CATHALAC

The Third Award Ceremony of the Latin American and the Caribbean Water Prizes –PLACA 2007, took place on October 25, 2007 at the Panama Canal Miraflores Visiting Center. The Ceremony brought together representatives from the Diplomatic Corps, international organizations, and business sector. Established in 2005, PLACA’s objectives are to recognize and to share innovative solutions to issues related to water management and conservation in the region. PLACA seeks to honor outstanding local, national and regional efforts and best practices that serve as examples to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. After the difficult task the PLACA International Evaluating Committee had in selecting the winners and finalists, here are the final results of the 2007 PLACA Prize Categories:

Winners of the PLACA Junior Water Prize

The 5th grade students of the Escuela del Sur, based in General Roca, Rio Negro, Argentina for their project entitled “The River, Fountain of Life”, which came into being as the result of an outbreak of meningitis during the summer of 2005/2006, affecting the entire community in the region of the Upper Rio Negro and Neuquén Valley. Within the framework of this project, students researched the biological contamination present in the waters of Rio Negro, in recreational areas and in the irrigation canals which pass through the city. The results of this research provided knowledge on the source of contamination, the precautions which must be taken, water borne diseases, and the appropriate areas for recreation, thereby establishing the groundwork for improved control of contamination levels by relevant state entities.

Winners of the PLACA Business Water Prize

Yaku Water Park Museum, headquartered in Quito, Ecuador, for its extensive support in promoting a new water culture focused on a vast water wealth which must be promoted, preserved and responsibly managed. This Park-Museum has become a prime area for public education and recreational activities, contributing substantially to creating awareness, appreciation and affection for this vital element.  The Park-Museum perceives water as collective heritage, a finite and strategic resource and a legacy which we leave to future generations.

Winner of the PLACA Individual Water Prize

Dr. Darner A. Mora Alvarado, for his persistent efforts as Director of the National Water Laboratory in Costa Rica for 29 years. During this time, he has achieved noteworthy accomplishments benefiting the environment, public health and quality of life of the population of Costa Rica and other Latin American countries.  Among his most outstanding achievements are: Blue Ecologic Banner Program (1996); Seal of Sanitary Quality Program (2001); Network of local Blue Ecologic Banner committees and Seal of Sanitary Quality committees in entities which operate aqueducts; National Program for Improvement of Water Quality for Human Consumption: 2002-2006; National Program for Improvement and Sustainability of the Quality of Potable Water Services: 2007-2015; Coordinator of the project entitled “Forests, Water and Culture: towards a human encounter with their sources”, directed at reforestation of zones of influence of potable water sources.

Winners of the PLACA Community Water Prize

The Frayle River Users Association – ASOFRAYLE (Asociación de Usuarios del Río Frayle), a non-governmental, community-based organization located in the Municipality of Florida in the Department of the Cauca Valley, Colombia.  For over 12 years, the association has carried out diverse actions to improve the socio-environmental conditions of the Frayle River Basin, in order to achieve sustainable management of natural resources through community participation.
This Association develops environmental conservation efforts in the following areas: Rural Agribusiness and Community Development; Education for Environmental Action; and Agroforestry and Conservation. Among the achievements obtained by ASOFRAYLE with respect to these topics has been the reforestation of 334 square kilometers, the conservation of 304 springs, the planting of 217,105 seedlings, the generation of 176 permanent and 323 temporary jobs, the installation of integral wastewater treatment systems, a decrease in deforestation and in the pressure placed on native forests, the installation of 10 potable water treatment filters in 10 related educational Centers, the creation of three agroenvironmental libraries and the creation of 9 community-based organizations for managing projects and directing socio-environmental processes in the region.

Winner of the PLACA Lifetime Achievement Award

This recognition, awarded for the first time this year, was given to Mrs. Mary Lindsey Elmendorf, Ph.D., Anthropologist, born in the United States in 1917, for her special dedication to water and sanitation projects in Latin America and throughout the world. Mary was the first Woman Director of CARE in Mexico and established one of the first creative, community-based, participative and sustainable water projects in the region.  In 1957, as Director, she developed a demonstration village well drilling program which received international recognition and continues to be used as a model for introducing sustainable water supply to communities. President Kennedy requested a case study of this project to support the Peace Corps, and asked Elmendorf to train the first Peace Corps volunteers for the Latin American region. These life-changing projects are part of Mary’s legacy. One of the communities in Mexico that benefited from the water project, honored Mary by re-naming their own town square, Plaza Mary Elmendorf”
As a volunteer with the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), Mary was aiding the survivors of the World War II in France when the first CARE packages were delivered to Le Havre, France. When the first CARE group arrived in Paris, Mary was in charge of obtaining their travel orders which had to be signed by General Eisenhower. For their post-war efforts, Mary, her fellow AFSC volunteers and the British Society of Friends were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1947.