Strengthening sustainable water management in Lima
On March 5, 2024, the facilities of the Lima Water and Sewerage Service (Servicio Nacional de Agua Potable y Alcantarillado de Lima – SEDAPAL) hosted an innovative water management tool: “Water Flow”. Presented as part of an initiative to enhance SEDAPAL’s readiness for potential emergencies, including seismic events, this tool, developed in Switzerland, focuses on visualizing and integrating the urban water cycle.
During an engaging presentation, attendees delved into the functionalities of Water Flow, highlighting its capacity to improve communication, decision-making processes, and, most importantly, to enable more comprehensive and sustainable water management within the city. The tool was revealed not only as a bridge to clear visualization of the water cycle but also as a way to identify challenges, opportunities, and ultimately, to catalyze priority actions towards rehabilitating affected ecosystems and improving existing monitoring systems.
The session underscored Switzerland’s commitment to water issues and climate resilience, demonstrating the vital role of collaboration and synergy between innovative technologies like Water Flow and the monitoring systems that SEDAPAL already implements. The integration of these tools paves the way for enhanced groundwater management and anticipates a future a future where Lima can swiftly and adequately respond to emergencies, ensuring uninterrupted access to water for its residents.
The workshop aligns with the broader objectives of the Water in Emergencies project, which seeks not only to prepare SEDAPAL for critical events such as earthquakes, but also to strengthen its overall management and response capacity to any challenge that may compromise water supply in the region. With the support of Swiss Cooperation and the consortium formed by Ayuda en Acción in Peru, Predes, and Helvetas Peru, this joint effort marks a step forward towards a safer and more sustainable future for Lima and its citizens.
About the tool Water Flow:
The Water Flow Diagram (WFD) is a visual tool designed to promote more integrated and inclusive urban water management. Developed by Swiss Cooperation SDC along with partners such as EAWAG, AGUASAN, and HEKS/EPER, the WFD aims to visualize the human-created urban water cycle, serve as a communication and advocacy tool for sustainable water management, and provide a basis for discussions among different stakeholders to prioritize actions towards more sustainable urban water management.
Source: Emergency Water Supply project
Useful links:
FS Emergency Water Supply project
Web Water Flow Diagram
