IDB, partners in LatAm drinking water, sanitation push

The IDB has partnered with corporate foundations Fundación Coca-Cola and Fundación FEMSA, as well as international non-profit One Drop, to develop water and sanitation projects that will benefit 200,000 people in five Latin American countries by 2021.

Through the so-called Lazos de Agua program, the four stakeholders committed to jointly provide US$25mn to promote sustainable access to clean water and improve sanitation services in Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Colombia and Paraguay.

"Although Lazos de Agua was formally launched Friday at the annual One Night for One Drop charity event in Las Vegas, we have been working on preparing the projects included in the initiative for the past couple of years," Germán Sturzenegger, senior water and sanitation specialist at the IDB, told BNamericas.

For the initial five-year investment, IDB will provide US$5mn. Of this, US$2.5mn has already been approved to carry out technical cooperation programs in Paraguay and Nicaragua, which are already underway. Meanwhile, Fundación Coca-Cola and Femsa will provide an additional US$10mn.

The remaining US$10mn will be provided by One Drop, an international non-profit created by Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté, which uses arts to raise awareness of water-related issues such as resource conservation.

"The four partners will provide funds for the initiative, and One Drop will be in charge of implementing and managing the projects. One Drop will sign agreements with local NGOs in each country in order to carry out the implementation of the projects," Sturzenegger says.

The projects will be carried out using the so-called ABC for Sustainability method, developed by One Drop, which seeks to provide access to safe water through the development of infrastructure, the use of locally inspired art to change people's behavior in regards to water, and the provision of access to capital for microloans and financial training to support market-based solutions.

Sturzenegger told BNamericas the projects to be carried out in Paraguay are already at an advanced stage of planning in regard to their location, budget and implementation schedule. In total, the program will execute projects serving 60 rural communities and five cities in the South American country.

In Guatemala, the projects will be focused on rural areas. While in Nicaragua, one project will be implemented in rural areas and another one in Puerto Cabezas/Bilwi in the country's north Caribbean coast autonomous region.

As for Mexico, the projects are expected to be carried out in rural areas in the state of Guanajuato.

In Colombia, program officials are considering carrying out a project in Tumaco, a port city on the country's Pacific coast. In this case, the project will benefit the metropolitan area of Tumaco as well as neighboring rural areas.

According to Sturzenegger, a project in Guatemala is already being carried out. In Paraguay and Nicaragua, most projects are expected to start between May and July of this year. In the case of Mexico and Colombia, projects are due to get underway next year.

"The bank is participating in the program with the aim of bringing innovation to our water and sanitation projects," Sturzenegger said. "The water and sanitation sector goes beyond just building infrastructure. It also has a very important social behavior component. You can create infrastructure but if people do not use it, the problem is still there. Through art, you can change people's behavior on the matter."

Sturzenegger said that besides providing funding to the program, each of the four participants is also seeking to contribute with their specific expertise in the areas of water and sanitation.

Pictured: Representatives from IBD, Fundación Femsa and One Drop attend the launch event for the Lazos de Agua program.