The Israeli state-owned company Mekorot will work together with the province of San Juan and Mendoza for 18 months.
With the aim of drawing up a 30-year master plan to manage the scarce water resource efficiently. This task materialized yesterday in the signing of the agreement with the Israeli water company in which Governor Sergio Uñac participated in the Federal Investment Council (IFC), in Buenos Aires. Mendoza was also part of the firm. Both provinces suffer from a severe drought and so decided to make a joint approach with the Israeli company that is expert in solutions of water crisis. The IFC will finance the costs of Mekorot’s consultancy.
The event was also attended by the Minister of the Interior, Eduardo Wado De Pedro; the governor of Mendoza, Rodolfo Suárez; the ambassador of Israel to Argentina, Eyal Sela; the secretary general of the Federal Investment Council, Ignacio Lamothe, and the coordinator of Mekorot International Special Projects, Dr. Diego Berger, among other authorities.
Mekorot will have a general coordinator for both provinces, although each jurisdiction will develop different plans. Governor Uñac, in his speech, highlighted the superlative results of the Argentine mission in Israel in April and pointed out that good water management is essential given the current context and the diversification of the economic matrix that San Juan carries out.
The agreement includes consulting for the development of the plan in which professionals and technicians from San Juan will participate. Today will arrive in the province the coordinator of International Special Projects of Mekorot, Dr. Diego Berger, who will participate in his first meeting with the local technical team.
Israel’s proposal consists of 6 stages: the study of the current state of the water sector and water balance, the potential and projections of water resources (groundwater and surface water) 2030-2050, and the projections of water demand 2030-2050. Then the concepts and regulations of the water economy will be analyzed, a balance of water and alternative supply systems will be made, and finally, an economic analysis of the approved water supply scheme.
SOURCE: DIARIODECUYO.COM.AR