Topic:
Since its inception, the ROSA Project (Regional Network and Observatory for Water Sustainability) has been tasked with addressing the so-called "water and sanitation crisis in Latin America and the Caribbean." One of its main strategies has been to contribute to accelerating the achievement of SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation). However, the region generally lacks reliable statistics and information on water management, governance, and environmental aspects. Additionally, there is fragmentation of existing information across various national institutions, as well as unequal capacities among countries to report on sustainable water resource management indicators. Consequently, the main objective of the ROSA Project has been to strengthen the capacities of countries in the region to generate and use timely, reliable, and standardized information to promote effective policies and instruments for sustainable water management in a changing environment amid the challenges of climate change.

Between April 2024 and January 2025, the ROSA Project has specifically focused on enhancing sustainable water management in Latin America and the Caribbean through various training activities and technical assistance, detailed below.
Technical Assistance and Capacity Building for Project Countries
Plurinational State of Bolivia:
Six virtual training sessions were conducted between February and November 2024 tailored to Bolivia's needs. These sessions addressed governance and water sustainability, international water resource management, circular economy in water and sanitation, the Water-Energy-Food-Environment nexus, hydrological monitoring networks, and the Water Convention.
- August 2024: https://www.cepal.org/en/notes/eclac-organizes-second-virtual-training-session-part-rosa-projects-technical-assistance The second virtual training session titled “International Processes on Water Resources” focused on analyzing international frameworks, agreements, and mechanisms to strengthen Bolivia’s water governance.
- September 2024: https://www.cepal.org/en/notes/third-virtual-training-session-under-rosa-project-plurinational-state-bolivia-application he third session explored the application of circular economy principles in water and sanitation, promoting strategies to enhance sustainability and resource efficiency.
- October 2024: https://www.cepal.org/en/notes/rosa-online-assistance-water-energy-food-and-environment-nexus-plurinational-state-bolivia The fourth session addressed the Water-Energy-Food-Environment nexus, emphasizing integrated approaches for sustainable management.
- November 2024: https://www.cepal.org/en/notes/rosa-online-training-hydrological-monitoring-networks-and-ecological-water-flow-plurinational The fifth session covered hydrological monitoring and ecohydrological flow networks, enhancing tools for informed decision-making.
- December 2024: https://www.cepal.org/en/notes/rosa-online-assistance-water-convention-tool-improve-management-transboundary-waters The final session examined the Water Convention as a tool for improving transboundary water management, strengthening cooperation, and governance of shared basins.
El Salvador:
Between May and June 2024, the ROSA Project conducted a series of webinars focused on water regulation, aiming to provide tools to improve regulatory and tariff systems in El Salvador, addressing the country’s specific challenges in this area. Over the course of four sessions, both theoretical and practical aspects of water tariff regulation were analyzed, complemented by interactive exercises to deepen participants’ understanding.
- May 2024: https://www.cepal.org/en/notes/first-meeting-online-seminar-series-towards-sustainable-and-inclusive-tariff-regulation This initial webinar, organized by ECLAC, focused on the topic of tariff regulation in the water and sanitation sector in El Salvador. The objective was to analyze key principles and mechanisms to establish a tariff structure that promotes the financial sustainability of services while ensuring inclusion and affordability for all users. International experiences were discussed, and potential strategies adapted to El Salvador’s context were explored.
- May 2024: https://www.cepal.org/en/notes/eclac-held-second-meeting-online-seminar-series-towards-sustainable-and-inclusive-tariff The second virtual seminar delved deeper into discussions on sustainable and inclusive tariff regulation in El Salvador’s water and sanitation sector. ECLAC sought to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experiences on this topic to identify solutions tailored to the national context.
- May 2024: https://www.cepal.org/en/notes/natural-resources-division-organized-third-session-online-seminars-towards-sustainable-and This third session, organized by ECLAC's Natural Resources Division, continued to analyze sustainable and inclusive tariff regulation in the water and sanitation sector of El Salvador. The debate centered on mechanisms and strategies to ensure the financial sustainability of these essential services, addressing the identified challenges and opportunities.
- June 2024: Fourth and Final Session of the ROSA Online Technical Assistance: https://www.cepal.org/en/notes/eclac-organizes-4th-and-final-session-rosa-online-technical-assistance-towards-sustainable-and This fourth and final virtual session of ECLAC's technical assistance in El Salvador focused on sustainable and inclusive tariff regulation for water and sanitation services. It aimed to consolidate the learnings and proposals generated throughout the seminar series, offering concrete recommendations for the country.
