WASH News Latin America
News feed maintained by information specialists from IRC and partners.
Central America: Seminar on Sanitation and Governance – papers
04 Mar 10
From 1-3 February, 2010, the IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre organised together with RRAS-CA Red Regional de Agua y Saneamiento de Centro-America) and RAS-ES ( Red de Agua y Saneamiento de El Salvador ) a seminar to share experiences on governance of sanitation services focusing on the Central American region. The workshop took place [...]
Peru: Resignation of Guillermo León over corruption allegations
03 Mar 10
In January 2010, the president of Sedapal, the state water utility agency, Guillermo León, was accused of too easily awarding a 13 million soles (about 4.5 millions) contract to TFKC Reprex in December 2008, a company formed just one month prior to the controversial contract selection as a representative of Brazilian Puritech. The contract was [...]
Controversial Dam Project in Brazil
19 Feb 10
As reported by the Guardian earlier this month, Brazil will go ahead with the construction of a controversial hydroelectric dam in the Amazon forest. It has been estimated that thousands of the indigenous populations in the area would be displaced. Moreover, environmentalists highlighted the damage of the Belo Monte dam on the Amazon basin with [...]
Latin America: Regional workshop on “Mainstreaming Gender Equality in Infrastructure Projects” held in December 2009 in Lima, Peru
08 Feb 10
“Mainstreaming the gender dimension in infrastructure projects is an opportunity to implement gender equality in our society and to provide women with greater control over socio-economic resources”.With this powerful statement, Mrs. Nidia Vilchez, Peru’s Minister of Gender and Social Development, opened a workshop on Mainstreaming Gender Equality in Infrastructure Projects which took place in Lima, [...]
Peru-China: social responsibility missing in growing trade ties
05 Feb 10
China has become Peru’s second largest trade partner, with interests basically in mining and oil. However, it is viewed with caution by this Andean nation, because the Asian giant has a reputation for flouting environmental standards and labour rights.China accounts for 40 percent of the total investment flowing into Latin America, while this region is [...]
Latin America: authorities aim to replicate programmes of Dominican Republic’s water authority Indrhi
04 Feb 10
Panama’s environment authority Anam and Mexico’s Querétaro University are interested in duplicating programs that have been developed by the Dominican Republic’s water authority Indrhi, the Dominican Republic’s local paper Listín Diario reported.Representatives from Anam and Querétaro University visited Indrhi last week to learn more about its basin management policy, its institutional structure and the initiatives [...]
Honduras, Tegucigalpa: water authority increases water rationing
04 Feb 10
Honduran water authority Sanaa has announced further water rationing in capital Tegucigalpa to combat the drought affecting the region, local paper El Heraldo reported.The majority of neighborhoods will now only receive water twice a week due to the falling water levels in the Los Laureles and La Concepción reservoirs which serve the capital city.Water levels [...]
Haiti: international aid efforts moving slowly but surely
04 Feb 10
Sanitation conditions in Haiti are gradually improving thanks to the efforts of aid workers following the earthquake that devastated the capital Port-au-Prince on 12 January 2010. However, progress has been slow and there are many obstacles that still need to be overcome.As of 31 January 2010, the damage from the earthquake has left 112,405 dead, [...]
Guatemala: authorities to plant tulle, install biofilters to clean up Atitlán lake
03 Feb 10
Guatemala’s protected areas authority Conap will start planting tulle in Atitlán lake in Sololá province by March 2010, Conap’s Atitlán technical unit director Juan Mendoza said.Tulle acts as a natural filter and will help clean up the highly contaminated lake, Mendoza said, adding that if all goes according to schedule, tulle will be fully planted [...]
Venezuela: Chávez announces Alejandro Hitcher as new environment minister
03 Feb 10
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez announced that Alejandro Hitcher will take over as the new environment minister.Hitcher is currently president of state-owned waterworks company Hidrocapital and will replace Yubirí Ortega who resigned on 25 January 2010 “for strictly personal reasons.”Source: BNamericas.com [subscription site], 27 Jan 2010
