La Paz, Bolivia © Pablo Poeta

UN-Habitat in partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean

UN-Habitat in
partnership with
Latin America and
the Caribbean

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 UN-Habitat in partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean
Guadalajara, Mexico
© Sergio Eduardo Bernal

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 UN-Habitat in partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean

Introduction

Latin America and the Caribbean is the most urbanised region in the world with 80 per cent of its
population living in towns and cities. Today, the cities of Latin America and the Caribbean are at a
crossroads: after decades in which central and local governments seemed unable to manage this
rapid urbanisation, they now have the potential to achieve sustainable urban development in the
years and decades to come.
UN-Habitat has been engaged in Latin America and the Caribbean for many years. This
engagement was consolidated in 1996 with the establishment of our regional office for Latin
America and the Caribbean in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At this very important juncture in the
transformation and development of cities in the region, UN-Habitat will this year launch its first
report on the region, The State of Latin American and Caribbean Cities 2012. This report
brings together, in a single document, current and varied information about the main urban
centres in the region, resulting in a useful tool to approach public-policy making and allowing us
to move towards cities that enjoy a higher quality of life.
In our efforts to promote and enhance sustainable urban development in the region, UN-Habitat
convenes, every two years, the Latin American and Caribbean Ministerial Conference on Housing
and Urban Development (MINURVI). The main objective of MINURVI is to foster cooperation
among members countries to address urban problems and work towards achieving sustainable
urban development in the region. The first conference was hosted by Chile in 1992, and the 2012
conference took place in Mexico.
The region has often been referred to as a global laboratory for many innovations related to
urban planning and management. It has the resources and the capabilities to promote new
models of urban development for the 21st century. These are models which centre on the welfare
of people and their inclusion in society, which favour local employment, social and cultural
diversity, environmental sustainability and the reaffirmation of the importance of public spaces.
UN-Habitat is proud to contribute to the positive new changes in the region. This brochure
provides a broad overview of UN-Habitat’s support to the region, reflecting on what has been
achieved, how it was made possible and what lies ahead, for the urban future in the region.

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 UN-Habitat in partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean

UN-Habitat presence in Latin America and the Caribbean

Mexico
Guatemala
Panama
Jamaica

Cuba
Other Caribbean
Haiti Countries
Antigua & Barbuda,
Saint Lucia and
Trinidad & Tobago

Ecuador Brazil

Colombia

Costa Rica Bolivia

Nicaragua
Chile
El Salvador

Peru
Source: UN-Habitat 2012

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 UN-Habitat in partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean

Our presence
Project portfolio, target countries and main contributors
UN-Habitat has offices in nine countries (Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Haiti,
El Salvador and Bolivia), including Brazil host to UN-Habitat’s regional office.

UN-Habitat’s portfolio of projects in more than 20 countries in the region for the period 2005-
2012 is valued at USD 49 million. Sixty-two per cent of this focuses on three main programmes:
Reconstruction in Haiti (USD 18 millions), projects under the Water and Sanitation Trust Fund,
which covers 10 countries (USD 5.6 million) and participation in nine Millennium Development
Objective Fund Projects (USD 7 million) in six countries – Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, Ecuador,
Guatemala and El Salvador.

Programmes at the regional level are becoming increasingly important in the total portfolio of
projects for Latin America and the Carribean. As reflected in figures 2 and 3 below this has
increased from 17 percent in the period 2005-2010 to 25 percent for the period 2011-2012, in
relation to the total portfolio for the region. The expansion of south-south cooperation policies
by governments in the region is contributing to the increase in regional programmes developed
by UN-Habitat. The geographic coverage of our portfolio continues to be diverse and we remain
committed to maintaining this trend.

While the main financial contributors to the portfolio (Figure 1) are multilateral donors which
include UN Trust Funds, the World Bank etc, financing from local and national governments, are
increasingly becoming an important source and presents a shift in how UN-Habitat cooperates
with governments in addrressing urban challenges. Bilateral funding partners still provide
considerable support especially in countries with existing or potential vulnerabilities to the impacts
of natural disasters. Among the bilateral funding partners the Spanish bilateral cooperation
is a significant contributor, being by far the largest single donor supporting mainly regional
cooperation projects. More recently private sector funding for development activities in areas
such as regional planning, monitoring the Millennium Development Goals is gaining momentum,
especially in Brazil and Colombia.

