•  Strengthening of water and sanitation regulator network in Latin America and the Caribbean
• Water professionals and regulators join to boost development in the regional water sector

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Guayaquil, Ecuador (9 November 2018) – The International Water Association (IWA) and the Association of Regulators of Water and Sanitation of the Americas (ADERASA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to bring experts of both networks together, to stimulate innovation in the sector and to boost sustainable development.

IWA has more than 450 members in the Americas, and it continuously works with them to foster the development of the sector through transfer of knowledge, experience and specialist skills. The Americas embrace countries at varying stages of development in the water sector. The need to improve regional integration in the water sector that promotes development and diffusion of innovation while supporting the implementation of the 2030 Agenda with its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is critical for this region.

By working together, IWA and ADERASA aim to join synergies and strengths to form a joint and tailored source of leading-edge water knowledge in the region and to better connect practices to policy. To this end, the MoU identifies areas of strategic convergence, with a particular emphasis on promoting a holistic approach to policy reform, institutional arrangements and regulations. This aims to lead to operational improvement and commercial efficiency of water utilities in the region, and strengthen the Latin American and the Caribbean water sector through professional and capacity development. More specifically, with this MoU IWA and ADERASA seek ways to promote the universalisation of water and sanitation services and the proper link between cities and their basins; to integrate innovation and new technologies in the sector. This is a focused contribution to the enabling environment by increasing and supporting the capacity development of regulators and water professionals. By doing so, the focus includes support consideration and investments for solutions to improve water security in the region.

“I would like to highlight the great opportunity it represents to link up with an internationally prestigious institution such as the International Water Association and strengthen our activities in pursuit of the implementation of the Human Rights to Water and Sanitation  in compliance with SDG 6,” said Mr. Oscar Hugo Pintos, President of ADERASA. “Working together we can extend the theoretical and practical knowledge of the regulation of water and sanitation services, providing our associates with a quality improvement for their daily activities,” he concluded.

The water sector’s development is in the focus of IWA’s activities in the region and the water professionals of this global network fosters the important and necessary exchange of knowledge and expertise,” said Ms. Carolina Latorre, IWA Water Policy and Regulation lead. “This MoU shows how IWA values its members in The Americas and our commitment to do more,” Ms. Latorre continues “Our goal is to learn from the region and to accelerate the development of new solutions, promoting integration and cooperation in the Americas. Regulators are connectors, so working with ADERASA’s regulators network can help us reaching out and connect with the other stakeholders in the water sector. We aim to bring experts of both networks together, to ensure that policies and regulations in the Region are enablers of innovation and sustainable development. With this MoU, together we generate synergies”.

Through this agreement, IWA and ADERASA aim to contribute to a greater sustainable water development in the Americas.

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About the International Water Association:

The IWA is a global knowledge hub for water professionals and anyone concerned about the future of water. With its over seventy-year heritage it connects water professionals worldwide to find solutions to the world’s water challenges as part of a broader sustainability agenda. As a non-profit organisation with members in more than 130 countries, the IWA connects scientists to practitioners and communities so that pioneering research delivers sustainable solutions. It further fosters technological innovation and drives best practice through international frameworks and standards. https://iwa-network.org

About ADERASA

The Association of Regulators of Water and Sanitation of the Americas (ADERASA) is a network of regulatory authorities embracing 17 strategic countries in the Americas. It was established in 2001 to initiate and promote the integration and cooperation process in the regulation of the water sector in the Americas. Through its repeated annual meetings and assemblies, ADERASA has become a point of reference for the regulation on water and sanitation in the Americas, establishing a continental network of exchange of experiences among its members.

Mr Oscar Hugo Pintos is the President of the Association of Drinking Water and Sanitation Regulators of the Americas (ADERASA). He also serves as President of Water and Sanitation Regulatory Authority of Santa Fe in Argentina (ENRESS) and as President of the Federal Association of Drinking-Water and Sanitation Regulators of Argentina (AFERAS). He is a Chemical Engineer, graduated at the Universidad Nacional del Litoral in Santa Fe, Argentina. Mr. Pintos is committed to promoting the development, recognition and sustainability of the regulatory processes of W&S sector in the Americas, by exchanging experiences in regulatory processes of different countries. He is also active in promoting studies and research in the water and sanitation sector and the roles and attributes of regulators and their interaction with the operators of W&S utilities.

For more information, please contact:

Carolina Latorre Carolina.Latorre@iwahq.org

Ulrike Kelm Ulrike.Kelm@iwahq.org