San Salvador, December 5, 2025. The water quality of rivers located in the upper Lempa River basin has declined to “Fair” over the last 15 years, reaching 65 points on the Water Quality Index (WQI) and coming very close to “Poor” water quality, according to the report “Water quality variability 2010-2025 and determination of heavy metals in the hydrological network of the upper Lempa River basin,” presented by the Environmental Management Engineering research team of the Centro Universitario de Oriente (CUNORI) of the University of San Carlos of Guatemala, at the “Regional Forum for the Life of the Lempa River: Territory, Cooperation, and Governance in the Face of the Climate Crisis in Central America,” held at a hotel in the capital.

The regional event was convened by the Tri-national Network for the Rescue of the Lempa River and the Network for Territorial Development of El Salvador (Red DT), as part of Territorial Development Week 2025, with the aim of creating a space for reflection, dialogue, and inter-institutional and tri-national coordination in the face of the rapid socio-environmental deterioration of this shared basin.

The report presented concludes that in the period from 2010 to 2025, the water quality index (WQI) has reached 65 WQI points, meaning it has changed from good (89-70) to fair (69-50), a drop of 25 points, placing the region in a critical situation. If the WQI reaches 50 points, it would be classified as “poor” water quality, limiting its use in every sense of the word.

“This means that we are 15 points (at 50 WQI) away from having no water for farming or drinking, but if we take immediate action, we can rescue some watersheds and rivers, so we would have more water to drink and produce more food in the future,” said Ramiro García, coordinator of CUNORI and the research team, which conducted its work in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.

Similar results were presented by Rubén Sorto from the Coatepeque Foundation in El Salvador, who discussed the “Current state of water quality in Lake Coatepeque” and questioned the approval of urban development projects that are degrading the lake's natural resources. “We cannot call it development when we are affecting the present and future of new generations,” he warned in his presentation, given the pressure that will be caused by the ‘Amanelli’ Towers, which will be developed by the company “Urbania” and authorized by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of El Salvador, tripling the population living in such a vulnerable natural area.

Faced with this situation, “we need to raise awareness and unite to solve these serious pollution problems throughout the Lempa River basin,” said Martín Leiva, mayor of Chalatenango Centro, El Salvador, and vice president of the Lempa River Tri-national Border Community (MTFRL).

“I have been blessed to live about 300 meters from the Lempa River, where I have bathed, but as the speakers have said, pollution is increasing. If we do not raise awareness and unite, we will no longer be able to bathe or cultivate, and this will increase the problems not only in Chalatenango but throughout the country,” said the mayor.

“These research results challenge the states, because they need to be challenged in order to move forward, and we need to rise up and walk together, as the Popol Vuh teaches us,” said Héctor Aguirre, manager of the Tri-national Association and part of the coordinating team of the Tri-national Network for the Lempa River.

However, the member institutions of the Network not only presented the results of their latest research, but also gave examples of “good environmental, water, and land management practices carried out by local entities in the basin, such as: ”Sistema Agroforestal Quezungual" (SAFQ) in southern Lempira, Honduras, where burning has been suspended, the use of chemicals has been reduced, and they have been gradually replaced by organic fertilizers and foliar products, explained Leonel Amaya Alemán, mayor of Candelaria, Lempira, Honduras.

Another successful project, the “Trinational Agroecological Training Farm,” which is being developed in Candelaria de la Frontera, Santa Ana, El Salvador, was presented by Dr. María Julia Medina, coordinator of the local public policy “Zero Hunger,” implemented by the Trinational Border Community of the Lempa River (MTFRL) in municipalities of the Trinational region.

According to Medina, the farm is not only a school for learning sustainable agriculture, but also a place where people can learn how to farm tilapia and bonsai trees, and increase their income with surplus crops. But above all, it is a place for education on food security, where we teach farmers about the nutritional benefits of each vegetable and other crops, which helps reduce malnutrition in families.

Another speaker was Magdalena Mejía, a community leader from the San Simón River basin in Morazán, El Salvador, who, together with a group of women, works on the “Protection of the San Simón River sub-basin.” Their techniques in alternative agriculture and their knowledge of human rights and gender issues enable them to improve the environment and the family economy.

The work carried out by the 516 farmers who are members of the Atiocoyo Sur Irrigators Association in Santa Ana, El Salvador, was another example of good practices. By developing tilapia farming, reducing chemical fertilizers, collecting plastic containers, and reusing water, according to Anibar Santos, manager of ARAS.

