Water Supply in Latin America and the Caribbean—A Critical Look

The consistent improvement experienced in the water supply in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is chiefly the result of the political commitment, starting with the Charter of Punta del Este in 1961. In addition, a successful process of transferring experiences and technologies to LAC has provided the vital ingredients for growth. Today, Latin America has the capability to develop some of its own technologies and is able to export some of its experiences. Nevertheless, a new set of challenges is bringing about a new demand for transfer of experiences to LAC. The new challenges are basically in the area of sector policies, sector structures, institutional and human development, and the application of technologies for specific and indigenous technical problems.