Colombia presented to the Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC) the new agenda for the management of and access to drinking water, with a public goods (common, bien comĂșn) approach.
During the event “Study Tour: Resilient Water Infrastructures”, the expert commissioner of the Drinking Water Regulatory Commission (UAECRA), Ruth Quevedo, presented Colombia’s proposal to manage water with the participation of public-popular, community alliances and properly regulated private action. The CRA expert commissioner said:
“The approach focuses on projecting a new paradigm for water management, in which the countries of the North assume their responsibility to take advantage of the needs of a region that is a global water power. The countries of the North must contribute to the transition to a sustainable model of use and access to water resources. It is essential that ECLAC leads this effort as a regional entity with common cultural and historical roots.”
The initiative, which was presented to Latin American authorities, experts and institutions, focused on the need to increase the value of organised communities in water management and to create opportunities for public-popular alliances in water management. Commissioner Quevedo explained:
“It is necessary to broaden the vision of water regulation and redirect it towards the challenges of climate change and ecosystem restoration, that is, towards the protection of the water cycle, which complements the current market regulation.”
In this scenario, where 13 countries present the region’s water management challenges, the UAE CRA Board also raised the need for developed countries to take advantage of the needs of a region that is a global water power.
It is worth recalling that the new water agenda is contained in the Biocultural Manifesto for Water, agreed and signed by indigenous organisations, farmers, spiritual and ancestral leaders, institutions, academia, local and national governments and civil society.