To conclude the event, Patricia Gálvez, president of the Cítala Community Development Association (ADECOCIT), and Caleb Padilla, president of the non-governmental organization “Un Pulmón Más” (One More Lung), called for action by presenting eight proposals for joint work: i) Establish a dialogue table for the three countries—El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras—convened by the Government of El Salvador; ii) Establish a permanent meeting space for the Lempa River with specific agendas and goals for restoration and protection, iii) Have the Government of El Salvador declare the Lempa River basin a priority area for the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0). We request that specific goals be included, iv) That the Ministry of Education institutionalize March 14 as National Lempa River Day, as an annual day of environmental education and action, so that all schools in the country develop ongoing activities to raise awareness, learn about, and care for the Lempa River, v) Implementation of a comprehensive restoration program for the entire basin, vi) A new legal framework for the conservation and restoration of the basin, vii) Institutions that design agricultural programs should accompany and train farmers in sustainable agroecological practices, thereby reducing pressure on soils, water, and forests, and, viii) Civil society, private enterprise, institutions, and citizens should make a collective, responsible, and long-term commitment. Join us in this effort, because the future of the Lempa is in our hands.

With these results, the institutions that make up the Network seek to motivate central governments, local governments, civil society entities, universities, the private sector of the three countries, and international cooperation, among others, to coordinate joint actions in favor of the comprehensive management and decontamination of the Lempa River, as a contribution to peace, cooperation, and development in the Central American region.

The Lempa River, which is 422 km long, originates in Olopa, Guatemala, crosses western Honduras, flows through El Salvador, and empties into the Pacific Ocean, making it the most important basin on the Pacific slope in Central America. Its territory covers 17,926 km², with 214 municipalities and districts and an estimated population of 5.42 million inhabitants, who depend directly on the environmental services provided by the basin, such as water, air, ecosystems, among other benefits. Of these, 1.5 million in the San Salvador metropolitan area are supplied by this important river.

The project “Shared Waters: Governance for integrated management and adaptation to climate change in the Tri-national Lempa River Basin in the dry corridor of Central America - PHASE II” is implemented by the Tri-national Lempa River Border Community and funded by the Heinrich Boell Foundation and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), AECID, through the Catalan Fund for Development Cooperation. Its objective is to “improve multilevel governance for the integrated management of the Lempa River Tri-national Basin, as a contribution to improving the quality of life of its inhabitants.”

On September 16, 2025, the Tri-national Network for the Rescue of the Lempa River held a training workshop on project formulation and management with an emphasis on the conservation and restoration of the Lempa River Basin, with the participation of technical representatives from the Network's member organizations.

During the workshop, key topics were addressed, such as:

• Identification of funding sources.
  Construction of a Problem Tree.
  Application of the Logical Framework Methodology to define objectives,
  results, and indicators.
  Importance of establishing strategic alliances to access conservation funds.

The workshop was facilitated by specialists from the Tri-national Border Community of the Lempa River (MTFRL) and the Heinrich Böll Foundation, who highlighted the importance of preparing solid proposals that allow resources to be channeled into environmental projects in the basin.

With these actions, the Tri-national Network reaffirms its commitment to strengthening local capacities and moving toward the restoration and protection of the Lempa River, a source of life for millions of inhabitants of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. #RescatemosElLempa

On Friday, May 23, the Tri-national Network for the Rescue of the Lempa River held its second General Assembly at the facilities of the Association of Engineers and Architects of El Salvador (ASIA), with the participation of 25 member institutions from different areas of the Lempa River basin.

During the meeting, key organizational issues for strengthening the Network were addressed, and coordination mechanisms were established between the organizations with the aim of developing joint actions for the benefit of the rescue and protection of the Lempa River.

New organizations joining this valuable trinational initiative were also welcomed, reaffirming the collective commitment to the restoration and conservation of this important shared water resource. 

As part of National Lempa River Day, celebrated on Friday, March 14, in San Salvador, various institutions from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador formed the first Tri-national Roundtable for the Governance of the Lempa River Basin, a multisectoral and tri-national cooperation initiative that will promote the protection and sustainable management of the Lempa River.

 The event, held at an art museum in the Salvadoran capital, was attended by representatives of government institutions, environmentalists, universities, civil society, the private sector, and communities from the three Central American countries. 

The Lempa River is the only river in Central America that flows through Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. It is the main source of energy, agricultural development, livestock, and water for millions of people in those countries. However, it faces problems of pollution and overexploitation. To address this situation, the Roundtable seeks to strengthen trinational coordination and integrated water resource management.

The day began with welcoming remarks from Nelly Rivera, representative of the Tri-national Network for the Rescue of the Lempa River, who invited attendees to work together to rescue this important watershed that unites these three nations.

