Six of the seven political factions in Costa Rica’s congress have reached a consensus on a new water bill, which aims to protect the country’s water resources and make access to potable water a constitutionally protected right. Congress will convene to discuss the bill in an extraordinary session which begins August 3 [2010].
Source: BNamericas.com [subscription site], 02 Aug 2010
Posted in Costa Rica, Policy & legislation, Water supply
Tagged right to water, S1006-LAC
Kristen Dalton, Miss USA 2009, traveled to Bayaguana, Dominican Republic with Children International to help raises awareness about the inaccessibility of clean water many children and families face. Dalton worked with Children International, a U.S.-based humanitarian organization to educate impoverished communities on clean-water practices, and assist them in cleaning their primary water source, Los Pomos River.
“Water is the most basic and vital resource there is. It’s heartbreaking to know children living in poverty have limited access to clean drinking water. Many children and families in the communities I visited walk for hours to find clean water, only to store it where it can be contaminated by animals or insects,” said Dalton.
During her trip to Bayaguana, a small city with a large Haitian immigrant population, Dalton was joined by 30 members of Children International’s Youth Health Corps, a group of peer educators teaching their community how to make healthy decisions, and 36 contestants of the Miss Dominican Republic Universe pageant, who all worked together to remove trash in and around Los Pomos River.
After the river cleanup, Dalton joined members of the Youth Health Corps at a seminar for local mothers on the importance of clean drinking water and its proper storage. At the end, she helped distribute water containers to attendees, which will aid in keeping their drinking water clean.
Dalton added, “I met so many children whose families are extremely poor. The village I saw was just a really tiny area of extremely small, wooden or tin huts. The floors are dirt, and many kids do not have beds. It makes me think twice before complaining about the stresses and worries in my life. I have spent mornings worrying about what I’m going to wear. This community is are worried about finding clean drinking water and staying healthy since they do not have access to healthcare. Knowing and seeing the differences in our daily stresses frames my perspective and reminds me not to worry about trivial things. I hope by sharing my experience in Bayaguana, others are inspired into action as well.”
While there, government officials took note of Miss USA’s work with local children and youth. Dominican Republic Vice President Rafael Alburquerque and Cabinet minister Manuel de Jesus Perez Gomez commended Dalton for her advocacy on behalf of impoverished children, and applauded her use of her crown to improve their lives and health. On behalf of the children of his city, the mayor of Bayaguana also thanked Miss USA for her activism.
Children International President and CEO Jim Cook said, “We appreciate Miss USA’s hands-on clean-water work in the name of children in need. She is truly a passionate advocate for impoverished children everywhere.”
Source: Miss USA changes her view on the world after encountering Third-World poverty, DominicanToday, 15 Apr 2010
Peru’s new law regulating hydrological resources is unlikely to solve social conflicts caused by disputes over water, Laureano del Castillo, lawyer and hydrological expert with the national center for social studies (Cepes), told BNamericas.
Read full article on: BNamericas.com [subscription site], 31 Mar 2010
Posted in Peru, Policy & legislation, Water resources management
Tagged right to water, water conflicts
Bolivia’s President Evo Morales has appointed María Esther Urdaneta as the country’s new environment and water minister. Urdaneta, a former researcher at the center for investigation and promotion of rural communities, will replace former minister René Orellana. She has campaigned for recognition of the right to water as a universal human right, according to the ministerial web site.
Read full article on: BNamericas.com [subscription site], 26 Jan 2010
Peru’s agriculture ministry (Minag) was expected to publish the country’s new water resources regulations by the end of January 2010. Peru’s new water law, approved by congress last March, guarantees water as a human right that cannot be bought or used as private property. It also mandates the creation of 14 decentralised water basin organizations (AAAs), partially funded by World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) loans.
Read full article on: : BNamericas.com [subscription site], 20 Jan 2010
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet will due to sign a bill to guarantee water access rights to small communities by the end of 2009, an official from the presidential office said. The lower house issued a unanimous final approval of the bill on 15 December 2009. The bill preserves water access rights for small farmers, indigenous communities, and rural potable water systems between regions XV and VI.
