Guatemala

In 2021, the Cooperation Fund for Water and Sanitation completed the Water and Sanitation Programme with a basin approach in the Upper Part of the Cuilco River Sub-basin (GTM -014 B) in Guatemala, putting an end to a joint work of  more than 10 years  with the Association for the Integrated Development of Municipalities of the Altiplano Marquense (ADIMAM). Throughout this programme, the FCAS has provided technical support with a gender-sensitive approach to actions related to Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), environmental protection and cultural diversity to improve coverage, access and management of drinking water and sanitation services, especially in rural indigenous communities.

This  collaboration has had an impact on the lives of thousands of people by guaranteeing access to their rights to safe water and basic sanitation, especially in communities largely inhabited by indigenous populations historically affected by poverty, social exclusion and lack of access to basic services.

Among the most outstanding results is the 15.25% increase in drinking water coverage and 4.5% increase in basic sanitation coverage in the territory covered by ADIMAM, which involves improving the service and providing access to drinking water and/or sanitation to more than 70,000 people. In total, 44 water and sanitation projects have been built, 30 systems have been rehabilitated post-earthquake, 14 municipal offices have been strengthened and more than 70 hectares have been reforested. In addition, it has achieved a 97% reduction in water carrying and has  contributed to a 72% reduction in acute diarrhoeal diseases. In 2021, in particular, it is worth highlighting the completion of water supply projects in six communities, through interventions that worked not only on infrastructure development but also on capacity building for community management and municipal monitoring, as well as environmental activities.

In September 2021, specific actions were carried out to conclude the programme, organised around the campaign “Right to Water, Right to Life”, which served to celebrate and raise awareness of the Fund’s 10 years of experience in Guatemala. As part of this initiative, meetings, round tables and multi-sectoral dialogues were held in order to publicise the actions implemented in the Central American region and to explain how the project has changed the lives of its beneficiaries.