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WATER EDUCATION AND INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENTImage: UNESCO-CWRToday, through a number of workshops and meetings, people can express their appreciation of water by exchange of information and local knowledgeThe plan includes:• treatment of solid waste from the five municipalities of the basinvalley in the central part of the department of San Marcos andthree municipalities in the department of Quetzaltenango• implementation of the studies of 12 wastewater treatment plantsat strategic locations• recovery and preservation of 1,478 hectares of forest coverincluding commercially valuable plantations (hemlock, energyforests, orchards)• improved drinking water coverage (quality and quantity)• rehabilitation of power generation units (La Castalia and GranjaEólica del Rodeo, among others).In 2004, 10 associations were organized to support water resourcesmanagement. MANCUERNA and government institutions signed theDeclaration of Miralvalle, establishing the Municipal Water TablesDialogue system to provide a forum for dialogue on IWRM.Several steps were entailed in building the system of water dialoguesand putting it into operation:• direct involvement of the water sector, national authorities,local authorities and organized population• socioeconomic and environmental diagnosis of the municipalities• administrative diagnostics of municipalities• associative diagnostics• generation of a geographic information system from the basinhydrological study• capacity building• involvement and advocacy at the local, municipal andregional levels.Municipal and community development councils,in conjunction with community partnerships, developedthe proposed Municipal Water Policy, which ispromoted and in most cases supported by municipalauthorities. The policy is the basis for the preparation ofstrategic development plans for both the municipalitiesand the commonwealth.Economic Development, Tourism, Environmentand Natural Resources CommissionBy 2013 the Municipal Water Tables Dialogue systemhad evolved to become institutionalized as a mandatorycommittee, known as the Economic Development,Tourism, Environment and Natural ResourcesCommission, in each municipality of the urban andrural development councils framework. The policy hasenabled several IWRM initiatives to be put into practice:• sensitization and training in IWRM• formulation of municipal water policies• establishment of the Municipal Water Tables Dialogue• generation and management of information onwater resources• social participation as a guarantor of sustainability• implementation of a water inventory for the amountand quality of the resource.Associations for cooperation in IWRMOne of the first decisions taken at the beginning of thedecade was to promote the development of rural and[ 132 ]