Nicaragua

The Government has assumed access to drinking water and sanitation as a fundamental human right that must be restored to all Nicaraguan families, without exclusion. Within this framework, the objectives of the Drinking Water Supply Policy and sanitation, are to increase effective coverage, quality of service, promote the rational use of water, and ensure the maintenance of existing systems and networks.

The strategy for implementing this policy in urban areas addresses the most demanding problems and challenges derived from population growth and the urbanization process, with the execution of new investments, the search for new sources of water, and the protection and preservation of water resources with environmental sustainability and resilience to climate change.

In urban areas, in the 2007-2020 period, US $ 809.9 million have been invested in water and sanitation projects, which has made it possible to increase drinking water coverage from 65.0% at the beginning of 2007 to 91.5% in 2020 (+26.5 %age points), and the sanitary sewer coverage from 33.0% to 54.0% in the same period (+21.0 %age points); serving 1,390,267 people with drinking water and 1,208,080 people with sanitary sewers. In addition, access to services was improved with the repair, modernization and maintenance of networks, resulting in improved 545,731 potable water connections and 357,808 sanitary sewer connections, serving more than 2,900,000 Nicaraguans.

In rural areas, the strategy involves communities organized in Potable Water and Sanitation Committees (CAPS), to ensure the sustainability of investments, through the administration and operation of water and sanitation systems from their communities.

In these regions, drinking water coverage in the 2007-2020 period went from 26.7% to 55.4% (+28.7 %age points), serving 433,869 homes; and sanitation coverage went from 36.1% to 50.9% in the same period (+14.8 %age points); serving 398,619 homes. This was possible with the investment of US $ 91.95 million in more than dozen projects.

In 2019, the Interinstitutional and Sectorial Commission for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (COMISASH) was created, with the aim of contributing to the development of the water and sanitation sector through articulated planning between public, private and community actors. that allows the strengthening of capacities and the generation of information.

Read the full report here: VNR_Report_Nicaragua

*The information reflected on this page has been taken directly from the official VNR received from this Member State. The information does not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations.