As part of the international collaboration and support for water and sanitation projects, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the World Bank have granted substantial funding to the National Administration of Aqueducts and Sewers (ANDA) in El Salvador. Simultaneously, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) have provided invaluable cooperation across various sectors.
During the annual Sectoral Knowledge Week organized by the IDB’s Water and Sanitation Division in Washington D.C., the President of ANDA, Rubén Alemán, engaged in discussions with different U.S. federal agencies and representatives of multilateral banks. The primary objective of this meeting was to enhance knowledge sharing and strengthen collaboration among key water supply operators in the Latin American region.
Alemán emphasized, «It was an opportunity for the IDB to showcase its ongoing developments and explore opportunities for advancement in the sector. At the end of the day, ANDA now stands as El Salvador’s primary water and sanitation service provider. On a regional scale, we are exploring opportunities for knowledge exchange that translate into improved water supply.»
Transparency within President Nayib Bukele’s administration has garnered the trust of various international organizations and cooperation agencies, resulting in significant financial support for projects benefitting the population. Notably, the IDB and the World Bank have extended loans totaling $100 million to ANDA to fund resilience projects. Alemán added, «One of our key meetings in the United States was with the World Bank. We are ready to execute a $100 million loan, which will enable us to invest in the resilience of our infrastructure, addressing the challenges posed by climate variability, which has taken a toll on our pipeline network over the years.»
Another crucial meeting took place with Martin McLaughlin, Director of Central America and Mexico at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). USAID has played a pivotal role in supporting ANDA with initiatives such as the renovation of the 915 call center, the development of a business plan, and an institutional strategic plan.
Alemán remarked, «We had the privilege of meeting high-ranking officials from various U.S. federal agencies and multilateral banks. Nothing of this magnitude had ever occurred at ANDA before. It is under President Nayib Bukele’s administration that water and sanitation have become central to this institution, which has opened doors for critical partners to place trust in our institutional endeavors.»
In the coming weeks, ANDA will implement the first buoy system in the Lempa River at the Torogoz plant. Alemán noted that they received congratulations from USAID and expressed their unwavering support for ANDA. He expressed his satisfaction with the meeting with the USAID Latin America and Caribbean office.
Furthermore, during the fact-finding mission, ANDA engaged with officials from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), which had provided a $500,000 grant for an energy efficiency study in 20 pumping and re-pumping plants. This study facilitated interactions with the U.S. Development Finance Corporation (DFC), further strengthening ANDA’s partnerships and potential for future projects.
In summary, these collaborations underline the commitment of multilateral banks and U.S. agencies to support ANDA in its mission to enhance water supply and sanitation services in El Salvador, ultimately benefiting the population and improving infrastructure resilience. This international cooperation signifies a positive step towards addressing crucial water-related challenges in the region.