22 November 2018: The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) co-organized a workshop to promote transboundary cooperation on groundwater in South America, in the context of SDG indicator 6.5.2. UNESCO and UNECE are jointly responsible for compiling country data on the indicator and supporting countries in their monitoring efforts.

SDG target 6.5 addresses integrated water resource management (IWRM), while SDG indicator 6.5.2 refers to the proportion of transboundary basin area with an operational arrangement for water cooperation. UNESCO reports that a “monitoring cycle” for this indicator is due to take place every three years.

Government staff from Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela, and Uruguay attended the workshop, which took place from 22-23 November 2018, in Montevideo, Uruguay. Speakers included representatives of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Global Water Partnership (GWP), the UNESCO International Hydrological Programme (UNESCO-IHP), OAS and the Government of Uruguay. UNESCO and UNECE cooperated with the Regional Center for Groundwater (CeReGAS), GWP South America, IDB and the Organization of American States (OAS) to organize the workshop.

Discussion at the workshop encouraged countries to see groundwater as part of the mix in IWRM and transboundary cooperation. Speakers encouraged bringing transboundary groundwater into policy discussions, undertaking hydro-diplomacy, and monitoring achievements against the SDG indicators.

OAS estimates there are 30 groundwater aquifers in South American countries. [UNESCO Press Release] [UN-Water Page on SDG Indicator 6.5.2]