“I am happy to be at this meeting that seeks to unite us to work for this river, which is only 300 meters from my house,” said Walter Pineda, mayor of San Francisco del Valle, Ocotepeque, Honduras, and vice president of the Board of Directors of the Tri-national Border Community of the Lempa River (MTFRL), the institution organizing the event.

Ingrid Wehr, regional director for Central America at the Heinrich Böll Foundation, echoed this sentiment: “I am very happy to see representatives from official institutions, environmentalists, and academia. We welcome you all and thank you for joining this effort.”

The central theme was presented by Ingrid Hausinger, Ecology Coordinator at the Heinrich Böll Foundation, who detailed the levels of pollution and deforestation affecting the Lempa River basins, coupled with the new threat of mining in El Salvador.

“This is a major setback. Now we have to face the possibility of new metal mining in the Lempa River basin. Metal mining, however they want to sell it, is not environmentally friendly, and there is no such thing as green mining,” said Hausinger.

The second panel was led by Sergio Razera, president of the Board of Directors of the Piracicaba, Capivai, and Jundiaí River Water Agency (PCJ Agency) of Brazil, who shared successful experiences of multisectoral governance in the São Paulo River basin.

Paul Hicks, interim director of the Lempa River Conservation and Restoration Program, and Catherine Vásquez, technical deputy director of the program, presented strategies for river restoration. 

Ariana Bazzaglia Badía, deputy director of authorizations at the Salvadoran Water Authority (ASA), spoke about the Water Information System (SIHI), a key tool for permit management and water monitoring. 

One of the most important points of the meeting was the presentation of the Lempa River Basin Governance Roundtable by Héctor Aguirre, manager of the MTFRL. “This space seeks to strengthen water resource governance at both the national and trinational levels,” he said. 

But, above all, "to raise awareness among the population, which we must involve in this effort, because the population is key to bringing about the strategic changes we need, contributing to the formulation of local, national, and trinational public policies at the treaty level that promote the sustainable and equitable use of water resources and incorporate a multisectoral and trinational vision based on the principles of sustainability, environmental protection, and social equity," said Aguirre.

 Subsequently, the formal signing of the accession agreement and the official reading of the Charter took place, formalizing the participating organizations' commitment to the sustainable management of the river.

The event was enhanced by the participation of artists from the three countries, who conveyed messages of fraternity and protection of natural resources.

The event closed with an invitation to join the Movilízate por el Río Lempa (Mobilize for the Lempa River) campaign, which seeks to raise public awareness about water conservation through the use of the hashtags #RescatemosElLempa and #SomosRíoLempa on social media.

San Salvador, March 14, 2025 – In a significant event held at the San Salvador Art Museum, Lempa River Day was commemorated, highlighting the river's importance to the region and promoting the creation of sustainable solutions for its protection. The main activity of the day was the Roundtable for the Governance of the Lempa River Basin, which brought together experts, government authorities, representatives of civil society, and representatives of different religions to discuss and propose strategies for the responsible and efficient management of the river basin.

The event began with a series of conferences and round tables discussing the most pressing challenges facing the basin, such as pollution, water management, and climate change. Panelists emphasized the need for inclusive governance that integrates both the countries that share the river basin and local communities to ensure equitable and sustainable water management.

The Lempa River, which crosses El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala, is a vital resource for more than 6 million people, and its protection is essential to ensure the well-being of the communities that depend on it for their livelihoods and development. In this context, the working group provided a space for participants to share experiences and best practices on water resource management, promoting regional and local collaboration.

Throughout the day, creative proposals were also presented to raise awareness among the population about the importance of caring for this natural resource. One of the highlights was the presentation of a play that, through art, illustrated the deep connection between communities and the river, while highlighting the challenges facing the basin.

As part of the celebrations, several murals created by local artists were unveiled, visually capturing the symbolic and environmental relationship between the river and the region's inhabitants. The works, exhibited in the museum, invited attendees to reflect on the urgency of protecting the river as a natural and cultural heritage site.

Lempa River Day was presented as a call to action, a reminder that preserving the river is a shared responsibility. The event organizers, which included government institutions, environmental organizations, and the artistic community, highlighted the importance of continuing to work together to implement concrete policies and actions that ensure the health and sustainability of the basin.

“This day is an opportunity to reinforce everyone's commitment to caring for the Lempa River. Through dialogue and cooperation, we can face the challenges presented by the management of this valuable resource,” said one of the event organizers.

Lempa River Day 2025 was a clear example of how culture, art, and science can come together to raise awareness and promote actions that ensure the protection of our most precious natural resources.