Water policy prioritiesMax Campos – Regional Committee on Water Resources

Central America

•Policies on water: from global to local.

•Policies on water: exporting and importing experiences.•From colonial times to actual days.

•The growing concern:•Pollution and water quality

•Health•Economics ( increases in services)

•Water distribution:•Excess and shortages: Floods and droughts

•Multi sectoral implications:agriculture, potable, hydropower, ecosystems, …………. •Social implications•Economic implications

Country Element Legislation

GUATEMALA Quality and water pollution

      National Constitution (Control and uses).      Health Code.      Municipal Codes.

EL SALVADOR Quality and water pollution

      Forest Law      Irrigation Law      National Emergency Law      Railroads Regulations       Water law      Sanitation codes

HONDURAS Control for uses, quality and pollution of water

      Water law      Regulation for the tourism      Civil Code      Police Code

NICARAGUA Control for uses, quality and pollution of water

      Civil Code      Agricultural Code      Mining Code      Regulation for water utility for Managua.

•Political Constitutions for each country indicate a great concern for protection, and rational uses of natural resources, being water one of them.

•In all countries, water resources are protected legally and administratively, however, the legal norms do not apply due to the lack of possibilities from the institutions in charge for controlling, evaluate and follow up these norms and regulations.

Water governance

•Governance…related to a social system wider than government (political entity in charge of taking decisions)……

•Governance is relevant for government, for the market, the private sector and civil society.

•Governance is a set of empiric manifestations of the state’s adaptation to their external environment.

•Financing agencies, private banks explore governance before making investments.

•Governance and water rights:•Government and water markets…..public vs private ?•Through the use of water people are related: economically, ecologically and socio-political