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 UN-Habitat in partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean

Iztapalapa, Mexico
© Agustín Ramos Martínez

The portfolio in Latin America and the Caribbean is characterized by strong partnerships with local governments,
providing support in municipal governance, urban planning, urban safety, cities and climate change, and public-
private partnerships for local development. Recent activities in the region are concentrated on capacity development
for intermediary cities as well as urban sprawl of metropolitan areas. Private sector engagement in these activities has
also witnessed an upward trend.

Figure 1: Donor Contribution to Project Portfolio 2005-2012

60
50
Percentage

40
30
20
10
0
Bilateral Governments Host/ Rio de Janeiro Multileateral Private sector
(central/local)
Donor
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 UN-Habitat in partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean

Figure 2: Geographic Distribution of Projects by Sub-region 2005-2010

5%
South Cone

17%
Regional
26%
Andean

7%
Mexico

17%
Brazil

19%
Central America

9%
Caribbean

FigurE 3: Geographic Distribution of Projects by Sub-region 2011-2012

6%
Andean

25%
Regional 11%
Brazil

33%
8% Caribbean
Mexico

17%
Central America

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 UN-Habitat in partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean
Port au Prince, Haiti
© Mariana Nissen

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 UN-Habitat in partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean

Accomplishments
UN-Habitat’s key accomplishments in the region in the past decade include: the formulation of
urban sector policies; advocating participatory urban and strategic planning; promoting good
urban governance; local economic development; land regularization and policies; slum upgrading
and prevention; disaster management and reconstruction and improvement of basic urban
services and housing.  

Box 1: Synopsis of UN-Habitat’s interventions in Latin America and the Caribbean region

Synopsis of UN-Habitat’s interventions in 2005 – 2012

Accomplishments per Themes Subregion/ Latin America and Caribbean

Urban legislation, land and governance Regional, Caribbean, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guatemala, Ecuador

Urban Planning and Design Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Haiti, Mexico, Ecuador

Urban Economy Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador

Regional, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, El

Urban Basic Services
Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru

Housing and Slum Upgrading Brazil, El Salvador, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Haiti, Mexico

Risk Reduction and Rehabilitation Regional, Central America, Cuba, Haiti, Peru, Chile

Research and Capacity Development Regional, Brazil, Haiti, Panama

Advocacy and Partnership Regional

Detailed achievements of UN-Habitat’s engagement in Latin America and the Carribean are
outlined in Box 2.

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 UN-Habitat in partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean

The road ahead

Latin America and the Caribbean cities can surmount the decades long vicious cycle of inequality
and environmental unsustainability. The region is rich in knowledge, experience and institutional
capacities to promote innovative urban policies aimed at economic development and social
and cultural inclusion, in areas as housing provision, public space design, basic services, water
and sanitation, as well as public transport, urban mobility, urban economy and local finance.
Furthermore, significant progress is being achieved in urban governance, as an outcome to the
process of democratisation and decentralisation. In that sense, the region is about to live a new
cycle of urban transition, which does not demand accommodating more people coming from
rural areas, but to ensuring a fundamental improvement of the quality of life and competitiveness
in cities. What shines on the horizon is a transition to urban inclusion, equity, and sustainability.

While it is certain that the above transformation is possible, it is equally true that the
urban growth models promoted so far, and which have been marked by a high degree of
unsustainability, will need to be thoroughly re-examined. Without a review of the urban
development model there is a high risk of the region’s cities once more embracing the difficulties
of their past, such as deep social inequalities and environmental deterioration. In this regard,
UN-Habitat’s presence in the region remains more relevant than ever, and begs for new areas of
cooperation and partnerships, responding effectively to these changing realities.

Themes to be developed and promoted include: National and Thematic Urban Policies (Land,
Housing…); Urban Governance and Safety; Urban Densification; Urban Planning capacities in
intermediary cities; Inter-Municipal Cooperation; Regional and Metropolitan Integration; Urban
Competitiveness and Job creation; Municipal and Local Finance; Slum Upgrading; Mobility and
Access to Basic Services; Urban Resilience, Natural Disasters and Climate Change impacts.

The current range of solutions implemented by UN-Habitat, covers most urban challenges,
and new urban proposals are developed regularly by the agency. UN-Habitat customises its
services to individual partner needs (cities, regions, countries…), offering everything from one-
time stand-alone solutions to long-term project management. Core services include: Technical
Assistance;Capacity Development; Advocacy & Research.

UN-Habitat stands firm in its commitment to the region through enhanced engagement and
supportive partnerships with regional bodies, national and local governments. Emblematic tools
like The State of the Cities in Latin America and the Caribbean and Best Practices in Latin America
help guide policies and interventions to manage urban growth.

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 UN-Habitat in partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean

Contagem, Brazil
© Marcelo Samurai

The key asset to making our involvement in the region visible is enhancing partnerships with
Development Partners. Due to the extreme diversity of the countries in the region, the range
of partners is equally diverse. UN-Habitat is currently operating with support from bilateral
donors in least developed and lower-middle-income economies countries, while our presence in
the region is increasingly being championed by local and national governments themselves.
Furthermore regional banks are a natural partner in terms of complementing our areas of
expertise. In additon, corporations in the private sector are becoming important partners in the
region through their Corporate Social Responsibility policies. UN-Habitat is also commending
South-South cooperation in the region and overseas through the identification, sharing and
transfer of successful and innovative urban practices.

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 UN-Habitat in partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean

Lima, Peru
© Pedro Chincoa Rodríguez

As a convening power on sustainable urban development, UN-Habitat will continue to create

knowledge platforms to support regional and bilateral dialogues on urban priorities. This will
facilitate the expansion of long-term partnerships and help identifying financial resources
for programmes addressing the urban challenges faced by Latin America and the Caribbean
countries.

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 UN-Habitat in partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean

Box 2: Detailed Achievements and Results of UN-Habitat Interventions

Country Achievements
Bolivia Through the Water and Sanitation Programme, since 2008, in partnership with the national
and local governments and NGOs, nine pilot projects are being implemented in peri-urban
areas and small towns surrounding La Paz, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz.
Awareness campaign in La Paz on climate change, and the adequate use of water in 42
peri-urban neighbourhoods, benefiting 16,200 inhabitants.
Terms of Reference developed for the Water and Sanitation master plans in four cities
(within the Inter-American Development Bank’s Water peri-urban Project to be
implemented with USD 120 Million from the Government of Spain).
Demonstrated pilot technologies on sustainable sanitation in peri-urban areas. Two small
innovative wastewater plants for 300 households built in Cochabamba.
Partners: Ministry of Environment and Water, IADB (Inter-American Development Bank),
Municipality of La Paz, Municipality of Cochabamba, Plan International, SNV (Netherlands
Development Organization), Yaku Association, EMAPAS, Project Wet Foundation.

Brazil Brazil a highly decentralized country, has several fast-growing cities due to big investments
from energy and mineral companies. As the country is poised to host the World Cup in
2014 and Olympic Games (Rio 2016) the challenges ahead are promising and stimulating.
Through the last years, UN-Habitat has supported the country with the following activities:
Supporting more than 90 favelas of Rio de Janeiro in terms of local planning, slum
upgrading and safer city actions.
Establishment of Regional Urban Observatories, with universities (Eastern Rio, Maranhão)
Urban safety and citizenship awareness in various Brazilian Communities (Municipalities of
Vitória, Contagem and Lauro de Freitas).
Action Plan for Anti-Poverty and Anti-exclusion (Rio Grande do Sul)
Supported the establishment of National Human Settlements Indicators System
Support to City Development Strategy for the Metropolitan Area of Belo Horizonte
Support to Community Development and Youth Entrepreneurship in Vila Brasilândia,
Municipality of Sao Paulo.

