Peru Blue Book: Progress of the May 2018 mission

The Blue Book is an international citizens-led initiative we coordinate. In Peru, this process started in 2013 and continues to develop, strengthened with the presence of civil society and authorities. Frequent dialogues take place between partners to insure the implementation of recommendations. Lately, the participants agreed to develop the following aspects:

    • Changes in the organizational regulations of Ministries related to water: None of the Peruvian Ministries related to water has protection of the water cycle incorporated into its ministerial competences. As identified in the Blue Book, this aspect is crucial to strengthen coordination between the authorities but also to facilitate the joint development of projects related to the water cycle. The Blue Book Committee has approved the creation of a working group to identify the corresponding changes.
    • Support and participation in the debate to regulate the protection of the watershed heads by the amending the Water Resources Law: Since 2013, the Blue Book process requires special attention to the watershed head. This proposal has attracted and brought together several civil society organizations around this topic and, this year, the specific protection of watershed heads is part of the Water Resources Law of Peru. It remains to be seen how this protection will be implemented in the regulations and that is where the actors of the Blue Book process collaborate. At the last meeting, the Blue Book received approval from a working group to help regulate this important aspect.
    • Development of a project proposal to strengthen ecosystem services with a public drinking water and sanitation company: As identified in the Blue Book, the development of projects was approved. It was decided to start developing a project proposal to strengthen ecosystem services with a public water and sanitation company.

It is interesting to note that the SUNASS (National Superintendency of Drinking Water and Sanitation Services of Peru) asked to be part of the Blue Book committee in order to contribute to the monitoring of the Blue Book process in Peru.

The next meeting of the Committee has held on October 23, 2018.

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