Latin America; in English (pdf) - Transboundary Freshwater Dispute ...

El lago cerce de Tehscall, El Salvador, in February during dry season, note low lake level. Photo credit: David Huskins.
Central American countries (Table 2.6). Yet the
available information for Central America
indicates that the isthmus has a shortage of
drinking water, and with an annual growth index
rate of 3.5%, the situation will continue to worsen
(SG-SICA 200). The aqueduct systems do not
satisfy the demand of the population in each state
and rainfall distribution is not even. For example,
in El Salvador in 1997, 53% of the population
was supplied with water from community systems,
in contrast with Costa Rica, where 90% of the
population was supplied that same year (FAO
2002c; FAO 2002b).
TABLE 2.7 POPULATION AND
PROVINCES AND AFFECTED BY
THE 2000-2001 DROUGHT.
NUMBER OF
COUNTRY PROVINCES POPULATION
Guatemala 16 2,500,000
Honduras 10 2,200,000
El Salvador 4 1,200,000
Nicaragua 16 2,600,000
Costa Rica 1 No data
Source: Vega 2004.
The situation in El Salvador has improved
only slightly since 1997, with 63.7% of the
population having access to water supply
(PROCEDAMO 2002). The uneven distribution of
rain can cause significant problems as well. For
example, the drought during 2000–2001 caused
agricultural losses and water supply shortages in
some areas (Table 2.7). The international river
basins affected were the La Paz, Lempa,
Goascorán, Choluteca, San Juan, El Naranjo,
and Coventillos (Vega 2004).
2.3 GROUNDWATER RESOURCES:
INCREASING CONSUMPTION AND
OVEREXPLOITATION
Due to the high demand for water resources and
the contamination of surface waters, the use of
groundwater resources is increasing in Central
America. In the upper basins, these groundwater
resources are primarily volcanic aquifers. The
volcanic aquifers are more important in the
isthmus because they provide water to some of
the largest cities, such as Ciudad Guatemala,
Tegucigalpa, San Salvador, and Managua (Losilla
et al. 2001). The major concern for these aquifers
is the risk of contamination through use.
In the mid-basins, the aquifers are a mix
of alluvial and volcanic materials; in the lower
Chapter 2. Hydropolitical Vulnerability in Central America and the West Indies — 25