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 UN-Habitat in partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean

Valparaiso, Chile
© Juan Baialardo

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 UN-Habitat in partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean

Country Achievements
Brazil Inter-agency Programme for Promotion of Gender and Racial/Ethnic Equality
Sustainable Cities/Local Agenda 21 Programme in four municipalities (Marabá, Ponta Porã,
Piranhas, and Beberibe)
Localising the Millennium Development Goals in Belo Horizonte and Nova Iguaçú.
Partners: Ministry of Cities, Ministry of Environment, Municipality of Rio de Janeiro, BASF,
PETROBRAS, Federal Universities, NGOs.

Chile UN-Habitat has supported the transferring of successful policies and practices from Chile
to other countries. More recently after the devastating earthquake of 2010 UN-Habitat has
focused its support to assist local governments in developing resilience to the effects of
natural disasters.
Local Development Strategies for Housing Solutions to Overcome Poverty
Rehabilitation of 200 Neighbourhoods
Assistance to the government of Chile in launching a Resource Center for advice and
technical assistance to municipalities, authorities and local actors on urban resilience.
Partners: Ministry of Housing, Municipal Federation of Bio Bio, National Municipal
Association, German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), Cities Alliance (World
Bank), Profesionales SUR (NGO), Universidad Alberto Hurtado

Colombia Colombia is one of the oldest UN-Habitat partner country in the region. In 2004 our
partnership was further strengthened through the establishment of a National Office,
which has provided on-going support to the Ministry of Housing and to a large number of
Municipalities in Urban Governance, Urban Safety and Urban Planning.
Slum upgrading and land tenure regularization in Bogota
Preparatory assistance –for a National Habitat Policy
Urban Safety Programme (SEGOBDIS), for the Municipality of Bogota
Development of Housing Micro-Finance Solutions
Support to the Planning, Design and Setting in Motion of a Network of Observatories
Local Environmental Agendas (LA21) in municipal districts of Bogota
Participatory Budgeting at Local Level in Bogota
Needs assessment for a Sustainable Urban (human) Habitat in Bogotá
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 UN-Habitat in partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean

Country Achievements
Colombia Support to recycling bidding process in Bogota as well as resettlement process in
Barrancabermeja.
Achieving sustainable urban development in four cities of Colombia.
Preparatory Assistance –for Land Readjustment pilot project in Colombia as well as the
implementation of the Habitat Agenda throughout the country.
Increasing access to water and sanitation for the reduction of environmental health risks of
urban and semi-urban poor in Tumaco Municipality, Colombia
Localizing Millennium Development Goals in 20 Districts in Bogotá, Support Public
Journalism and Strategies to Address Conditions for Street Vendors
Partners: Ministry of Housing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Planning Department,
National Agency for International Cooperation, Municipalities of Bogota, Medellin,
Manizales and Santa Marta, ECOPETROL, Habitat Foundation, Fundación Promotora
Canal del Dique, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), Latin American
Development Bank (CAF), Colombian governmental development financing institution
(FINDETER), National Savings Fund, UN Agencies

Costa Rica Since 1985, UN-Habitat has provided cooperation and support to the housing sector. A
National Office was established to reinforce this collaboration.
Strengthening Municipal Capacities in Local Human Development Planning
Supported Neighbourhood Improvement and Slum Eradication Policy
Improved safety in nine of the least safe cantons of Costa Rica, through the Convivial
Networks, Community without Fear project (Millennium Development Goals Achievement
Fund) .
Safe and Friendly Cities for Women and Children in Costa Rica
Support to Local Authorities in Central American Cities in the area of Local Risk
Management
Statistical Compendia of the Housing and Human Settlements Sector
Strengthening Municipal Capacities in Local Human Development Planning and
Neighbourhood Improvement and Slum Eradication Policy
Localizing MDG 7: Local Action Plans, municipalities of Moravia and Barva

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 UN-Habitat in partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean

