The roundtable discussion “Results of the Amazon Project and Prospects for Water Resource Management in the Amazon Basin” was held on December 10, during the closing event of the Amazon Project (ACTA/ANA/ABC), at the headquarters of the National Water and Basic Sanitation Agency (ANA – Brazil) in Brasília. The activity was part of the project’s final program and provided a technical assessment of its main results in the regional context.

Members of the Amazon Water Authorities Network (RADA) participated in the debate: Larissa Oliveira Rego, director of the National Water and Basic Sanitation Agency (ANA – Brazil); Óscar Puerta Luchini, director of Integrated Water Resources Management at the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia; Carlos Alexis Pinto Franco, technical director of Water Resources at the Vice Ministry of Water of the Ministry of Environment and Energy of Ecuador; Frank Grogan, specialist hydrologist at the Hydrometeorological Service of the Ministry of Agriculture of Guyana; and Hanny Quispe, specialist in water resources management in transboundary river basins at the National Water Authority (ANA – Peru). The participants’ contributions addressed different technical dimensions related to Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in a hydrographic system characterized by diversity, interdependence, and transboundary nature.

Regional context and institutional legacy

The debate was moderated by Maria Apostolova, coordinator of the Amazon Basin Project (ACTO/UNEP/GEF), who, at the opening, highlighted the institutional context provided by the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization as a determining factor for the implementation of the Amazon Project (ACTO/ANA/ABC), by offering consolidated conditions for technical dialogue, regional cooperation, and the exchange of experiences among the eight Amazonian countries, in light of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty.

Apostolova also highlighted the strong synergy between the Amazonas Project and other regional initiatives aimed at implementing the Strategic Action Program (SAP) , in particular the Amazon Basin Project, which has been working since 2021 to strengthen Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in the Amazon Basin, adaptation to climate change, monitoring, and knowledge management. Examples of this complementarity include the consolidation and approval of the Regional Monitoring Protocols within the scope of RADA, which in 2025 officially adopted the protocols developed by the Amazonas Project, consolidating its technical, institutional, and political legacy for water management in the region.

Perspectives of Amazon Water Authorities

The reflections of Amazon water authorities highlighted a coordinated set of challenges and opportunities for water management in the region, based on different technical and institutional dimensions. The panelists highlighted the territorial complexity of the Amazon and the persistent challenges related to basic sanitation, while recognizing that the territorial and political weight of the region has contributed to its growing prioritization on national agendas. In this context, strategic issues already agreed upon, such as the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA), the basis for the construction of the SAP, and the Amazon Water Authorities Network (RADA), were identified as concrete foundations for advancing the implementation of the Amazonas Project’s legacy.

Among the main challenges identified are the gaps between local, national, and regional levels of governance, institutional and technical gaps, and limited coordination between national public policies and regional agendas. On the other hand, opportunities were highlighted, such as consolidated regional dialogue, the existence of already established regional platforms, such as the Amazon Water Authorities Network (RADA) and the Amazon Regional Observatory, in addition to the commitment of Member Countries to strengthen water governance.

In the field of hydrological information, participants highlighted challenges related to the quality, quantity, and comparability of data, as well as the integration of technical knowledge into decision-making processes. On the other hand, progress in the development of regional protocols, the strengthening of monitoring networks and Situation Rooms, and the strategic role of the Amazon Regional Observatory (ARO) were identified as solid foundations for addressing these challenges.

Another central point of the debate was the need to advance the full implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), including the valuation of groundwater, recharge areas, and integrated approaches, such as the Source-to-Sea concept and Andean-Amazonian connectivity. IWRM was highlighted as a structuring axis for articulating water quantity and quality, as well as ecosystem protection.

The increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme hydrological events was identified as one of the main current challenges for the region, requiring adaptive policies in contexts of high climate uncertainty. Among the opportunities, the development of transboundary Early Warning Systems, the adoption of ecosystem-based adaptation approaches, and the greater inclusion of the Amazon agenda in international forums on water and climate were highlighted.

The RADA roundtable also emphasized the importance of strengthening ongoing training programs, creating permanent mechanisms for the exchange of experiences, and reducing asymmetries in technical capacities among Member Countries. Regional cooperation was identified as a key factor in accelerating joint learning, innovation, and the dissemination of good practices.

Amazon Project in numbers and results

The Amazonas Project, implemented in partnership between the National Water and Basic Sanitation Agency (ANA), the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), and the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), throughout its phases I and II (2012–2025), represented a milestone in South-South cooperation in the Amazon Basin. The initiative strengthened integrated water resources management through the implementation of ACTO’s Water Resources Situation Room, the development of Amazon Regional Observatory (ARO) modules, and the consolidation of a regional monitoring network with 343 points in the Amazon Hydrological Network and 111 points in the Water Quality Network, benefiting approximately 33 million inhabitants of the region. In 2025, the Regional Monitoring Protocols developed under the project were adopted by the Amazon Network of Water Authorities (RADA), consolidating its technical and institutional legacy.

For more information about the Amazon Project and other regional initiatives on water resources management, please visit the official website.