IWRA Proceedings

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The National Water Directorate (DINAGUA), Ministry of Housing, Land Planning and the Environment, has been focused in incorporating risk management of drought in the formulation and implementation of public policies. For this reason and responding to the presence of a Niña event in 2010, DINAGUA contacted the National Emergency System (SINAE) to take measures in advance to mitigate the negative precipitation anomaly expected for the subsequent summer and fall. Due to the characteristics of the department of Canelones, with high vulnerability as well as with high concentration of population, DINAGUA took the initiative and led for the first an unprecedented response, with concrete products and with the identification of future steps to follow. The ultimate goal of DINAGUA during the emergency was to provide technical support, so that the Municipality of Canelones and the Emergency Coordination Center (CECOED) would meet the demands of those affected by the drought (drinking water and troughs for cattle). The methodology followed was essentially participatory, interdisciplinary, and intinstitutional, with strong involvement of local institutional and producers' associations which gives an innovative character to the experience. More than 20 meetings were held. DINAGUA also participated in the emergency committee meetings in Canelones and also in the local rural development table. The process started with the evaluation of interventions in the drought of 2008 - 2009, the systematization of pre-existing and scattered data, and the incorporation of new dimensions of analysis of hydrometric and hydrogeologic data to address the problem.