Country Achievements
Costa Rica Developed National Platform for Gender Equity (advisory body) at the Municipal Level and
related National Roundtable for Municipal Strengthening and Decentralization
Preparatory Assistance for National Spatial Planning Policy
Enhanced Regional Competitiveness for the Tourism and Agro-industrial Sectors in the
Brunca Region with emphasis on the creation of green and decent jobs and poverty
reduction (Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund).
Partners: Partners: Ministry of Housing and Human Settlements (MIVAH), Municipalities,
Cities Alliance (World Bank), European Commission, University of Costa Rica, UN
Agencies, National Institute for Women, National Institute for Promotion and Assistance to
Municipalities, IDRC, Ministry of Justice and Peace, Ministry of Security, National University
for Distance Education (UNED) and the Ombudsman.

Cuba UN-Habitat’s engagement in Cuba was initially linked to supporting the formulation and
implementation of Agenda 21 in several cities. UN-Habitat’s presence in Cuba is becoming
more and more important. The government recently opted to give special attention to the
housing and human settlements issues within its cooperation framework with the United
Nations. Currently, the following activities are being implemented:
Support to transformation of the Housing Sector in Cuba (National Housing Profile, Public
policies, Institutional Support, Knowledge sharing…)
Contribution to housing recovery in three Provinces in Cuba
Cuba-Colombia South-South Cooperation: Improving Citizen’s Participation and Capacities
in Adaptation to Climate Change and Risk Reduction Process
Partners: National Institute of Housing, Physical Planning Institute, Ministry of Commerce
and Trade (MINCEX), Volver a la Gente (Turning to People an NGO), Spanish International
Development Cooperation Agency, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation,

Ecuador UN-Habitat has been supporting national and local governments in Ecuador since the
establishment of the Regional Office in Brazil.
Support for the formulation of a new law on Land Management.
Producing a National Housing Profile and redefining the Housing Policy.
Water & Sanitation: supporting the strengthening of institutional capacities, as well as
normative and institutional reform; increasing access to services.

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 UN-Habitat in partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean

Caracas, Venezuela
© Frahydel Falczuk

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 UN-Habitat in partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean

Country Achievements
Ecuador Cities and Climate Change Initiative: Support to the City of Esmeralda in developing tools
for better urban planning, and risk management. Specific Strategy for Climatic Change
Adaptation and Mitigation has been produced
Support to the Municipality of Guayaquil in terms of Planning, Urban Indicators and Mass
transportation system.
A regional investigation is currently under implementation, aiming at promoting the access
to adequate housing for indigenous peoples in cities (with the Latin American Social
Sciences Faculty (FLACSO).
Partners: Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, National Secretary of Planning and
Development, Association of Ecuadorian Municipalities, Municipality of Guayaquil, Inter-
American Development Bank (IADB), FLACSO, Local Governments, Universities.

El Salvador UN-Habitat has mainly focused on strengthening local governments in El Salvador. The most
recent project on Productive Settlements has contributed directly to an innovative new legal
framework to enable the legalization of more than 20% of the existing housing stock.
Improving Management Capacity for an Urban Upgrading Programme in the Metropolitan
Area of San Salvador.
Urban and Productive Integrated Sustainable Settlements in Apopa and Santa Tecla
(Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund).
Shelter reconstruction and improvements after hurricane
Completed a National Shelter Profile Study.
Development of Innovative Funding Mechanisms and Technical Support for Small Water and
Sanitation Service Providers
Partners: Ministry of Housing and Urbanism, San Salvador Metropolitan Area Planification
Office (OPAMS), Spanish International Cooperation Agency (AECID),UN Agencies,
Foundation for Salvadorean Development and Affordable Housing (FUNDASAL a Non-
governmental Organization)

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 UN-Habitat in partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean

Country Achievements
Guatemala UN-Habitat is assisting an interagency effort to support reduction in violent crime and
develop urban safety plans with local governments.
Consolidating Peace in Guatemala Through Violence Prevention and Conflict Management
(Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund)
Partners: Ministry of Government, Municipalities (Cobán, Chiquimula, Santa Lucia,
Cotzumalguapa), UN Agencies

