Gathered in Belém do Pará, Brazil, on August 6 during the Amazon Dialogues, Directors and Water Authorities from the eight member countries of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) – Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela – agreed to create the Amazon Network of Water Authorities (RADA). The proposal was presented to the Presidents of the Member Countries at the Amazon Summit and included in the Belém Declaration, a document that establishes a common agenda for Amazonian nations to promote sustainable development in the Amazon and combat the socio-environmental degradation of the biome.

According to the Belém Declaration, the creation of RADA aims to foster cooperation and mutual support in the management and monitoring of the Amazon’s water resources, with a view to revitalizing, conserving, and protecting water sources. To this end, regional protocols will be established, and the implementation of projects and initiatives on surface and groundwater will be promoted, strengthening the technical, technological, and institutional capacities of the countries, technological innovation, and intercultural dialogue.

Thus, the Amazon Network of Water Authorities will help mitigate the risks of water insecurity and the negative impacts of climate change in the Amazon territories by establishing integrated monitoring and early warning systems to support decision-making, while mobilizing resources for the implementation of priority programs and projects.

Another action of the Amazon Network of Water Authorities will be to contribute to the harmonization of regulatory frameworks related to water resources, taking into account the sovereignty of the countries.

In Belém, the Water Authorities drafted a proposed Regulation for the RADA Network, which outlines its objectives, competencies, and operational model. The document, which will still undergo a review phase, will be formalized within the framework of ACTO. To initiate its work, ACTO will subsequently convene the First Meeting of the RADA Network.