Colombia will spend US$ 2 billion (€ 1.6 billion) on potable water initiatives as part of the country’s anti-crisis investment plan, President Álvaro Uribe told news agency BNamericas. The investment will cover potable water treatment, expansion, improvement and maintenance initiatives. The anti-crisis plan also includes housing development projects and the installation of their respective potable water and sanitation networks.

The water ministry will prioritise works worth a total of 30 billion pesos (US$ 12.0 million = € 9.5 million) out of a total of 192 billion pesos (US$ 176.5 = € 60.8 million) needed for the water and sanitation development plan of Norte de Santander Department. The announcement was made by water and sanitation undersecretary Leyla Rojas, who presided over a public meeting on water and sanitation development needs in the department as part of the national government’s anti-crisis investment plan. Only five of the department’s municipalities are currently unable to access these funds as they have failed to submit their water plans.

As part of a 15-year integral development plan the Colombian government will also provide an estimated 150 billion-peso (US$ 59.8 million = € 44.5 million) to Meta Department’s water plan during the next four years. Environment minister Juan Lozano and Meta governor Darío Vásquez signed the contract for the first phase of the department’s water plan. The agreement allows the department to receive money from royalties deriving from oil exports in order to finance its water plan, while part of the funds will come from the nation’s annual budget.

Related news: Colombia: government aims to modernize 1,500 small water, sewerage utilities in 2009, Source Weekly, Jan 2009

Source: Eva Medalla, BNamericas [subscription site], 28 Jan 2009, BNamericas, 09 Feb 2009 ; Ministerio de ambiente, vivienda y desarrollo territorial [in Spanish], 05 Feb 2009

Tags: financing, latin america & caribbean, water supply