By Raphaelle Ortiz*
Between March 22 and 24, the United Nations (UN) organized a conference on water. Through multiple events, various organizations presented their plans to accelerate activities to achieve sustainable development goal 6 (SDG 6), which states: “[To] guarantee the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.” With only 7 years left to achieve this goal of the 2030 Agenda, the time to act is now.
The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (GS/OAS) was at this conference and took the opportunity to speak with Liseth Hernández, the Trinational Executive Secretary of the Trinational Commission of Plan Trifinio (CTPT). The CTPT is a regional organization that is part of the Central American Integration System (SICA). In 1997, the treaty was signed between the Republics of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras for the execution of the Plan Trifinio, as a model of integration and conservation, aimed at managing the territory to improve the living conditions of local communities.
What do you think of this UN conference on water and what would be the relevance of this type of event within the Plan Trifinio?
We are at an important moment of review of the scope and goals of SDG 6. This event provides the opportunity to learn about the commitments of different member countries of the United Nations.
For the Plan Trifinio, we should consider its contribution to the achievement of goal 6.5 “to implement the integrated management of water resources at all levels, including through cross-border cooperation by 2030”. As a regional body, the Plan Trifinio established mandates and common interests for the 3 states when the representatives of the countries delimited this territory as an indivisible ecological unit. This implies not only sharing territory but also responsibilities. During the conference, the CTPT had the opportunity to share and discuss the regulatory and governance framework that integrates the management of the different freshwater ecosystems in the Trifinio region and their experience in water restoration. Conferences of this type represent a space to promote dialogue on policies that recognize resilience and a human rights-based approach in communities to protect their right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. The human right to water and sanitation must integrate intersectoral efforts at the national level and from public and private investment, promote development initiatives across borders.
What do you think is the greatest contribution of the GEF/Lempa River executed by GS/OAS project to the call to action of this conference to radically accelerate action to make water, sanitation and hygiene a reality for all, especially in the Trifinio region?
The project financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), implemented by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), and executed by the GS/OAS is an important tool to promote all the results that we are promoting at the territory level. The project promotes approaches that can be magnified through systematization processes, knowledge management and research, and exchanges of experiences that translate into best practices that can be replicated and adapted to the conditions of the territories. This will generate opportunities for climate resilience and shared management processes. Only the will of the three states will allow decision-making to benefit the population. For example, all water decontamination actions will help users in different areas, both for human consumption, irrigation, industrial use, or also for energy generation, to have better access to water in quality and quantity and a better distribution at the territory level.
Furthermore, the GEF Project seeks to be an anchor to strengthen cooperation with multiple actors that are part of the key alliances of the Trifinio Plan. This will allow greater coordination, articulation and complementarity in triggering the implementation of the Master Plan of the Trifinio Region, which includes 4 programs and 19 subprograms aimed at: a) social and economic development; b) gender, youth and indigenous peoples; c) climate change and environmental management; and d) strengthening governance and institutionalism. This effort is complemented by initiatives such as Regional Public Goods (BPR) and the IDB-supported Transboundary Water Fund.
In this conference, the role of youth has been highlighted in various sessions. What is the role of youth in helping us reach SDG 6?
Young people play a determining role, above all, to reduce the digital gap in our countries. This includes technical assistance services, training, and dissemination of information on markets, climate data, or nature-based practices that open development opportunities in the territory and boost the economy with sustainable initiatives. In this way, we could contribute to various sustainable development objectives linked to the reduction of poverty and hunger, gender equality, risk management and climate change, as well as the promotion of alliances, equality and equity.
About Trifinio Plan
The Trifinio Plan is a regional organization that is part of the Central American Integration System (SICA), which seeks to develop a process of environmental and territorial management, so that this becomes the possibility of improving the living conditions of border communities. In 1997, the Tri-national Commission of the Trifinio Plan (CTPT) was established with the signing of a Tri-national Treaty between the Republics of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras; which is led by the Vice Presidents of El Salvador and Guatemala and a Presidential Designee of Honduras, as the entity in charge of overseeing the execution of the Trifinio Plan and its permanent updating (Art.5).
Discover more about the Trifinio Plan here https://www. Plan trifinio.int/
*Raphaelle Ortiz is a research consultant for the Organization of the Americas. She works on publications, blogs, and other research products. She has a BA in Global Environmental Change and Sustainability from Johns Hopkins University and an MPA in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University.
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