Hydrometeorological monitoring systems for reservoirs (Misicuni and Kari-Kari).
Activities 2022
The Support for the Urban Water and Sewage Program (APAAP) is a continuation of the decade-long alliance between the Government of Bolivia, AECID, and the IADB, based on the work of the Cooperation Fund for Water and Sanitation (FCAS), to which on this occasion a new partner has been added: the European Union.
Through strategic investments in infrastructure, together with improved service delivery and management of water resources, resilience to droughts and floods in urban populations is strengthened in a program led and implemented by the Bolivian Ministry of Environment and Water (MMAyA).
The distribution of the Funds is as follows: 15 million euro donated by the European Union through the LAIF program to be managed by Spain, in addition to 5 million euro donated by the Water Fund, making up the APAAP. Fifty-five million loan from the IADB; the Contravalor program for canceling foreign debt of 22 million euro. 125 million program.
Connectivity incentives
Connecting to sanitation services involves an economic cost for the population, which can sometimes lead to certain reluctance. Therefore, it is key to promote the connection.
This incentive process is carried out in coordination with the operators of sanitary sewerage services, the Autonomous Municipal Governments and the users of the services, for the achievement of social management after the post-investment phase, regarding the expansion of intra-domiciliary connectivity.
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Among the cross-cutting aspects of this program is the emphasis on promoting good governance, gender mainstreaming, health, and the fight against climate change. Among the activities worked on in 2022, it is worth mentioning the progress made in the completion of the Storm Drainage Master Plans for the cities of Sucre, La Paz, El Alto, Oruro, Cobija, and Trinidad, as well as the works for the tender of Drought Management Plans (with four zones and 12 agreements signed in June 2022). In addition, a project to extend and improve the drinking water and sewerage network in Cobija and Chicani-Chincaya has been initiated. In addition, intensive work is being done on community development plans and the implementation of connectivity incentives (working with the population to generate demand for the sewage service and promote connection to the network by potential users) and on the institutional strengthening of the EPSAS (Empresa Pública Social de Agua y Saneamiento).
As for the part corresponding to the European Union’s contribution (LAIF financing), in 2022, work continued on the review of the final design of the future International Center for Research and Development in Wastewater Treatment (CIIDAR).
In addition, during 2022, progress was made in the pre-investment studies for several works (Cobija, Khaluyo-Achachicala, Tumpeka, Cobija sanitary sewerage), and the participatory diagnosis of the integral urban water cycle, tasks that will be carried out in the coming years. Projects will also be implemented to search for experimental and demonstrative solutions associated with water, sanitation, and sustainable drainage; community development activities will be implemented, and support will be given to the institutional development of the water and sanitation service providers (EPSAS).
On the other hand, the Integrated Water Management in Urban Areas program (BOL-007-B), which finances interventions for the expansion and improvement of drinking water and sanitation services, focusing on those that mitigate water supply crises caused by drought as part of a long-term adaptive process. 18 million (15 million from the European Union’s delegated cooperation program and 3 million from the Water and Sanitation Cooperation Fund). 85.5 million (US$100 million) and another loan from FONPRODE for 25.6 million. Together, they make up an initiative worth more than 129.1 million euro to focus on peri-urban areas.
The EU co-finances the construction, rehabilitation, and expansion of sanitation systems that allow for the integrated management of water resources, including household connections, supervision, community development actions, and quick impact and connectivity actions to improve the efficiency of existing systems, considering potential new drought events. It also includes investments to support the integrated management of services, such as, among others, the development of micro and macro measurement plans and management training. It also includes preparing or updating master plans and pre-investment studies to construct or expand drinking water and sanitation systems.
This program will allow, among other things, the construction, improvement, and/or rehabilitation of the sewerage systems of the old town of Oruro, Tucsupaya, and D6-Viacha and the start-up of the sanitary sewerage network and the San Pedro Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The European Union’s action, through cooperation delegated to AECID, is part of components I and II, related to investments in infrastructure and pre-investment studies.
AECID and IADB co-financing adds a component focused on water security, including the review and updating of water balances (drought management and control plans), as well as the improvement of hydro-climatic information monitoring systems and networks and training in the development and use of the necessary technical tools (e.g., hydrological modeling, monitoring and control systems, early warning mechanisms, etc.).
To improve Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM), support will be provided to strengthen water information systems, acting specifically on:
COUNTRY CONTEXT
Like other neighboring countries, Bolivia is undergoing an accelerated urbanization process, with migratory flows that have significantly modified population distribution, causing urban areas to grow three times faster than the rural population. As a result of this demographic dynamic, the country has 35 cities with a population of over 20,000 inhabitants, in which 88% of urban dwellers reside. Therefore, although there is still a significant access gap in rural areas, increasing access to water and sanitation in these urban areas is also crucial.
With this goal, the two programs launched in recent years work to increase access to water and sanitation in urban and peri-urban areas. Ninety-five million to the country since its inception and has directly improved the lives of more than 5% of the population.
The country still has difficulty accessing water and sanitation for part of the population. It is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, which causes cyclical water crises with recurrent droughts and floods. In response to this, national strategies and plans are being put in place involving most of the institutions and actors in the sector. In addition, much work has been done to improve wastewater treatment, as it is estimated that 73% of wastewater is discharged without treatment, which poses a health risk to the population and is a significant source of watercourses, soils, and aquifers contamination.
