Ambitious plans aim to improve Argentine water usage

Subject

Water management and investments.

Significance

Argentina has vast water resources, but they are poorly exploited. While water consumption is high by Latin American standards, only about 85% of the population has access to safe water, and 58% to sewerage. Despite Argentina’s comparative advantages in agriculture, irrigation covers 2.1 million hectares, just 5% of total cultivated land, while lack of infrastructure results in frequent flooding that cause severe farm losses.

Impacts

• The extension of water and sewerage coverage is expected to improve health and social indicators.
• The extension of irrigation, combined with infrastructure to prevent floods, will boost yields in agriculture.
• Given budget constraints, access to multilateral lending will be key.