On 17 September 2019, a Management Delegation Agreement was signed between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation and the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain for the diagnosis and creation of an action plan for the sustainable exploitation of the Guatemala City Valley Aquifer, within the framework of one of the FCAS programmes in the country.
The IGME is the leading body in Spain for information, technical-scientific assistance and advice to public administrations in geology and hydrogeology. In this context, the purpose of the delegation is to entrust IGME with the management and coordination of studies and technical services in relation to the Guatemala programme. These studies and technical services are part of an overall programme whose general objective is to promote a water security strategy for the reliable supply of quantitatively and qualitatively acceptable water for the populations of the Guatemala City valley, with the collaboration of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Spanish public company TRAGSA.
The programme is articulated around three components. On the one hand, to generate quality technical information that serves as a basis for the integrated management of water resources. On the other hand, to strengthen the technical capacities of the institutions for an integrated management of sustainable water resources. And finally, to strengthen the municipal policy framework for sustainable water resource management. The studies and technical services detailed in this agreement fall under the first component.
In 2020, the collaboration with the Geographic Mining Institute of Spain (IGME) continues in the framework of the Water Fund’s support in the search for feasible solutions for the water supply of Guatemala City.
