WB and UN-Water Recognize CONAGUA Leadership in Climate Change Adaptation

Press Release No. 335-10
Cancun, QR., December 02, 2010

• In the last 16 years, Mexico has taken very important steps in recognizing water challenges and placing water at the center of national policy

• Mexico is the first country to receive specific financing for adaptation to climate change from the World Bank

Mexico maintains a leadership in terms of adaptation to climate change in the water sector because it proposes policies with a long-term vision, which are in line with the actions required to face the consequences of global warming, said Julia Bucknall, Sectoral Director of Water Resources, World Bank (WB); and Tim Kasten, Vice-President of UN-Water.

In a press conference held within the Dialogues for Water and Climate Change (D4WCC, for its acronym in English) and chaired by José Luis Luege Tamargo, Director General of the National Water Commission (Conagua), Bucknall stressed that in the last 16 years Mexico took very important steps by recognizing the challenges in water matters and placing the issue of water as a central part of national policy and described it as transcendent. the integration by Conagua of the 2030 Water Agenda.

Luege Tamargo explained that this Agenda is a long-term water policy, with a basin vision, aimed at achieving sustainability in terms of water, through actions directed in four axes: clean rivers, basins in balance, universal coverage of water services, and safe settlements against catastrophic floods.

He said that to implement this agenda requires an investment of at least one trillion pesos, which means allocating 50 billion a year directly to hydraulic actions and programs. In addition, at least 500 billion pesos must be invested in the next 20 years to promote territorial reorganization, which is one of the most important challenges in the country.

For his part, Kasten explained that it is very important to have these plans with a long-term vision to advance and inform the population about the management of water resources and pointed out that any water plan needs to involve information on the impact of climate change, otherwise the effects on the population will increase.

At the time, Bucknall emphasized that the leadership taken by Mexico, through Conagua, has led it to be the first country to receive specific financing for adaptation to climate change. He recalled that last June a loan for 450 million dollars (million dollars) was approved, which will be allocated to projects aimed at strengthening programs and actions to face the challenges posed by climate change in the water sector.

He also mentioned that last November another credit was approved, but now for $100 million, which will be used to boost the efficiency of the agencies operating drinking water services, since the efficient administration and operation of these is essential for the conservation of the planet's water resources.

Finally, Luege Tamargo and international officials agreed that social participation is a fundamental part of climate change adaptation actions, because to the extent that society is involved in the management and efficient use of water, progress will be made in the conservation of water resources and the impact of global warming can be better addressed.

Tagged as: water, climate change, conagua, COP16, UN

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Authors: Val

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