The selection of presenters for the Brainstorming Solutions Panel, during the Regional Water Dialogues in February 2023, is now available

For this reason, the goals of the event are dual. On the one hand, it is to consolidate and communicate the commitments made to accelerate the implementation of SDG 6 in Latin America and the Caribbean. On the other, it will be a place to exchange experiences and lessons learned for the fulfillment of the same SDG. For this reason, at the end of the event, it is sought to have a Regional Water Action Agenda defined among the attendees, which summarizes these commitments and lessons learned.

On the second day and to provide relevance to regional integration in water matters, a space to present initiatives that contribute to the acceleration of SDG 6 has been included. This, whether from the public sector, academia, private sector, international organizations, or NGOs. This, through a brainstorming panel with the investigations, actions and/or solutions that are being carried out in the Region, based on the pillars of the Global Acceleration Framework for SDG 6. For this, the panel is organized into three sections: funding challenges; governance and innovation; as well as capacity building and data and information. Each of these sections will have the participation of the Regional Expert Group in Water Resources, made up of representatives of the most prestigious institutions in the field of water resources in the region, whose objective is to join efforts for the implementation of initiatives that accelerate compliance of the SDG 6 in LAC. For this reason, different members of this Group will be opening each section and commenting on the initiatives presented.

Selection process Rain of Solutions Panel

To populate this panel with actions and/or solutions that are being developed in the region, which contribute to the achievement of SDG 6, an open call was made between August 22 and October 15 of this year, where nearly 200 initiatives were sent. A first selection has been carried out by reviewing the abstract documents sent by the review team. The final selection process was done virtually, where rounds of 6-8 presentations of the different actions and/or solutions sent were carried out, in a space of 5 minutes each, during the end of October. With this, the evaluation team has defined the list of selected candidates and the session in which they will participate, which is detailed below.

1. Financing and Innovation Challenges Section

Opening and context

• Gonzalo Meschengieser, Water and Sanitation for Argentina (AySA) and Latin American Association of Potable Water and Sanitation, Argentina.

Selected initiatives and proposals

• Maren Barbee, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), El Salvador

• Luis Boigues, SABES Association, El Salvador and Honduras

Comments and discussion

• Henry Moreno, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)

• Midori Makino, World Bank (WB)

• Guillermo Donoso, International Water Resources Association (IWRA)

2. Governance and innovation section

Opening and context

• Raúl Artiga, Central American Commission for Environment and Development (CCAD), El Salvador

Selected initiatives and proposals

• Mariella Sánchez, Director of the Fondo de Agua para Lima y Callao, AQUAFONDO, Peru

• Yonalli Hernández, Municipal Government of Berriozabal, Mexico

• Melissa Céspedes, Universidad Estatal a Distancia, Costa Rica

• Gabriel Muyuy, Fund for the Development of the Indigenous People of Latin America and the Caribbean (FILAC), Peru

• Luis Miguel Chahuayo, Peasant Community of Santa Bárbara, Huancavelica, Peru

Comments and discussion

• Fabiola Tabora, Global Water Partnership (GWP)

• Gabriel Quijandría, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

• Alexandra Moreira, Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO)

3. Capacity Development and Data and Innovation Section

Opening and context

• Massimo Ghidinelli, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Peru

Selected initiatives and proposals

• Maria Fernanda Gonzalez, Fregata Space, Spain

• Martina Vismara, Fundación León and ADELANTE, Argentina and Mexico

• Cristiane Holland, Nexa Resource, Brasil

Comments and discussion

• Gerardo Quirós, United Nations Development Program (UNDP)

• Mirna Argueta, Inter-American Association of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering (AIDIS)

• Alberto Manganelli, Regional Center for Groundwater Management in Latin America and the Caribbean (CeReGAS)

From the Natural Resources Division of ECLAC, we thank you for the interest and motivation shown in participating in the 2023 Regional Water Dialogues in Santiago, Chile. The reception of this call in the Region, especially given the high flow of shared initiatives, is highly valued. With this, an invitation is made to register to follow the event virtually, and to continue being linked to the preparatory activities for the 2023 United Nations Water Conference.