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Amid growing concern over Guatemala’s water crisis, more than 250 experts, government authorities, academics, and civil society representatives gathered in Antigua Guatemala to participate in the Third National Water Resources Congress. The event was held on September 1 and 2 at the Soleil Hotel, serving as a key intersectoral platform for dialogue aimed at identifying sustainable solutions to the country’s water resource challenges.
The Congress featured plenary sessions, panel discussions, and technical presentations addressing critical themes such as water governance; ecosystems and nature-based solutions (NbS); innovation and technology in water resource management; and citizen science and water education. Discussions emphasized the need to integrate scientific and traditional knowledge, strengthen citizen participation, and promote practices that ensure equitable and sustainable access to water.
The urgency of the issue was underscored by data presented during the event, revealing that approximately 90% of Guatemala’s water sources are contaminated and nearly 40% of the population lacks access to potable water in their homes. According to the organizers, these figures call for a coordinated response across public, private, academic, and community sectors. The Congress also forms part of broader national efforts to promote the formulation of a Water Law through a participatory and transparent process, with the objective of safeguarding the human right to water, strengthening water governance, and reducing social conflicts related to water scarcity and pollution.
The event was convened by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN), FUNCAGUA, Global Water Partnership Central America, the Private Institute for Climate Change Research (ICC), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the University of San Carlos of Guatemala (USAC), Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG), the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). It was further supported by the Water Alliance, the Guatemalan Climate Change Science System (SGCCC), the Guatemalan Environmental Training and Research Network (REDFIA), and the Global Water Partnership (GWP).
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