This year, as World Water Day highlights the importance of glacier preservation, OTCA’s efforts in the Andes, carried out through the Amazon Basin Project (OTCA/UNEP/GEF), take center stage. The great rivers that sustain the Amazon Basin originate in the Andean mountains. However, the rapid retreat of glaciers, driven by climate change, threatens the water security of millions of people and directly impacts the flow of Amazonian rivers. Over the past 60 years, Peru has lost 56% of its glacier mass, while Bolivia has seen a 43% reduction over the past 30 years. This decline could reduce the flow of Amazonian rivers by up to 20%, exacerbating droughts and floods.
In response to this scenario, the Amazon Basin Project, responsible for implementing the Strategic Action Program (SAP) for the Integrated Water Resources Management of the Amazon Basin, has been supporting glaciological and hydrometric monitoring to measure the rate of ice melt and inform water security strategies. As part of this effort, three monitoring stations have already been installed and are operational in Bolivia, and four new units will soon be implemented in Peru. These stations collect data on temperature, precipitation, and water flow from glaciers, allowing for the prediction of critical scenarios and the development of adaptation measures to enhance the resilience of Andean communities.
Both initiatives are part of OTCA’s strategy for the shared management of the Amazon Basin’s water resources, bringing together national governments, universities, and local communities to ensure that affected populations can plan the efficient use of water and strengthen water security.
Condoriri River Valley, in the Bolivian Andes
Preserving Andean Glaciers, Protecting the Amazon
In Bolivia, the monitoring conducted by stations installed at strategic locations along the mountain range by the Amazon Basin Project is essential not only for preserving four Amazonian micro-basins but also for ensuring the water security of Andean populations. This monitoring is particularly important for the cities of La Paz and El Alto, home to 1.6 million people, where water supply depends largely on glaciers. The data collected by the Institute of Hydraulics and Hydrology (IHH) at the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés will support the development of a water management model to optimize water use and prevent severe water crises like the one that affected 125,000 families in 2016.
In Peru, the National Water Authority will install four monitoring stations in the Vilcanota and Carabaya mountain ranges, which house the headwaters of essential rivers for the Amazon Basin and supply more than 1.3 million people. The goal is to strengthen the resilience of cities and communities affected by glacier retreat, enabling the planning of measures to ensure efficient water use.
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- Installation of a meteorological station in Condoriri, Bolivia
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- Meteorological station in Bolivia
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- Technical visit to the Carabaya Mountain Range, in the Peruvian Andes
As Amazonian countries advance in implementing the SAP, cooperation among them proves crucial for developing strategies and actions that guarantee water supply for populations across the region—from the headwaters of Amazonian rivers in the Andes to the Amazon River’s mouth in the Atlantic Ocean—and for the conservation of Amazonian ecosystems.
Progress in the SAP
Since 2021, with the implementation of the Strategic Action Program (SAP), OTCA Member Countries have been advancing in an integrated and cooperative manner in the management of the Amazon Basin’s water resources, promoting its protection, conservation, and a balanced and sustainable development for its peoples. As the main regional cooperation instrument to strengthen this integrated approach, the SAP was developed based on a shared vision and agreed upon in 2017 after a comprehensive participatory process to diagnose transboundary challenges.
Through the Amazon Basin Project, strategic actions are being implemented to strengthen water governance at national and regional levels, build community resilience, and protect aquatic ecosystems in the face of climate change.
OTCA coordinates different regional initiatives that have advanced in the integrated monitoring of ecosystems and surface waters through the Amazon Hydrological Network (RHA) and the Water Quality Network (RQA). These actions also contribute to reducing technical and institutional asymmetries among countries, protecting groundwater, and implementing early warning systems for extreme climate events, strengthening the region’s capacity to tackle climate change challenges.
RADA: A Milestone in Amazonian Water Governance
The creation of the Amazonian Network of Water Authorities (RADA) has significantly advanced the integrated management of water resources in the Amazon Basin. Launched in 2023 by the presidents of OTCA countries during the Amazon Summit in Belém, Brazil, the initiative emerged 45 years after the signing of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty. As part of the commitments of the Belém Declaration, RADA was established to strengthen the governance of shared waters and promote the cooperative management of water resources in the face of climate change and the risk of a tipping point for the region.
The official installation of the network took place in April 2024, bringing together water authorities to consolidate its structure and work agenda. Its mission is to ensure water security in the Amazon Basin, safeguarding the human right to water and promoting cooperation among governments, communities, and scientific institutions. Additionally, RADA aims to strengthen institutional and technical capacities in the region, encourage technological innovation, and foster knowledge exchange to enhance the management and monitoring of water resources.
One of the network’s main challenges is expanding access to safe drinking water and sanitation, particularly for vulnerable populations, including Indigenous peoples and traditional communities. To address this, RADA has been advancing the implementation of its regional agenda, adopting a Work Plan for the 2024–2026 period, aligned with the Belém Declaration and the Strategic Action Program (SAP) of the Amazon Basin. Among its priority actions are the harmonization of national water management structures, the consolidation of the regional water monitoring system, and the adoption of regional protocols to standardize the collection and analysis of hydrological and water quality data.
