Within the framework of the II Regional Andean Water Forum 2026, held at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Andean Community (SGCAN) in Lima, Peru, Dr. Silvia Saravia Matus, Economic Affairs Officer of ECLAC's Natural Resources Unit, presented the keynote address "Diagnosis of Integrated Water Resources Management in Andean Countries", with a central message of urgency: the region already has the necessary regulatory framework; today's challenge is to operationalize it.

The event brought together authorities from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, along with international cooperation agencies and regional experts. The opening ceremony featured remarks from Ambassador Gonzalo Gutiérrez Reinel, Secretary General of the General Secretariat of the Andean Community (SGCAN), and Ambassador Paul Garnier, Head of Mission of Switzerland in Peru, representing Swiss cooperation (SDC), the main technical partner of the process.

The High-Level Panel included vice ministers responsible for the water and environmental sector from the four member countries of the Andean Community:

1. Freddy Muñoz, Vice Minister of Water of the Ministry of Environment and Energy of Ecuador (in his role as President Pro Tempore, PPT)
2. Romina Ximena Caminada Vallejo, Vice Minister of Environmental Management of the Ministry of Environment of Peru (MINAM)
3. Viviana Mariscal, Vice Minister of Water Resources, Drinking Water and Sanitation of the Ministry of Productive, Rural and Water Development of Bolivia
4. Edith Bastidas, Vice Minister of Environmental Policies and Standardization of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia

Dr. Saravia Called for Moving from "What" to "How" as the Central Axis of ECLAC's Intervention

Her presentation was structured around an operational question: how to advance from Decision 763, which establishes the Andean Strategy for Integrated Water Resources Management (AS-IWRM), toward its concrete implementation?

The expert identified five structural challenges that make this advancement urgent:

1. Climate: Retreat of the cryosphere and increase in extreme events such as droughts and floods.
2. Water Quality: Pollution, discharges, and persistent gaps in sanitation and treatment.
3. High Andean Ecosystems: Degradation of páramos and wetlands (bofedales), which function as key natural infrastructure for water regulation.
4. Governance: Need to improve coordination, especially in shared basins.
5. Equity: Identifying where gaps are concentrated and who absorbs the costs of impacts.

"It is not enough to state priorities; it is necessary to structure action, financing, and monitoring mechanisms," stated Saravia Matus during her presentation.

To illustrate the logic of programmatic action, she presented ECLAC's regional analysis of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs):

1. Latin America treats only about 41% of its wastewater, despite the fact that existing WWTPs generate valuable resources including energy, nutrients, and recovered water, which are largely lost today.
2. An analysis of more than 3,300 WWTPs in five countries reveals that the system is highly fragmented: more than 50% are very small plants.
3. In the segment of medium-sized Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs), serving approximately 33 million people, there is a potential of more than 100 million cubic meters of recoverable methane per year, with an estimated investment of 250 million dollars and benefits on the order of 340 million dollars over 20 years.
4. Even in smaller plants, internal rates of return close to 30% are already being recorded with relatively short payback periods.

Additionally, as an international reference, she cited the case of South Africa, where by grouping 10 plants into a portfolio, a program of more than 1.4 billion dollars was structured, with a concessional capital component that reduced risk and mobilized investment on a larger scale.

Three Operational Recommendations from ECLAC

At the close of the presentation, she offered three concrete recommendations for Andean countries to advance in the implementation of the AS-IWRM:

1. Verifiable Roadmap (2026-2030)

Establish clear goals with verifiable objectives, defined institutional responsibilities, and periodic monitoring mechanisms. Without monitoring, she warned, implementation loses traction.

2. Andean Programmatic Portfolio

Move from isolated projects to structured programs focused on high-impact axes: circular economy in sanitation, climate risk management, and natural infrastructure. To access climate financing, she noted, funds finance what is well-structured, with theory of change, costs, timelines, and monitoring, reporting, and verification systems.

3. Minimum Implementation and Financing Mechanism

Form intersectoral teams at the country level, integrating water, environment, planning, and finance; strengthen the capacity to structure project pipelines and close information gaps, particularly where comparable data gaps exist.

Context: A Key Forum in View of COP31 and the 2026 Water Conference

The II Regional Andean Water Forum 2026 is part of preparations toward the United Nations Water Conference 2026 and COP31. Its organization involved SGCAN, with support from SDC, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), IUCN, IDB, FAO, and ECLAC, among other strategic partners.

The work presented by Dr. Saravia Matus is specifically framed within the collaboration between ECLAC, SDC, and the Secretariat of the Andean Community, and included technical training prior to the Forum with the four member countries, using the Financing Framework for Water Security.

Expected outputs from the forum include foundations for a roadmap for the AS-IWRM, a portfolio of regional public goods, and a joint positioning of CAN countries before international water and climate forums. At the close of the Forum, the Andean Countries, within the framework of the Committee of Andean Environmental Authorities, agreed to review and update regulation 763 in light of the ECLAC recommendations.  This technical assistance was carried out by ECLAC with the support of the Swiss Cooperation.