On October 2–3, Blue Deal Peru, together with the Dutch Embassy and Peru’s National Water Authority (ANA), hosted the inaugural Regional Blue Deal Meeting in Lima.
This was a key highlight in a series of impactful activities between September and November, marking a significant step forward in regional collaboration for the Peru partnership. The regional meeting brought together delegations from Argentina, Colombia, and Peru for an unprecedented knowledge exchange event. The key objective was to share experiences on sustainable water management, citizen participation, information and climate adaptation.
A milestone in regional collaboration
Organised in partnership with the Dutch Embassy and Peru’s National Water Authority (ANA), the event represented a milestone in South-South cooperation within the Blue Deal programme, and celebrated 200 years of Peru-Netherlands relations. Over two days, participants explored critical themes for sustainable water management, including:
- Data-driven water governance for informed decision-making
- Participatory governance to strengthen integrated water management
- Climate change adaptation as a pillar of resilience
- Water funds to ensure long-term sustainability
- Youth engagement as a driver of change
- ClimateCafé – Learning by Doing workshop to foster experiences’ exchange (read more about this below)
- Learning networks and international cooperation to scale solutions
The delegations also visited key sites such as the Rimac River near Lima, addressing key issues such as water availability, spatial planning, and water safety.
Aside from the fruitful outcomes of the conference, Q4 provided multiple opportunities for knowledge exchange and progress within the Peru partnership.
Water for agriculture and information for decision making
During visits to Piura and Tumbes, the DWA team, led by Roeland van der Schaaf (dijkgraaf of Noorderzijlvest) -Blue Deal Peru coordinators visited key water infrastructure: Poechos and San Lorenzo dams in Piura, discussing challenges like drought-related water distribution and sedimentation. In Tumbes, they visited La Peña intake, vital for regulation and international irrigation. The team also reviewed promising results from local research on water-saving techniques for rice production and the institutional collaborations built around these studies.
In both regions, DWA teams worked with local partners and the modelling working groups to advance W-flow hydrological models for the Alto-Piura and Zarumilla watersheds. The DWA team and local partners who guide these trainings acknowledge the development of the working groups on further working independently with the models and proudly presenting their results. Data generated in these workshops supports decisions on water distribution and allocation plans led by the Chira-Piura and Tumbes water councils.
Caring for the river and youth for climate adaptation
“Caring for rivers” was the theme of the 2025 Climate Café workshops in both regions. University students from diverse backgrounds learned and collaborated on river care mechanisms, including water biodiversity analysis, deep mapping, and exploring community actions and ancestral practices in a changing climate. In Tumbes, the DWA team joined cleanup and reforestation efforts in the Cabuyal creek. These workshops aim to learn by doing, exchange perspectives, and raise awareness of local climate challenges—especially in vulnerable ecosystems like wetlands and dry forests in Tumbes and Piura.
Working on Water safety
In November, the DWA team collaborated with the water councils of Tumbes and Piura and local organisations on water safety. The two-day workshops focused on operating and maintaining riverbank flood protection structures. DWA stressed preventive actions, identifying risks of infrastructure failure and planning for risk management. Group analyses ranged from organisational strategies to technical approaches. Participants included binational projects, the National Infrastructure Authority (ANIN), ANA, and local governments. DWA also joined the regional meeting of northern water councils organized by ANA in Piura, gathering authorities and partners. Using Dutch examples, DWA addressed risk and crisis management to reduce flood disasters.