international agenda july - august 2013

CONAGUA AND THE WORLD BANK CONTINUE WORKING ON THE MODERNIZATION OF THE NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE

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s part of the activities included in the program to modernize the National Meteorological Service (MoMet), officials of the National Water Commission of Mexico (Conagua) met with a World Bank mission. They agreed the next steps in the framework of the financing offered by the international organization to support this program. The meeting, also be attended by the Coordinator of the National Meteorological Service (SMN), Mr. Juan Manuel Caballero González, the Deputy Director General of Planning, Mr. Emiliano Rodriguez Briceño and the Manager of the International Affairs Office, Ms. Claudia Coria. MEXICO AND ISR AEL LOOK FOR WAYS TO IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY OF WATER UTILITIES

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he Association of Water and Sanitation Utilities of Mexico (ANEAS) in collaboration with Conagua, the Mexican Institute of Water Technology (IMTA) and Dorot, was held the seminar “Drinking Water Networks Sectorization” which consisted in theoretical and practical expositions as the presentation of the Deputy Director General for Planning, in which successful and replicable experiences for the activities of the utilities were analyzed. It was noted that to overcome the great challenge of equitable distribution of water, utilities and operators need to use strategies such as the sectorizarion of the distribution networks.

MÉXICO WILL HOST THE WORLD GENER AL ASSEMBLY OF THE INBO IN 2016

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rom 12 to 16 August took place in Brazil the IX World General Assembly of the International Network of Basin Organizations (INBO). Conagua was represented by Mr. Abel Jimenez Alcazar, Manager of River Basin Councils. It is worth mentioning that the Mexican candidacy to host the General Assembly of the Network in 2016 was accepted. Conagua is part of the Board and will have the INBO’s Presidency for a period of three years following the conclusion of the Assembly in Mexico until 2019. Mexico is one of the founding members of INBO and it has always been one of the main promoters of the watershed management in the Americas. SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCES IN TREATMENT WERE SHARED IN GER MANY

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nder the triangular cooperation scheme, Mexico and Bolivia benefit from the German experience in innovative technologies for wastewater and sludge treatment, artificial wetland systems for water treatment and reuse in agriculture. Through a technical visit to different states of the German Republic, the Mexican delegation integrated by Mr. Roberto Contreras Martinez, Manager of Water Treatment, Mr. Luis Fernando Uc Najera, Local Director of Conagua in Durango, as well as representatives of the IMTA and the Water Utility of Leon, Guanajuato (SAPAL), had a meeting with representatives of the Regional Triangular Cooperation Fund in Latin America and the Caribbean and also visited utilities and operators with innovative treatment systems.

INTERNATIONAL AGENDA Deputy Director-Gener al’s Office for Planning international affairs office

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN DISCUSS ABOUT TARIFF AND REGULATORY POLICIES

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hrough a videoconference held at the office in Mexico of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Conagua officials and stakeholders of the Mexican hydraulic sector, participated in the “Experts Meeting on Tariff and Regulatory Policies in the framework of the Millennium Development Goals and the Human Right to Water and Sanitation”, in which were discussed the challenges of regulation, the current pricing policies and the implications of the recognition of the human right to water and sanitation. In this context, experiences between the operators and regulatory agencies in the countries of the region were shared and priorities of work and cooperation were defined.

1st INTERGOVERNMENTAL BOARD ON CLIMATE SERVICES

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hrough the meeting sponsored by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), this international initiative aims to mitigate the effects of climate variability through the provision of climate services. Leaded by Mr. Michael Jarraud, Secretary General of the WMO, the participation of Conagua was led by PhD. Martin Jose Moreno Martinez, Deputy Manager of Atmospheric Environmental Monitoring at the National Meteorological Service (SMN). Derived from the discussions, a roadmap for the operation of the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) was agreed. The initiative led by member countries seeks to provide suitable and accessible climate services to users worldwide, initially focused on agriculture, water, health and disaster management.

MEXICO-USA BI-NACIONAL MEETING FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ACT 319

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r. Mario Lopez Perez, Manager of Engineering and Bi-national Affairs represented the Conagua at the Mexico -United States of America Bi-national Meeting held in the City of San Diego, Cal., which addressed the current status of the projects hosted by the Act 319, the activities carried out in the framework and the follow-up action. The Act 319 of the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) North provides interim measures of international cooperation in the Colorado River Basin to 2017 and an extension of the measures contained in the Act 318 to address the extended effects of the earthquakes of April 2010 in the Valley of Mexicali, Baja California.

Contact: International Affairs Office

[email protected] www.conagua.gob.mx

Deputy Director-General´s Office for Planning / International Affairs Office