6 November 2012: The Global Water Partnership (GWP) Central America organized a workshop to discuss the application of integrated urban water management (IUWM) in Central America, where two-thirds of the population live in urban areas and water systems are considered vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters. The workshop was held from 29 October – 1 November 2012, at Honduras’ Zamorano Pan-American Agricultural School.
Workshop participants discussed the IUWM concept and factors for IUWM planning, such as up-to-date data, population dynamics, urban water systems vulnerability, climate change impacts, climate resilience, institutional capacity and good governance. Participants also considered water’s multiple uses, water cycles, land use and sanitation planning and tools for financing water and sanitation projects. Participants recognized the importance of better runoff and drainage systems for the region as well as water conservation and water efficiency, noting that flooding causes 50% of the damage from extreme weather events.
Participants heard two case studies: a water management case study from Tegucigalpa, Honduras and a study on municipal planning and IUWM in various communities. Speakers included the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Honduras’ Environment Secretariat (SERNA) and National Sanitation Service (SANAA).
The workshop also included participatory events. Participants formed working groups to apply IUWM strategies to five Central American cities: Guatemala City; San Jose; Panama City; Managua; and Nejapa. The groups then presented their proposed IUWM strategies. Participants also visited a Tegucigalpa water reservoir.
Representatives of the municipalities of large cities, water and sanitation agencies, and universities in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama attended the workshop, which GWP organized with the support of Network for Capacity Building in Integrated Water Resources Management (Cap-Net) and the Latin American Water Education and Training Network (LA-WETNet). The World Bank, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) founded GWP in 1996 to foster integrated water resources management (IWRM). Cap-Net, managed by UNDP, is a network of autonomous international, regional and national institutions and networks committed to capacity building in the water sector. LA-WETNet is a regional network that offers training services for integrated water management and for access to water and sanitation. [GWP English Release] [GWP Spanish Release]