Haiti Following the 2010 earthquake, UN-Habitat has been deeply engaged in supporting the
reconstruction process alongside national and municipal governments, as well as the
civil society. During the reconstruction process, UN-Habitat supported the mobilization of
partners and at the same time coordinated and provided technical advice to governments
(national and municipal), NGOs (international and national) and UN sister agencies.
UN-Habitat is now participating in the transition phase. This phase involves supporting the
reconstruction of communal urban areas and housing, as well as supporting the long-term
development of cities, and providing expert advice related to complex urban problems.
UN-Habitat has received approximately USD20 million since January 2010, which has
allowed the agency to focus on the following important areas: Urban Planning, Community
Planning, Social Mobilization, Reconstruction of 13,000 housing units, Land and Housing
Tenure, Access to Basic Services, Municipal Management and Housing Policy.
Partners: Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation, Ministry of Local Communities,
Ministry of Public Works, Unit for Residential and Public Construction, Municipalities of
Port-au-Prince, Jacmel, Pétionville, Haiti Reconstruction Fund, United Sates Agency for
International Development – Office for Foreign Disaster Assistance) USAID/OFDA, BASF
Foundation, Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), Irish Aid, Spanish International
Development Cooperation Agency

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 UN-Habitat in partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean

Recife, Brazil
© Sergio Amaral

Country Achievements
Eastern Supporting nine Eastern Caribbean States to improve land policies and management.
Caribbean Slum Upgrading Programme in five countries (Antigua & Barbuda, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint
States Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago) through Urban Profiling, and Action Planning.
Partners: Ministries of Housing and Urban Development, Planning Institutes, University of
West Indies, Organization of the Eastern Caribbean States Australian Aid (AusAID), Intra-
ACP (Africa, Caribbean and Pacific)Funds / European Commission

Mexico In Mexico a National Office of UN-Habitat has provided continued support to the
development and application of local development policies to reduce urban poverty. The
office has been instrumental in supporting local governments in Urban Planning.
Developed Urban Poverty Reduction Programs for SEDESOL (Social Development Secretariat/
Mexican Government)
Planning and Strategic Management of Territorial Development in Veracruz
Improved Urban Development –in Miguel Hidalgo

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 UN-Habitat in partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean

Country Achievements
Mexico Strengthening the Effective and Democratic Management of Water and Sanitation to
support the Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in peri-urban contexts of
Chiapas and Veracruz (Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund).
Designed and implemented Distance Learning Diploma for Water and Sanitation Operators
and Local Authorities.
Initiated Network of Water and Sanitation Citizen Observatories in cities to strengthen civil
society participation in the water services management.
Supported Inception of Appropriate Water, Sanitation and Wastewater Treatment
Technologies in the Operations of the Habitat-SEDESOL Programme of the Ministry of Social
Development.
Technical assistance to the National Institute of Ecology (INE) for the development of
a Water Adaptation to Climate Change Methodology for Cities, using the Monterrey
Metropolitan Areas as a pilot case study.
Partners: National Secretariat for Social Development (SEDESOL), National Association
of Water Operators (ANEAS), National Institute of Ecology (INE), Instituto Mexicano de
Tecnologia del Agua (IMTA), Water Consultative Council (NGO), Local Governments, UN
Agencies, CENVI (NGO), Habitat International Coalition (HIC)

Nicaragua Since November 2008, UN-Habitat has been implementing a programme to develop new
models and tools and improve capacities at municipal and ministerial level to tackle the
issues of solid waste management in Managua, Nicaragua.
Partners: Ministry of Environment, Municipality of Managua

Panama Panama is an important hub for UN operations in the region. UN-Habitat has provided
support to the government in the Consolidation of Indicators for Housing, Urban
Development and Environment.
Partners: Ministry of Housing

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 UN-Habitat in partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean

Añatuya, Argentina
© Roxana Rihos

Country Achievements
Peru UN-Habitat’s latest engagement in Peru has been after the earthquake in 2008.
Capacity building for adaptation to climate change effects in water use and management,
Junín Region.
Support for the rehabilitation of destroyed and damaged houses (around 90,000 units) in
the framework of human settlement plans and training for seismically resilient criteria and
techniques - Ica Province.
Partners: Ministry of Housing, Municipalities, UN Agencies, Center for Studies and
Development Promotion DESCO/NGO).

