Start Date : 16 Nov 10   End Date : 17 Nov 10 Location: Santa Cruz, BOLIVIA

Recent studies have found that the quality of water supplied to households in many rural and peri urban water supply systems in Bolivia, is not safe, exposing people and especially children, to water-borne diseases such as diarrhea, which causes irreversible damage in nutrition and child growth.

UN Habitat, through the WatSan LAC Programme, is a member of the Board of Directors of the Water Safety Plans in Latin America and the Caribbean Network. UN Habitat in alliance with their partners organizes workshops and training to support municipalities and small operators in the development of Water Safety Plans (WSP), as an tool to monitor and improve water quality control. It also support water operators trough technical assistance in the implementation of WSP, with the participation of communities and users of services in the peri urban areas in order to protect the population health.

In partnership with FEDECAS (Water and Sanitation Small operators in Santa Cruz), the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Water and Environment and other agencies such as PAHO, GTZ, JICA, UN Habitat is sponsoring a workshop on Water Safety Plans (WSP) in November 16 and 17 in the city of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, aimed primarily to technicians of water service cooperatives, municipalities, NGOs and other related institutions.

This workshop aims to generate commitment and strategies in different national and regional levels to promote the implementation of WSP in the country and it is expected to gather institutional efforts that will contribute to improve water quality in the city of Santa Cruz.