMA+ has a specific component on water management, to improve the access of populations to good quality drinking water in order to increase the availability of water resources", she mentioned during her speech.
For his part, Ambassador Vinogradff began his speech by mentioning that "water is life. Without water, not only is there no development: there is nothing". This slogan, he said, is what motivates France's commitment to water, which is strengthened through joint efforts with strategic allies such as Costa Rica, a country with which he works hand in hand for better access to water and sustainable development.
Likewise, Juliette Grundman, regional director of the French Development Agency (AFD), which will be in charge of implementing the project, highlighted what it means to accompany a country committed to the environment: "This project reflects Costa Rica's commitment to the fight against climate change. For the AFD it is an honour to accompany this initiative, which aims to strengthen the management and capacities of the ASADAS, a key element in consolidating this sector".
Despite the distance, ASADAS beneficiaries also participated in this event, through a video that reflected the impact that this project will have on their lives: "The management that the ASADA performs in this community is very important, because we have potable water, which is what really gives us health, because with that clean water, which not all communities have, we can do everything in our homes, we can take water from the tap and know that it is drinkable, 100 percent," said one of the beneficiaries of the video.
“The road to recovery is green and blue”
During her intervention, the Minister of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica, Andrea Meza Murillo, stated that the future is green (for the protection of the environment) and blue (for the protection of water resources). Within this formula, the project will strengthen the ASADAS, non-profit associations dedicated to bringing drinking water and sanitation to their communities, in order to generate best practices, draft action plans, and improve their infrastructure, with a budget of 1.8 million euros, of which 1.4 million are from EUROCLIMA+.
The project “Strengthening of the GAM’s ASADAS” is implemented by AyA, CEDARENA and ARESEP, and executed by AFD, with support from the Ministry of Environment and Energy.
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 visit: https://www.euroclima.org/agua
About EUROCLIMA+
EUROCLIMA+ is a programme financed by the European Union to promote environmentally sustainable and climate-resilient development in 18 Latin American countries, particularly for the benefit of the most vulnerable populations. The Programme is implemented 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-American Foundation for Public Administration and Policy (FIIAPP), the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), and UN Environment.
Contacts
For more information about EUROCLIMA+, contact Alexandra Cortés: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For information about the EUROCLIMA+ Urban Water sector, write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Web: www.euroclimaplus.org