Guatemala is a country with a great wealth in water; however, only 10% of it is used because it can not be transported to where it is needed. Democracy in this country is unstable and the most propitious governmental conditions are unavailable.
If Guatemala finds itself in this position, it is also because there is a lack of specific regulation for water. The Guatemalan Parliament has a large file of potential laws that have still to be put into practice and there is only regulation of water resource management by sector.
Elisa Colom del Morán (a member of the Technical Assessment Committee for Central America in the World Water Council and presidential advisor to the government of Guatemala) explained in the Water Tribune the measures that the new government in her country - formed in February this year - took immediately.
For a time, she focused on human development of solidarity measures, which have advanced food safety, and which do not run contrary to the measures taken to achieve economic development in the country. The environment, adaptation to climate change and protection of ground water and the woods are other of the core matters that need to be contemplated by the administration of the country - in addition to focusing on governability through dialogue and officially approved positions. Transparency in information is also paramount - in this case so as to take the correct decisions. And all of this is to be done while thinking about the future.
To achieve these objectives, Elisa Colom del Morán suggested the creation of a budget that takes into account both human development as well as economic development and productivity. Up to now, investment has only gone into maintaining the already existing infrastructures in the cities.
In Guatemala water management is decentralised, so Colom del Morán views the creation of a specific water cabinet with sector managers as necessary. This country has the opportunity to start from zero in water management and design sustainable strategies.
www.expozaragoza2008.es
Source: Expo-Zaragoza 2008. "The Water Tribune". Pictures: Expo-Zaragoza 2008. The Water Tribune
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