Potable Water, Sanitation and Renewable Energies
to improve the health conditions of the population
and promote productive uses in the most lagging behind municipalities
of the countries of the northern subregion of Latin America and the Caribbean
Reference
PDF-SDG-2021-07
Implementing Entity/ies
UNECLAC
Collaborating Partners
UNRCOs, Global Water Partnership (GWP)
Duration
February 2022 – January 2025
Location
El Salvador, Mexico, Panama
Approved Budget
$ 511,300
Description
Access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene is the most basic human need for health and well-being. Water demand is rising owing to rapid population growth, urbanization, and increasing water needs from the agriculture, industry, and energy sectors. Decades of misuse, poor management, over-extraction of groundwater, and contamination of freshwater supplies have exacerbated water stress.
In the Latin American and Caribbean region, according to data from the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP), only 75.4% (2020) of the region's population had a safely managed drinking water service, which implies 161 million people suffering from this deficiency. Regarding sanitation, only 34.1% of the population have access to a safely managed system, which leaves 431 million people without this service. Furthermore, in terms of water treatment, only 34% of the wastewater that is captured from the sewer system is treated. In addition to this, LAC has an average value of wastewater treatment of 41%, which is lower than the average world level (55.5%) and below the average value of the OECD countries (more than 80%).
The main causes for this are the insufficient investment in drinking water and sanitation systems and their energy requirements, as well as regulatory aspects. The main objective of the project is to improve the capacities of the localities/municipalities of selected countries with the highest poverty rate in the provision of drinking water, sanitation, and energy services to promote recovery from the pandemic of COVID-19 that is sustainable, resilient, and inclusive. The inclusion of energy services in the process is fundamental as it is a crucial cost element for the water supply systems and their continuous provision of services. To do so, the project will strengthen the technical capacities of these countries and localities/municipalities to design an investment plan in drinking water and sanitation considering renewable energies as the main supply source.
In the Latin American and Caribbean region, according to data from the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP), only 75.4% (2020) of the region's population had a safely managed drinking water service, which implies 161 million people suffering from this deficiency. Regarding sanitation, only 34.1% of the population have access to a safely managed system, which leaves 431 million people without this service. Furthermore, in terms of water treatment, only 34% of the wastewater that is captured from the sewer system is treated. In addition to this, LAC has an average value of wastewater treatment of 41%, which is lower than the average world level (55.5%) and below the average value of the OECD countries (more than 80%).
The main causes for this are the insufficient investment in drinking water and sanitation systems and their energy requirements, as well as regulatory aspects. The main objective of the project is to improve the capacities of the localities/municipalities of selected countries with the highest poverty rate in the provision of drinking water, sanitation, and energy services to promote recovery from the pandemic of COVID-19 that is sustainable, resilient, and inclusive. The inclusion of energy services in the process is fundamental as it is a crucial cost element for the water supply systems and their continuous provision of services. To do so, the project will strengthen the technical capacities of these countries and localities/municipalities to design an investment plan in drinking water and sanitation considering renewable energies as the main supply source.