Read the full article on: BNamericas.com [subscription site], 16 Dec 2009
Posted in Chile, Policy & legislation, Water resources management
Tagged right to water, rural water supply
Peru’s national water authority (ANA) is in the final phase of drawing up water regulations to be applied under the country’s new water law. The new law, which was enacted by congress on 30 March 2009, requires the creation of new regulatory entities and policies. Peru’s new water law guarantees the resource as a human right that cannot be bought or used as private property.
Read the full article on: BNamericas.com [subscription site], 01 Dec 2009
Mexico’s federal district (DF) human rights commission CDHDF has warned that the capital’s growing water shortage could cause a “spiral of violence”.
CDHDF president Emilio Álvarez Icaza Longoria said that low-income families are paying more for water of lower quality and only receive it at certain hours of the day, a situation that is causing social unrest. “We have already seen protests in some areas, with blocked avenues and demonstrations specifically about the lack of water in the places that are most affected,” he said.
Local authorities recently said that the capital’s water supply is only guaranteed for the next six months due to an ongoing drought, considered the worst in the last 40 years.
According to mayor Marcelo Ebrard, residents in all areas will see their water supply cut for a few days a week in the first half of 2010. However, the mayor denied suggestions that the water shortage would cause an outbreak of violence.
Ebrard asked residents to save water, adding that his administration has redoubled efforts to carry out maintenance on main pipelines to prevent leaks and to build wastewater treatment plants.
Starting 1 September 2009, Mexico City water utility SACM will start imposing fines ranging from 1,500-16,000 pesos (US$114-1,215) on individuals and businesses that are caught wasting water. People will no longer be allowed to wash their vehicles with domestic water hoses and water their lawns during the day.
In early August 2009, the head of Mexico’s water authority Conagua José Luis Luege announced an imminent and indefinite increase in water rationing in the Mexico valley and federal district (DF). Luege, together with Mexico state (Edomex) and DF authorities, are looking at ways to reduce water supply by 20-25% in 17 municipalities and 16 boroughs at least until 2011.
The plan involves reducing supply by 10% from Sunday through Thursday. On Fridays and Saturdays supply is reduced by 25% and 50%, respectively. However, it is necessary to increase this to an average of 20-25%, according to Luege. Average reduction in water supply is at 17.8% in the Mexico valley and DF areas but this is not sufficient.
The dams that feed the Cutzamala system are at historically low levels. “We are 20% below the average levels of the last 25 years. This means a deficit of 150Mm3 of water,” Villalón said.
Source: BNamericas.com [subscription site], 01 Sep 2009 ; 26 Aug 2009 ; 06 Aug 2009
The plenary of the Honduran congress has approved the nation’s general water law, which declares access to water a human right.
The new legislation updates a framework dating from 1927 and its approval was necessary for the country to access international financing, which will be used to improve quality of life for the poorest segments of the population.
Comprised of more than 100 articles, the law establishes the creation of the national water authority, an autonomous entity that will replace the general water resources authority, operating under natural resources ministry Serna.
Source: BNamericas.com [subscription site], 21 Aug 2009
Posted in Honduras, Policy & legislation, Water resources management
Tagged right to water, S0909-LAC
Chilean legislators have submitted a bill proposing changes to the country’s general sanitation service law, which would guarantee a minimum supply, the lower house reported in a release.
Under current law, utilities can cut service provision to clients who fail to pay their water bills, but the legislators believe that, due to sanitation and collective rights, firms should provide a minimum supply.
The bill establishes that water utilities should give a 15-day warning before cutting off services for failure to pay bills. Utilities should also continue to provide a minimum amount of water to guarantee hygiene, health and drinking water to residents.
To support their request, legislators used information from the World Health Organization that claims that improving water supply reduces stomach illnesses by 6-21%; and a declaration made by the UN’s human rights promotion and protection committee that includes access to potable water and sanitation as one of the main principles of equality, dignity and social justice.
The bill will be analyzed by the congressional public works committee.
Source: BNamericas [subscription site], 25 Jun 2009
Business News Americas – Water & Waste
