Bilateral Cooperation

In Cuba, two bilateral programs are being developed to complement and expand the Fund’s impact. One is carried out with the National Institute of Water Resources (INRH) and seeks to strengthen management capacities through technical cooperation activities aimed at the sector’s leading institutions and operators. In coordination with the Havana Bay Working Group, the other focuses on treating industrial discharges. These programs open up new areas of collaboration aimed at improving the technical and managerial capabilities of the State institutions responsible for the water sector. They will remain active until 2023 and 2024, respectively.

In November 2022, a bilateral action was approved in Peru for 125,000 euro for the Ministry of Housing, Construction, and Sanitation to prepare the technical, economic, social, institutional, and environmental pre-investment study for Phase II of the Drinking Water and Sanitation Program for the Rural Amazon, which has already been approved for at least 50 projects and will benefit some 20,000 people. This makes it possible for the global configuration of this intervention, which will be financed with credit contributions from other sources, to focus globally on the cross-cutting axes considered key by the Spanish Cooperation.

In Colombia, in December 2022, a new project was approved to develop a New tariff framework for residential public utilities of water and sewage services for small providers (COL-038-ALC). The objective is to create a new tariff framework that considers local specificities, looks towards sustainability, and aligns with national plans. The action has a budget of 160,000 euro and will be led by the Regulatory Commission for Drinking Water and Basic (CRA).

In Honduras and Ecuador, two operator strengthening projects are underway, with Aguas de la Sierra de Montecillos and Portoaguas, respectively, financed by AECID through agreements with EMASESA, the Municipal Water Company of Seville.

In Honduras, a program is underway to improve water and sanitation services in urban, rural, and peri-urban areas of La Esperanza and Intibucá to improve water resource management. This initiative is supported by a 3 million euro donation from AECID.

In the Department of Petén, Guatemala, a project is being executed for 150,000 euro, which will be responsible for the study and complete formulation of another Program with European funding through delegated cooperation that is expected to be signed between AECID and the EU at the end of This project aims to improve the planning, coordination, and management of public water and essential sanitation services to contribute to the socioeconomic development of the municipalities of the Lake Petén Itzá basin. In addition, it generates conditions that allow and improve inter-institutional coordination and participatory planning for more efficient management of public services and territorial development of the Lake Petén Itzá basin.