“Our water is our life” says Irma Pecher as she welcomes us to the Chuimanzana Hamlet, located in the department of Sololá in southwestern Guatemala. She shares the challenges of accessing clean water in her community. Morelia Tos, her neighbor, approaches to recount her childhood of long daily walks through the ravines surrounding their community in search of potable water. “We had to carry our clothes to the mountains to wash them and then bring them back,” she says.
Access to water: A fundamental right, not a privilege
Access to basic services such as potable water and sanitation is fundamental to building more equitable societies. However, millions worldwide still lack adequate services, significantly affecting their health.
According to an IDB study , 88% of infectious diseases are linked to the lack of water and sanitation services, and 61% of child mortality cases result from intestinal parasites. Poor health impacts nearly all aspects of human life. For children, it increases school absenteeism, reduces their learning capacity, and affects their development of other skills. As adults, they enter the labor market at a competitive disadvantage, limiting their productivity, access to better job opportunities, and income levels—a challenge that disproportionately affects women.
According to UN Water data, despite Guatemala’s abundant water resources, six out of ten households lack access to potable water, and five out of ten are not connected to sewage systems.
Guatemala: A country with water and the opportunity to expand access
De acuerdo con el XII Censo Nacional de Población y VII de Vivienda (2018), el 11% de la población guatemalteca debe obtener agua de fuentes como lluvia, ríos, lagos y manantiales. Este porcentaje es superior en algunos departamentos del área rural y aumenta la cantidad de trabajo doméstico no remumerado en las familias sin acceso al agua. La mayoría de estas tareas son realizadas por mujeres y niñas, lo que se refleja en los indicadores de escolaridad. En las zonas rurales, las mujeres tienen una escolaridad promedio de 4,1 años, mientras en los hombres llega a 4,9 años. Irma y Morelia, por ejemplo, desde niñas ayudaron en las tareas domésticas y la educación que podían recibir no fue tan prioritaria.
Beyond water: Sanitation, health and dignity
Furthermore, lack of sanitation services affects not only public health, but human dignity related to hygiene and privacy. The impact is particularly severe for women and girls, as they are exposed to urinary infections and unsafe conditions for menstrual hygiene.
The absence of sanitation facilities in schools often leads to girls missing classes during their menstrual cycles, sometimes resulting in school dropouts. Additionally, seeking safe places for basic bodily functions can put them at risk of harassment and sexual violence.
A $100 Million Investment to Close the Water and Sanitation Gap
To help address these disparities, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), in partnership with the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID in Spanish), provided $100 million in funding for the Water and Sanitation Program for Human Development – Phase I. Of this amount, $50 million was donated by the Spanish government through the Water and Sanitation Cooperation Fund (FCAS).
One of the program’s objectives was to construct and improve water and sanitation systems in rural, urban, and peri-urban areas, benefiting over 55,000 people in rural regions who – like Irma and Morelia – struggled daily to access water
Tangible impact: Stories of change in communities
One of the program’s objectives was to construct and improve water and sanitation systems in rural, urban, and peri-urban areas, benefiting over 55,000 people in rural regions who – like Irma and Morelia – struggled daily to access water.
In some urban areas, the program identified severe service deficiencies, as certain communities received potable water for only one or two hours per day. Sobeida López, a resident of the departmental capital of San Marcos, recalls: “We had limited water schedules, and we had to store it in different containers, but the water quality was poor, and our children often suffered from stomach illnesses.”
Through this initiative, over 135,000 people in urban and peri-urban areas gained more consistent water access through infrastructure improvements. “Everything has improved; we now have good-quality water, and my children no longer get sick,” Sobeida adds.
A key component of the program focused on improving sanitation services for 75,000 people in rural areas and 100,000 people in urban areas across 13 of Guatemala’s 22 departments.
To ensure the long-term sustainability of this infrastructure, the program implemented measures to strengthen local management and community engagement, such as:
- Developing regulations for the administration, operation, and maintenance of water and sewer systems; and
- Conducting plumbing workshops, water quality monitoring training, and solid waste management education
“Now, thank God, we have water in our homes. Everything is easier, and our household hygiene is much better than before,” affirms Morelia.
Drop by drop, this program has changed people’s lives, including those of Irma, Morelia, and Sobeida, who can now enjoy a better quality of life and participate in society under more equitable conditions.
This article is part of the series “Changing the World Through Water and Sanitation”, a collaboration between the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), highlighting the transformative impact of water and sanitation projects across Latin America and the Caribbean.
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