Peru: cabinet council has 90 days to approve water management legislation

A legislative decree creating the new national water authority (ANA) must be approved by the Peruvian cabinet council in no more than 90 calendar days, starting from 28 June 2008. The ministries of agriculture, the environment, health, energy and mining, and housing, construction and sanitation will comprise ANA’s administrative board which will create policies and strategies for the efficient and sustainable use of water resources, according to the proposed new law.

Some of the key principles included in the decree are:

• integrated water resources management (IWRM)
• access to water to satisfy the basic human needs has priority over other uses
• the creation of permanent multi-sector basin committees,

ANA will be funded by the public sector annual budget and income from water rates/tariffs, (repeated) fines, donations and other contributions.

Source: BNamericas.com [subscription site], 30 Jun 2008