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 UN-Habitat in partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean

24 Bogota, Colombia
© Fernando Jaramillo Vélez
 UN-Habitat in partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean

REGIONAL PROGRAMMES

Water for Cities Programme in Latin America and the Caribbean

The Water for Cities Programme in Latin America and the Caribbean (WATSAN-LAC) aims to increase the
flow of investments to the water and sanitation sector in the region through strategic partnerships amongst
different institutions and organisations, donor countries, central governments, local authorities, the private
sector, non-governmental organisations and local communities.
The WATSAN-LAC programme has been providing technical support in various countries, namely Bolivia,
Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru.
The strategic lines of intervention for the regional programme are: adaptation to climate change impact;
promotion of sustainable sanitation networks and technologies; promotion of sanitation as a business concept;
water governance and civil participation; integral water and sanitation projects and piloting low-cost innovative
technologies for sustainable sanitation in peri-urban areas
Partners: IADB (Inter-American Development Bank) and other multi-lateral agencies, national and local
governments as well as with local and international Non-government Organizations, universities, water utilities
and training institutions.

The Solid waste management, technical & institutional assistance Initiative

for Central America
The main objective is to carry out sector assessments and use them as a basis to develop national Solid Waste
Management intervention strategies for each participating country with a focus on the development of key
technical assistance and pre-investment projects.
In 2008, UN-Habitat started a project to improve the efficiency of the Solid Waste Management system in
Managua and in the region. Subsequently, this evolved into a regional initiative, built upon the outcomes from
Nicaragua, which is now being replicated and up scaled in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.

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 UN-Habitat in partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
© Cuizinaud Philippe

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 UN-Habitat in partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean

REGIONAL PROGRAMMES

Global Water Operators Partnerships’ Alliance

Hosted by UN-Habitat at headquarters level, the Global Water Operators Partnerships’ Alliance is a mechanism
of cooperation between water utilities worldwide to nurture information exchange, joint learning and twinning
between operators within regions, while acting as a window for exchange beyond the region. Exchange
between utilities within the same region has the advantage of being less costly, easier to follow-up and often
more effective because of linguistic, geographical or historical commonalities which facilitate technical transfer.
In Latin America and the Carribean, the Water Operators’ Partnerships has achieved great results, including the
establishment of platforms in Mexico, Colombia, Brazil and the Caribbean.

Supporting best practices, policies definition and enabling legislation in the local
delivery of basic urban services
The main objective of the project is to support local governments to provide basic services and develop public
policies for universal accessibility. It also contributes to a more balanced distribution of competencies and
resources between the national and local governments, through proper planning and effectiveness of public
administration.
This initiative aims to build consensus between the different levels of Government in several countries (Bolivia,
Colombia, El Salvador, Peru…) facilitating the identification and exchange of experiences on standards,
policies and best practices in priority countries. While promoting city-to-city cooperation, this initiative is closely
working with several institutions based in Spain (National, Regional, and Local) involved in international
cooperation and municipal development.
Partners: National and Local Governments from the Caribbean, Central and South America sub regions,
United Cities and Local Governments (CGLU), Spanish International Cooperation Agency (AECID), Spanish
Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP), International & Ibero-American Foundation for the
Administration & Public Policies (FIIAPP),

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Recife, Brazil
© Hans von Manteuffel

UN-Habitat in partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean

Become a UN-HABITAT partner for better cities in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Become a city changer…

Contact us at infohabitat@unhabitat.org and rolac@onuhabitat.org

For more information please visit our websites www.unhabitat.org and www.onuhabitat.org

UNITED NATIONS HUMAN SETTLEMENTS PROGRAMME

P.O.Box 30030,Nairobi 00100,Kenya;
Tel: +254-20-7626742; Fax: +254-20-7625015;
infohabitat@unhabitat.org
www.unhabitat.org/publications

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