GLoBe Ecuador - Strong local governments implement integrated water management policies that contribute to the protection of natural

Strong local governments implement integrated water management policies that contribute to the protection of natural resources and enable sustainable agriculture. VVSG’s program ‘GLoBe’ (Goed Lokaal Bestuur) is committed to good local governance for sustainable and coherent policies. Local governments can play an important role as duty bearers to contribute to safeguarding the human rights of their populations, to contribute to the realization of the SDGs and to improve living conditions for the population. In Ecuador, GLoBe supports local governments developing qualitative and inclusive policies for sustainable use of water and land. By developing this policy, the programme contributes to improved living conditions for the more remote and harder to reach communities where potable water is lacking and opportunities to engage in sustainable agriculture are thwarted by drought. The program especially improves living conditions for women, often responsible for household chores and tasks related to the health of family members. For the population, the programme contributes to improved access to both drinking and irrigation water, which is an important prerequisite for hygiene, nutrition and (sustainable) agriculture. GLoBe is in line with the global movement for decentralization in which competences and resources are transferred from central to local governments. In Ecuador, local governments have the exclusive competence for water management and supply, which poses challenges to good local governance in terms of qualitative service delivery, strengthening legitimacy, professionalizing the local administration and installing result-oriented participatory mechanisms. GLoBe contributes to the necessary capacity building of local administrations for the purpose of a strengthened service delivery by partnering Ecuadorian local governments with Flemish local governments: the Oña-Bierbeek and Guaranda-Evergem partnerships are directly involved and will share their experiences on national and international platforms so they can reach out to all Ecuadorian local governments.