ACTIVE PROGRAMS IN 2021
In Santa Rosa de Copán, the Programme for Improved Access to Drinking Water and Water Resources Management in the City of Santa Rosa de Copán, Phase II (HND-017) is being implemented, the main objective of which is to improve the collection of drinking water in the area by constructing a dam. In 2021, considerable progress has been made in the approval of the final designs of La Hondura dam, the contract for the implementation of the communication plan and the development of talks and events with the population has been awarded, and several working meetings have been held to form the Microbasin Council, with a gender-sensitive approach.
Throughout 2021, work also continued on the second phase of the Water and Sanitation Project in the Comayagua Valley (HND-018-B), which is scheduled for completion in 2023 and which will build the drinking water distribution networks for the municipalities of Ajuterique and Lejamaní. In 2021, progress has been made in the preparation of an operation and maintenance manual for the drinking water treatment plant; progress has been made in updating the user register and the design of improvements for five educational centres included in the programme’s area of influence has been completed. Furthermore, an Environmental Education Plan has been drawn up, based on which around twenty workshops have already been held. The programme has a strong institutional strengthening component for the supplier Aguas de la Sierra de Montecillos, created in the previous phase of the programme. Within this framework, a delegation from the Municipal Water Company of Seville (EMASESA) visited in December 2021 to start exchanging experiences and advice, as well as to identify the areas to be strengthened, and work is underway to improve the supplier’s offices.
Related News
The Cooperation Fund for Water and Sanitation supports strengthening of operators in Honduras
El apoyo a los operadores de agua es uno de los objetivos del Fondo de Cooperación para Agua y Saneamiento dentro de su apuesta general por el fortalecimiento institucional de los países con los que colabora. Con este objetivo, en el año 2020 tuvo lugar el acuerdo entre la Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo, AECID, y EMASEA (Empresa Municipal de Abastecimiento y Saneamiento de Aguas de Sevilla, S.A.) para el intercambio de buenas prácticas y hermanamientos en materia de abastecimiento y saneamiento en países donde trabaja la Cooperación Española.
The programme HND-019, Optimisation of Drinking Water and Sanitation Systems in the City of Choluteca is also underway, which aims to improve the living conditions of the population of the city of Choluteca by boosting inclusive and sustainable coverage of the integrated drinking water and sanitation system. The programme began its implementation in June 2020 and since then has started contracting consultancies and preliminary studies to determine the most viable option for the rehabilitation of the water systems, and a call for tender has been initiated for the design of the sanitation works in Choluteca, among other actions.
Finally, in 2021, progress was made in the design of the programme for Improvement of Water Resources Management in Water-Producing Micro-Watersheds and Improvement of Drinking Water and Sanitation Services in Peri-Urban and Rural Areas of the Municipality of Siguatepeque, Comayagua, which was approved the previous year and can begin to be implemented in 2022. This intervention has received a 3.2 million euro donation from the Fund and aims to improve the conditions of the peri-urban and rural areas of the municipality of Siguatepeque by implementing a comprehensive project that guarantees a quality drinking water and sanitation service, environmental protection of micro-basins, aquifers and the watercourses where wastewater is discharged.
COUNTRY CONTEXT
70% of the Honduran population has access to water, but it is not always safe for human consumption. Due to the country’s conditions of poverty and high indebtedness, Honduras is considered one of the priority countries in the region for Spanish Cooperation, and therefore numerous interventions have been carried out in order to contribute to improving access to drinking water and sanitation, as well as to optimise the integrated management of water resources by promoting actions aimed at the sustainable management of water sources for human consumption and their recharge areas.
In total, the Water Fund has implemented nine programmes in the country, which has received a total of 49.03 million euros in grants. The actions have been implemented in places such as Comayagua, Choluteca, Santa Rosa de Copán, Gracias, Siguatepeque and in the provinces of Valle and La Paz. All programmes focus on three components: infrastructure, integrated water resources management and institutional strengthening.
