Within the framework of the Project “Towards SMART and Sustainable Water Management in Central American Communities Through Innovative and Inclusive Water Research and Education” (SMART-S Water Management), In the months of December and January, the following took place: Co-creation workshops for the Design of Capacity Building Programs for Water Culture, carried out in the following manner:
On Tuesday, December 10, 2024, a workshop-meeting on synergies between ASADAS and academia was held at the University of Costa Rica, with the participation of associations that manage community water and sewer systems (ASADAS). Representatives from the following organizations attended: Asada Tarbaca Aserrí, Asada San Rafael de Ojo de Agua, Asada Cifuentes, Asada La Melissa, Asada El Guarco e Higuito, Asada San Rafael de Irazú, and Asada La Angelina.
Meanwhile, in the departments of Quetzaltenango and Retalhuleu, Guatemala, two workshops were held, one for an academic audience and the other for a general audience, respectively, organized by the Western University Center. These workshops took place in January, on Tuesday the 21st and Friday the 31st. The activities were carried out with the participation of teaching and research staff from this institution, along with directors from the Ministry of Health and Social Assistance, as well as representatives from the communities of San Vicente Boxomá, Mangales, La Lolita de Santa Cruz Muluá; San Andrés Villaseca; and Champerico, Retalhuleu.
The purpose of these workshops is to gather significant input for developing training programs that will help achieve the goal of promoting innovative and effective strategies, culturally and gender-sensitive, focused on sustainable sanitation and the protection of surface and groundwater bodies in Guatemala, Honduras, and Costa Rica. The methodologies developed by the research team at the Francisco Morazán National Pedagogical University (Honduras), who conducted pilot workshops in August 2024, were used in their implementation. The final product will be the design of two training programs, one for an academic audience and the other for a non-academic audience.
The project SMART-S Water Management It is executed by the research consortium made up of the Western University Center of the University of San Carlos of Guatemala (CUNOC), the University of Costa Rica (UCR), the Francisco Morazán Pedagogical University (UPNFM) and the Monterrey Institute of Technology (TEC), within the framework of the regional project “Strengthening inclusive science and innovation systems in Latin America through a collaborative research network” implemented by the Central American Higher University Council (CSUCA), the Commission for Scientific and Technological Development of Central America and Panama (CTCAP) and the General Secretariat of the Central American Integration System (SG-SICA), financed by the International Development Research Centre of Canada (IDRC).
Additionally, support was provided by the Community Coordinating Association for Health Services (ACCSS) in Guatemala, and in Costa Rica by the Transition to a Green Urban Economy (TEVU) Project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
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