To mitigate the effects of the water emergency in Uruguay, FONPLATA will fund works to improve drinking water supply, as well as the provision of the service during extreme weather events.

Uruguay is going through a historic drought that started in 2020 and became more serious as of October 2022. The main source of freshwater for Montevideo and the metropolitan area is the Santa Lucia River and, which hit record-low water level due to the extreme drought. This basin supplies water to more than 60% of the population, approximately 1.8 million people.

Last June, the government decreed a water emergency. Nonetheless, the water supply crisis is not expected to be normalized before the end of 2023, due to the scarcity of rainfall and a discouraging weather forecast.

The project includes investment in infrastructure, equipment, supplies, and inputs; and the funding is structured in two stages: the first for USD 40 million and the second for USD 20 million.

The program will contribute to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030, particularly SDG-6, Clean Water and Sanitation, improving the access to drinking water and its quality, and SDG-13, Climate Action, providing greater capacity to the drinking water supply system in Uruguay.

08/11/2023