Panama:
Between September and October 2024, five virtual training sessions on the “Application of Water Tariffs” were successfully conducted. These sessions provided detailed technical guidance on tariff strategies and energy efficiency for water sustainability in Panama, addressing key aspects of sustainable water management:
- September 2024: https://www.cepal.org/en/notes/tariff-and-energy-efficiency-strategies-water-sustainability-panama-first-seminar This initial virtual seminar organized by ECLAC in Panama focused on tariff strategies and energy efficiency to achieve sustainability in water and sanitation services. Innovative tariff models were analyzed, aiming to balance the financial viability of service providers with user affordability, alongside energy efficiency solutions contributing to the operational and environmental sustainability of these services.
- September 2024: https://www.cepal.org/en/notes/rosa-tariff-and-energy-efficiency-strategies-water-sustainability-panama-session-2 The second virtual session deepened the analysis of tariff strategies and energy efficiency for the sustainability of water and sanitation services in Panama. Successful models implemented in other contexts were explored, and the key considerations and challenges for their adaptation and implementation in Panama were discussed.
- September 2024: https://www.cepal.org/en/notes/rosa-tariff-and-energy-efficiency-strategies-water-sustainability-panama-session-3 The third session of this virtual seminar series continued addressing tariff strategies and energy efficiency in the water and sanitation sector. It provided a more detailed analysis of the challenges and opportunities for achieving financial and operational sustainability, aiming to identify solutions adapted to Panama's context.
- October 2024: https://www.cepal.org/en/notes/rosa-tariff-and-energy-efficiency-strategies-water-sustainability-panama-session-4 The fourth virtual session further delved into tariff strategies and energy efficiency for sustainable water and sanitation services in the country. Success stories and international best practices were discussed, highlighting their potential replication in the Panamanian context and analyzing key success factors and implementation requirements.
- October 2024: https://www.cepal.org/en/notes/rosa-practical-options-energy-efficiency-water-and-sanitation-sector-panama-session-5 This fifth virtual session focused specifically on practical options for implementing energy efficiency in the water and sanitation sector. Success stories and technological solutions were analyzed, emphasizing their contribution to operational sustainability, reducing energy costs, and minimizing environmental impact.
Dominican Republic: Three virtual training sessions were conducted for the Dominican Republic in October 2024, focusing on topics requested by the country to address national needs. The sessions covered circular economy in the water and sanitation sector, international mechanisms for water resources, and water governance in Latin America and the Caribbean.
- October 2024: ROSA: https://www.cepal.org/en/notes/rosa-application-circular-economy-principles-drinking-water-and-sanitation-sector-dominican This first virtual session for the Dominican Republic, organized by ECLAC, focused on the application of circular economy principles in the drinking water and sanitation sector. Strategies and tools to promote circularity and efficiency in the delivery of these essential services were discussed, analyzing experiences and best practices from other countries that could be replicated.
- October 2024: https://www.cepal.org/en/notes/rosa-international-mechanisms-water-resources-results-and-progress-major-regional-and-global This second virtual session analyzed the main international mechanisms related to water resource management. The results and advances of relevant regional and global events were reviewed to identify reference frameworks and best practices that could be adapted and implemented nationally, strengthening water governance in the country.
- October 2024: ROSA: https://www.cepal.org/en/notes/rosa-water-governance-latin-america-and-caribbean-challenges-and-tools-session-3-dominican In this third virtual session for the Dominican Republic, ECLAC addressed the topic of water governance in Latin America and the Caribbean. The session analyzed key challenges and presented tools and approaches to strengthen governance and integrated water resource management at the national and regional levels, discussing solutions tailored to the Dominican context.
Exchange of Best Practices and Capacity Building through the Regional Network for Water Sustainability:
May 2024: https://www.cepal.org/en/events/nature-based-solutions-increase-water-availability-agriculture-second-seminar-rosa-project The second joint seminar of the ROSA Project, organized by the Regional Water Network, was held in a hybrid format. During the event, participating countries analyzed opportunities to implement Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) aimed at improving water availability in the agricultural sector. Success stories and lessons learned on the use of ecosystem-based approaches to enhance the sustainability of food production, water management, and climate change adaptation were examined. ECLAC sought to foster knowledge exchange and the sharing of best practices among participants from various countries in the region. Additionally, this seminar served to disseminate the ongoing ECLAC study on NbS and to promote the exchange of experiences among the attending countries.
