Water & Waste: The Week in 10 stories

BRAZIL

The development bank of Minas Gerais state, BDMG, will provide financial support for municipalities that suffered damage from heavy rains in recent weeks.

Wilson Witzel, governor of Rio de Janeiro state, is opposed to privatizing state water utility Cedae in the short term but is open to the sale of a minority stake in the company.

CHILE

Water utilities across the country are facing a pessimistic outlook for water availability during the current summer season, being forced to step up infrastructure investments.

Public works ministry (MOP), through its hydraulics works division DOH, will start the construction of flood defense works in four ravines near the city of Antofagasta this month.

COLOMBIA

The comptroller general has called into question the use of funds obtained through taxes on carbon emissions and plastic bags.

Cartagena authorities sealed a deal with disaster risk management office UNGRD to finance a 160bn-peso (US$51mn) project to prevent floods in the city.

COSTA RICA

President Carlos Alvarado signed a US$55.1mn loan agreement with the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (Cabei) to finance a sewerage program in Limón province.

HONDURAS

The studies for the final design of a project to build a collector and wastewater treatment plant to serve capital Tegucigalpa are expected to begin this year.

MEXICO

Blanca Jiménez, the new head of water authority Conagua, unveiled some of the actions that will be implemented this year.

REGIONAL

Andean countries Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, are preparing to withstand another onslaught from the El Niño phenomenon in 2019.