ECLAC participates in the training “From practitioner to practitioner: how to use the two world water conventions to promote cooperation on the ground”

Between July 3 and 4, Dr. Silvia Saravia Matus, ECLAC economic affairs officer in charge of water issues, participated in the training held in Geneva. The main objectives of the training were to strengthen the capacities of key water experts involved in transboundary water cooperation, in order to provide the necessary knowledge and skills to promote the Conventions and support their effective implementation. The training provided technical and political guidance developed under the Water Convention, and considered among them legal aspects of cooperation and conclusion of agreements, the benefits of cooperation, adaptation to climate change, groundwater management, prevention of pollution, the approach to the water-food-energy-ecosystem nexus, among others, with a focus on supporting cross-border cooperation in specific basins. The meeting made it possible to expand the community of professionals with a good understanding of the Conventions, in order to turn them into promotional agents for adherence to the Conventions and their implementation. The information provided allowed a better understanding of the Conventions, in order to use it as a tool to strengthen governance frameworks and support the implementation of climate-related commitments, the achievement of the SDGs, as well as their contribution to the sustainability of projects and investments.

Finally, on behalf of ECLAC, Dr. Silvia Saravia Matus, shared the water challenges in the region, the relevance of the agreement and the integrated management of water resources. In addition, she held bilateral meetings with the Latin American and Caribbean countries present and members of the ROSA project (Regional Network and Observatory for Water Sustainability), to support the implementation of the agreement as part of their technical assistance requirements.