Nicaragua

In 2021 there have been three active programmes in Nicaragua, two of which have been completed during this period. All of them are aimed at improving the living conditions of the Nicaraguan population and are part of the so-called Integrated Sectoral Programme for Water and Human Sanitation (PISASH): a sector development plan launched in 2013 with the aim of providing drinking water services to 95% of the population in urban and peri-urban areas and 56.5% of the population in rural areas by 2023. Likewise, sanitation coverage is expected to increase to 80% in urban areas and 52% in rural areas. This intervention has a direct impact on 19 cities and will fund the implementation of pre-investment projects in 17 additional cities, which will be carried out in Phase II of PISASH.

With regard to the Fund’s programmes, the Programme for the Improvement and Expansion of Drinking Water and Sewage Services in Nicaraguan Localities Within the Framework of Phase 1 of the Integrated Sectoral Programme for Water and Human Sanitation (NIC-014-B) ended in January 2021. The programme achieved a high level of compliance with its objectives, increasing access to water and sanitation in the cities of Acoyapa, Santo Tomás and Bluefields, as well as strengthening the management capacities and financial sustainability of the systems to improve service to citizens. The quality and continuity of the water service was also substantially improved (to 24 hours a day), which has had a beneficial impact on health. The population was also involved and actively participated in the construction of sanitation systems (through the Connectivity Plan), as well as subsidy policies in accordance with the principles of non-discrimination of vulnerable groups, in order to guarantee access to water and especially to sanitation.

The Programme for the Improvement and Expansion of Drinking Water Services in 7 Cities in Nicaragua (NIC-056-M) also ended in 2021. The programme was implemented in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank and received a total donation of 25 million euros from the Water Fund. In 2021, the construction of the Drinking Water Treatment Plant (DWTP) and the distribution network, including household connections, was completed. The system was commissioned at the end of 2021, guaranteeing drinking water to more than 65,000 Miskito people, including the inhabitants of the city of Bilwi and the indigenous communities of Sinsin, Kuakuil, Boom Sirpi and Yulu Tingni. Overall, this programme has boosted the institutional strengthening and financial sustainability of Water and Sanitation Committees (CAPS). It has also contributed to reducing inequalities in drinking water coverage between rural and urban areas, working with a social and intercultural approach.

Finally, the NIC-013-B Programme, Improvement and Expansion of the Sanitary Sewage System in the City of Masaya, which aims to improve the hygienic, sanitary and environmental conditions of the city, remains active. To this end, one of the keys was the construction of the Masaya Wastewater Treatment Plant, which began construction in 2017 and is expected to operate throughout 2022. The objectives of the programme were also to expand sanitary sewage service coverage in neighbourhoods around the central urban area that did not yet have sewage collection networks; improve treatment efficiency and infrastructure; eliminate treated sewage discharges into the Masaya lagoon; and promote the reuse of treated sewage in agricultural irrigation activities outside the lagoon basin, without affecting Managua’s regional aquifer. As of December 2021, the programme has benefited more than 68,000 people