SIE - SEE

Water and sanitation programme in Peru

Our programs in Peru provide water and sanitation service to some of the country’s most vulnerable populations, while strengthening bottom-up, participatory management and good water governance.

Our current projects:

1) Adaptable participatory management framework for river basins with scale-up potential

2) Institutional synergy through the Blue Book initiative and related activities.

These projects integrate water supply and sanitation management into basin and watershed-level governance. They also help rural communities build capacities to preserve headwaters, manage water supply and sanitation services, and maintain their own infrastructure.

We work primarily in communities located in the headwater regions of Peru where major water sources originate. Isolated at high altitudes, these communities are becoming impoverished as younger residents seek new opportunities in the city. Headwater regions are also the most effected by climate change.

Our program in Peru began in 2014, when we developed sustainable water and sanitation infrastructure for the community of Cuchoquesera, at the head of the Cachi River basin, over a two year period. In 2017, we started construction on Project Waripercca, a nearby community which poses a number of unique engineering and governance challenges. We overcame these problems and now both communities have running water.

The Peruvian government recently enshrined in law that "ecosystem services" like water are consumable commodities with a cost attached. In practice, this means that downstream water users must pay for the water that they consume – payments that eventually make their way to the upstream communities located on the headwaters. Local communities are then free to invest the funds into water and sanitation projects. Although the mechanism is voluntary, the ecosystem services levy is expected to spur development across rural Peru.

There are three main streams for funding. The first is based on the ecosystem services approach, where levies collected from downstream users go directly to indigenous community councils, who are then free to spend as they see fit. The second is the United Nations Green Found, which we coordinate locally with the Blue Book Committee. The third is public funding, through the three ministries that coordinate water and sanitation services in Peru.

The approach that we have developed has so far only been tried in Peru, but could work anywhere in Latin America.

Goals:

  • Improve access to water and sanitation,
  • Integrate water and sanitation management into basin management,
  • Promote sustainable governance on a national level by integrating eco-systemic approaches, citizen participation and decentralised financing.

Expected results:

  • A sustainable rural water supply system for 150 families at the watershed head, with a 20 year expected lifespan.
  • A sustainable sanitation system consisting of ecological toilets for 150 families, with total re-use of excreta and grey water.
  • A new community-based water management body that integrates rural water and sanitation management (JASS) into water and environmental management (GAA). Thus, a single community-based body (JASSGAA) will administrate water supply, sanitation and the watershed head.
  • The establishment of a participatory management plan for the head of the Cachi River basin.
  • Proposal of new national water management policies developed in a participatory manner with the government and civil society.

We warmly thank our partners for their valuable support

logo_ailes_esperancelogo_aesnlogo_serlogo_agua_c   logo_chuschi Syndicat de Dieppe Nord

Photos

News

Towards a Blue Pact for Lake Titicaca

Blue Pact for the Binational Titicaca River Basin Held on October 5 and 6, 2022, the Workshop Towards a Blue Pact for the Binational Titicaca Basin, Bolivia – Peru, gathered more than 50 representatives of the Civil Society, Community Organizations, Women’s Organizations, Youth Organizations, Universities, representatives of the Chancelleries of Bolivia and Peru, Municipalities of … Continue reading Towards a Blue Pact for Lake Titicaca

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Roundtable at the peruvian parliament: Towards sustainable water governance

On October 19th, we co-convened a roundtable on water governance at the Parliament of Peru. We can proudly say that we are efficiently mobilizing civil society and key decision-makers at the national level to share various approaches, experiences and proposals that will strengthen the multisectoral nature of sustainable water management in Peru. Many of our … Continue reading Roundtable at the peruvian parliament: Towards sustainable water governance

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Since Earth day the community of Wariperqa – in Peru – has drinking water!

The drinking water infrastructure component of the project was completed on April 22, 2018, with great satisfaction from the community and local authorities. A crucial element: The drinking water system was built with the active participation of the men and women of the community. In addition, a drinking water management committee has been set up. … Continue reading Since Earth day the community of Wariperqa – in Peru – has drinking water!

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Wariperqa on the move

Project Wariperqa has advanced to its next phase. Construction is now underway on a network to bring running water to this remote Peruvian community 4000 metres above sea level. Vladimir Arana, the ISW’s program coordinator for the Americas, just returned from his mission to Peru coordinating the work of project partners. The access to drinking … Continue reading Wariperqa on the move

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Rapport de mission au Pérou

Peru Mission Report

Echoes of our water and sanitation project in Peru Our partners Les Ailes de l’Espérance proudly tell their passage Cuchoquesera where toilets and ecological showers were installed this year. According to their report, the project is a success in Peru and 105 installations work perfectly! Here is their article, to read the news in full (in … Continue reading Peru Mission Report

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