Panel Discussion: Water

The 'Dialogues on the Future' of Water in Uruguay constituted a space for reflection and exchange where the main opportunities and challenges facing the country to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) promoted by United Nations agencies, funds, and programs were addressed. The main objective of the Dialogues was to generate a space for dialogue that contributes to key issues for Uruguay to consolidate a leap to development, which implies greater economic and social well-being in harmony with the environment. These dialogues were an initiative organized by the United Nations in Uruguay and coordinated by the Intergovernmental Hydrological Program of UNESCO in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Dialogues began with remarks from Ernesto Fernández Polcuch, Director of the UNESCO Office in Montevideo, who emphasized the importance of water for the well-being of countries and the need to build peace rather than fall into conflicts related to this resource. He emphasized the importance of partnerships and the inclusion of diverse perspectives in the discussion on water resources, as well as the role of scientific knowledge in rethinking the future of water.