ORGANIZATION OF  AMERICAN STATES

ISARM AMERICAS  TRANSBOUNDARY AQUIFERS OF THE AMERICAS

INTERNATIONAL HYDROLOGICAL PROGRAMME

UNESCO/OAS ISARM Americas Programme - Transboundary Aquifers of the Americas

The UNESCO/OAS ISARM Americas Programme is a regional initiative launched at the IAH-ALHSUD Congress in 2002 at Mar del Plata, Argentina, and results from the joint effort by UNESCO-IHP and DSD/OAS to set up the ISARM Programme in the American hemisphere.

The worldwide ISARM (Internationally Shared Aquifer Resources Management) Programme is a multi-agency effort aimed at improving the understanding of scientific, socio-economic, legal institutional and environmental issues related to the management of transboundary aquifers. The Programme operates through a joint coordination committee of experts from UNESCO-IHP, IAH, FAO and UNECE.

As the leading agency in coordinating the American Programme, OAS has focused its efforts on helping American countries become involved in carrying out the programme’s tasks.

Among the most important steps of the programme has been the collection of data on transboundary aquifers. Through preliminary questionnaires sent to the countries, the two organizations have assessed the prevalence of transboundary aquifers in the Western Hemisphere in order to identify critical case studies while creating a comprehensive Inventory of the transboundary aquifers for the Americas.

The IWRN and IHP Focal Points of the American countries and the ISARM Americas National Coordinators readily responded to the requirements of the Programme; they started collecting information for the Inventory and filled up the Preliminary Questionnaires.

On September 24th - 25th 2003, the UNESCO/OAS ISARM Americas Programme I Coordination Workshop was held in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Participation in the Workshop was strong, twenty countries being represented of the twenty-four who share aquifers in the Americas, including Haiti and Dominican Republic from Caribbean.

Country presentations provided a broad overview of what is known about transboundary aquifers, the hydro-geological characteristics of groundwater, various water-land use situations, the socio-economic problems related to water, and current water legislation. Concerns over the inadequate use and protection of aquifers and the increasing demand for water in the Americas were raised during the discussion.

The workshop provided an ideal forum for Member States to plan actions in the framework of the UNESCO/OAS ISARM Americas Programme. Cited, too, were the benefits of such workshop in the exchange of information and the exploration of sharing of strategies and financial supports.

One of the most important results achieved in the meeting was the identification of nine transboundary aquifers as possible case studies. The aquifers were selected on the basis of their hydro-geological characteristics, amount of information, agreements among country representatives, and other criteria.

Priority case studies will be implemented following the ISARM methodology in order to provide a comprehensive understanding of the aquifers as well as guidance for the more appropriate mechanisms of sustainable management.

The UNESCO/OAS ISARM Americas Programme II Workshop was held on November 10-12, 2004, at the U.S. International Boundary Water Commission-IBWC facilities in El Paso, Texas, as per the U.S. and Mexican representatives kind invitation.

UNESCO/OAS ISARM Americas Contacts: