Water, health, and productivity for 208 municipalities in Ecuador

One of the main tourism destinations in Ecuador is close to a lake, but it had problems of access to water. San Pablo del Lago is part of the 70 percent of the rural country that was not connected to a source of potable water. Currently, coverage reaches 99 percent of the population. 

San Pablo stands at the foot of the Imbabura volcano, crowned by clouds that provide shade to the terracotta soil next to the lake. This parish belongs to the city of Otavalo, and its landscape attracts many national and foreign tourists, so the lack of water means a productive disadvantage.  

In San Pablo and other Otavalo communities such as Abatag, Cusinpamba and Gualabi, a project was carried out to connect these communities to a source of potable water. The initiative extended throughout the country and has provided potable water, sanitary sewage, garbage collection and disposal of solid residues to more than 200 municipalities in Ecuador. 

Close to USD 632 thousand were invested in the communities of Otavalo to provide water to 6,466 inhabitants. It is expected that in 2038 more than 9 thousand people will have the service, providing a solution to productivity and health problems. 

In Ecuador, investments for water coverage and sanitation exceed USD 850 million, which correspond to the Promadec I and Promadec II projects where CAF -development bank of Latin America, has financed USD 500 million and has committed another USD 275 million for a third phase. 

As explained in the publication "Equidad e inclusion social en America Latina: acceso universal al agua y el saneamiento" (Equity and social inclusion in Latin America: universal access to water and sanitation), these types of investments in water and sanitation in Latin America "would lead to large benefits in terms of health, productivity, and above all, an improved perception of the fact that the most urgent needs of the most vulnerable segments of the population are being considered".   

These works not only consider infrastructure, but rather a comprehensive model that includes from social, environmental, and financial studies, to institutional strengthening actions that guarantee the sustainability of the service. 

Infrastructure, a sustainable model, and investments are the response to the population's expectations for their daily and productive lives. Gustavo Pareja, Mayor of Otavalo, states that "water is something that the communities have waited for a long time, water is life for the people".