The selection of participants for the Rain of Solutions Panel of the Regional Water Dialogues in January 2023 is now available

For this reason, the objectives of the event are dual. On the one hand, it is intended to consolidate and communicate the commitments acquired to accelerate the implementation of SDG 6 in Latin America and the Caribbean, while on the other, it seeks to be a space for exchange experiences and lessons learned for the fulfillment of this SDG. Therefore, by the end of the event, a Regional Action Agenda for Water will have been defined, summarizing these commitments and lessons learned.

On the second day and to provide relevance to regional integration in water matters, a space has been included to present initiatives that contribute to the acceleration of SDG 6, whether from the public, academic, private spheres, international organizations or NGOs. This, through a solutions rain 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. In this way, the panel is organized into three sections: financing challenges; governance and innovation; as well as capacity building and data and information. In each of these sections, there will be the participation of the regional group of experts 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 with 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 records. A first selection has been carried out by reviewing the summary documents sent by a review team from ECLAC. 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, Argentine Water and Sanitation (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 Water Fund for Lima and Callao, AQUAFONDO, Peru

Yonalli Hernández, Municipal Government of Berriozabal, Mexico

Melissa Céspedes, Distance State University, Costa Rica

Gabriel Muyuy, Fund for the Development of the Indigenous Peoples 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 Resources, Brazil

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, they are grateful 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, a call is made to register to follow the event virtuallyand to continue being linked to the preparatory activities for the United Nations Water Conference in 2023.