“Innovations in water management – Mutual pollination for greater impact”
The Regional Workshop of the Water Network of COSUDE – RésEAU took place in Lima, from October 5 to 7, with the participation of around 30 specialists from the Latin American region and representatives from public and private institutions and from Peruvian academia, with whom COSUDE has been working on the water-related projects being implemented in the region.
The purpose of the meeting was to renew and strengthen the work and cooperation ties among RésEAU members in Latin America and the Caribbean, towards facilitating a smooth exchange of knowledge and experience. It sought to integrate innovative aspects in the projects and programs, ongoing and in the planning stage, and strengthen collaboration among institutions and the people that form part of the Network, specifically, between Cooperación, Cooperación Global, Swiss Cooperation SECO and the Humanitarian Aid Program of COSUDE and the partners with whom they have been working in the region.
The general topic of the three-day workshop was focused on “innovations” in water management, meaning not only technological innovations, but social, methodological and approach innovations as well, seeking to promote learning and exchange processes among participants through a series of innovations and experiences related to: i) territorial water management, ii) integrated management of basins, iii) water footprint and corporate water management and iv) circular economy in water supply and sanitation.
The event program included the Keynote Lecture by Francisco Dumler, former Minister of State for Housing, Construction and Sanitation of Peru, whose presentation offered a complete picture of the situation of the water and sanitation sector in Latin America, presenting topics such as rural water supply and sanitation, regulatory aspects for water and sanitation, water availability, ecosystem services and others. To download presentation, click here.
In line with the objectives of the workshop, it presented a panel that discussed, as main topic, water management in the business sector, a topic being worked out by Swiss Cooperation COSUDE in the Region through the Project SuizAgua/Water Brings us Together. The panel was integrated by Kenneth Peralta, National Official of the COSUDE Program, responsible for the SuizAgua Project, Alejandro Conza, specialist from the NGO Agualimpia, an entity that is in charge of implementing the SuizAgua Andina Project in Peru, Irma Cristancho, from Corporación Econexus-INSITU, from Colombia, with experience in Water Brings us Together, Alejandro Robles, from ORAZUL Energy and Tania Laguna, from the National Water Authority (ANA) presenting the Blue Certificate initiative. We share the panel in the following video.
On the third workshop day, the participants made a field trip to get a closer look at the experience of the RRR Project – Recover and safe Reuse of Resources, an initiative fostered by Swiss Cooperation COSUDE. The experience they visited was the Integrated System for Treatment and Use of Waste Waters in the green areas of the Huáscar Park in Villa El Salvador, operated by the Water Supply and Sanitation Service of Lima (SEDAPAL) and the Huáscar Zone Park, managed by the Parks Service of Lima (SERPAR). The visit showed them how domestic waste waters are used to irrigate green areas, through a system of anaerobic, aerated, settlement and maturation ponds that after a disinfection process are distributed to the Huáscar Zone Park and other green areas of the district.
Before closing the workshop, the participants shared among them what they had learned and what they take with them to share and apply in their institutions and activities.
| Javier Moreno Water and Basic Sanitation Regulation Commission, Colombia |
| María Antonia Zelaya COSUDE NICARAGUA |
| Cesarina Quintana Swiss Cooperation COSUDE Global Programs |
| Xenia Kirchhofer in charge of COSUE Programs BERNE |
| All videos |
For workshop images you may visit our gallery at Flickr.
Useful links:
Web Sub-RésEAU Latin America Web RésEAU
Web Water Initiatives Global Program of the Swiss Cooperation Agency COSUDE
