Session 7: Water and the green economy in the LAC region

Convener: United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UN ECLAC)
Date: 5 October 2011
Time: 09:30 – 11:00
Place: Plenary Room

Speakers and panelists

• Overview of the session: Ms. Caridad Canales Dávila, Division of Natural Resources and Infrastructure of ECLAC.
• Discussion with panelists:
  Case 1. Guatemala: Ms. Elisa Colom, Specific Cabinet for Water, Government of Guatemala (GEA).
  Case 2. Barbados: Dr. Adrian Cashman, Senior Lecturer in Water Resources Management, Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES), University of the West Indies.
  Case 3. Colombia: Mr. Diego Ernesto Fernandez Giraldo, Economist, University of Valle.

Overview of the tool

This overview highlights the main challenges for water management in Latin America and the Caribbean. It discusses a number of approaches for addressing these challenges and reflects on lessons learnt from implementation.

Cases in the Plenary

• Case 1: Design and approval of trhe Multi-Annual Sectoral Plan for Water and the Environment of the Republic of Guatemala (in Spanish)
  This case focuses on the Multi-annual Sectoral Plan for Water and the Environment (PSMAA). This plan was designed to reorganize the development of the environment and water sector and to provide a strategic path in order to achieve results by improving organizational performance within the goods and services framework entitled by law. The advisory group (GEA) is created to enable the efficient management of water resources and to ensure its governance promotes the economic and social development of the country. The improvement of the provision of water and sanitation services enhances the social and economic conditions of communities.
• Case 2: The scope for greening Barbados' economy.
  Barbados is a water scarce and densely populated Small Island Developing State (SIDS) with an open economy dependent on tourism and its use of its tropical island attributes, the importation of fossil fuels and a substantial part of its nutritional needs. The challenge facing the country is how to respond in a way that is sustainable, provides increased employment opportunities in a way that does not compromise the country's environmental resources whilst at the same time optimising their use and contributes to the well-being of citizens. In 2009 the then Prime Minister announced his vision for Barbados to become "the most environmentally advanced green country in Latin America and the Caribbean". Following this the Government of Barbados initiated a Scoping Study to map out how the late Prime Minister's vision could be achieved.
• Case 3: Pro-poor financing and tariffs in Medellin
  

Case studies table

This table includes cases presented during the conference as well as additional cases which illustrate success stories for addressing water challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean. These will contribute to the preparation of input for the Rio+20 conference.