December 2024: https://www.cepal.org/en/notes/fifth-meeting-regional-expert-group-water-resources-latin-america-and-caribbean Fifth Meeting of the Regional Expert Group on Water Resources in Latin America and the Caribbean, meeting focused on collaborative efforts in water resource management. Key topics included preparations for the upcoming 2025 Regional Water Dialogues and advancements within the ROSA Project.
Furthermore, in 2024, various activities were carried out to disseminate the initiatives of the ROSA Project and to strengthen the Regional Network for Water Sustainability within the framework of different events:
- April 2024: World Bank and AIDIS Discussion Panel: Challenges and Guidelines for Achieving SDG 6 on Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation for All. https://www.cepal.org/en/notes/world-banks-and-aidiss-panel-discussion-challenges-and-guidance-achieving-sdg-6-safe-water-and
- May 2024: Federal Training Program on Integrated Water Resources Management, organized by the Federal Investment Council of Argentina. https://www.cepal.org/en/notes/second-consecutive-year-eclac-supports-federal-training-program-integrated-water-resources
- July 2024: Seminar: "Towards a Sustainable and Inclusive Water Transition in Latin America and the Caribbean: Challenges and Opportunities for Achieving SDG 6," held at the Latin American School of Development Studies (ELADES). https://www.cepal.org/en/notes/seminar-presentation-eclac-water-resources-team-elades
- August 2024: CRHIAM Seminar on Sustainable and Inclusive Water Transition. https://www.cepal.org/en/notes/eclac-participates-crhiam-seminar-sustainable-and-inclusive-water-transition
- September 2024: Water Governance Congress: "Access to Water, a Human Right." https://www.cepal.org/en/notes/participation-eclac-water-governance-congress-access-water-human-right
- September 2024: "Café del Mundo" Event: "The Role of Women in Integrated Water Management in International Settings," organized by Colombia’s Water and Sanitation Regulation Commission (CRA). https://www.cepal.org/en/notes/role-women-comprehensive-water-management-international-settings
- October 2024: 10th Spain-LAC Water Dialogues. https://www.cepal.org/en/notes/eclac-participates-x-water-dialogues-spain-2024
- November 2024: Ibero-American Directors’ Conference on Water (CODIA) and UNESCO PHI Meeting.
- November 2024: PAHO and AIDIS Symposium: "Water, Sanitation, Hygiene, Health, and Equity: Key Elements for Achieving the 2030 Agenda." https://www.cepal.org/en/notes/eclacs-participation-paho-and-aidis-symposium-water-sanitation-hygiene-health-and-equity-key
- December 2024: Seminar: "Water Security: Governance, Economic Development, and Finance," organized by the International Water Association (IWA). https://www.cepal.org/en/notes/eclac-highlights-challenges-and-opportunities-water-face-climate-change-iwa-seminar
In 2025, the ROSA Project will continue to strengthen national technical capacities and promote the exchange of best practices through seminars, training sessions, and the ROSA Observatory, consolidating its impact on water management in the region.
Related Content:
Progress of the ROSA Project: Network and Observatory for Water Sustainability - Year 1: February 2023 - March 2024
The water and sanitation crisis requires a holistic, systemic and multilateral response to accelerate the achievement of SDG 6. In the region there is a lack of available data on the governance, management or environmental aspects of water, the data that exists on Drinking water and sanitation are dispersed among national institutions and countries' capacities to report on different sustainable water management indicators. To accelerate compliance with SDG 6, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries need to promote policies and incentives based on timely, reliable and standardized information, which requires strengthening their capacities in a changing environment. This is the central objective of the Regional Network and Observatory for Water Sustainability (ROSA) in LAC, which continues to advance with a very successful and enlightening year.
Activities of the Members of the Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Expert Group on Water Resources during 2024
Water management is a complex challenge that requires a collaborative approach, as it encompasses multiple dimensions and stakeholders, demanding a strong commitment to foster dialogue and cooperation. In this context, the Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Expert Group on Water Resources (LAC), established in 2022, serves as a platform for the exchange of ideas and innovative solutions that benefit the region. Through this platform, collaboration is encouraged in events, publications, and projects involving various stakeholders related to water issues in the region