Water Governance in Semi-Arid Regions:
San Juan, Mendoza (ARG), and Coquimbo (CHI)

This project is being carried out under the framework of the Hemispheric Fund for Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability, a regional initiative promoted by IICA. The Fund aims to strengthen the institutional, technical, and planning capacities of countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean in the face of growing challenges stemming from the water and climate crises. Through small “seed” grants for strategic financing, the Fund promotes replicable pilot projects that generate concrete and scalable solutions for sustainable water management and the resilience of production systems.

As part of the projects funded by this Fund, in 2025, the project titled Innovation in Integrated Water Resource Management Models and Strengthening Provincial Capacities in Argentina and Chile was carried out, aimed at addressing the structural water crisis affecting the provinces of San Juan and Mendoza (Argentina) and the Coquimbo Region (Chile).

The provinces of San Juan and Mendoza are facing a growing water shortage due to reduced Andean snowmelt and declining groundwater levels, influenced by climate change and human activity. This situation is impacting agricultural production, water supply, and ecosystems.
At the same time, water resource management is hampered by overlapping jurisdictions among multiple institutions. In this context, the experience of Chile’s semi-arid regions in water reforms and governance serves as a reference, and IICA is promoting horizontal technical cooperation to exchange knowledge, tools, and best practices between the two countries.

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Local Experiences

The following case studies from San Juan, Mendoza, and Coquimbo are presented below

San Juan Province, progress in participatory governance

Kickoff Workshop: Participatory Assessment and Priorities for Water Governance in San Juan

At the in-person workshop held in San Juan, representatives from government, industry, and academia presented an overview of the current state of water resources in the province. Provincial agencies, universities, technical institutions, water users, and civil society organizations participated, providing a broad, multisectoral perspective on the current situation.

Over the course of two days, open and participatory dialogue sessions were held, where stakeholders shared their insights and expectations regarding the challenges of water governance. The discussions reflected a high level of motivation and commitment, as well as consensus on the following:

strengthen water governance,
create stable forums for participation and coordination,
share information and data transparently, and
take immediate action in response to the severity of the drought.

The need for a comprehensive approach to water management, building trust among stakeholders and agencies, strengthening political commitment, and taking proactive measures in response to the water crisis was emphasized.

Capacity-building workshop

The virtual meeting allowed for progress in defining a forum for dialogue on water governance in San Juan, clarifying its purpose, expectations, and coordination with other existing forums. In addition, a comprehensive planning tool developed by IICA was presented; this tool is based on the theory of change matrix and was developed using input from the initial workshop and a literature review. As a complement, an artificial intelligence tool was introduced to explore information and political, technical, and institutional roles.

The event spanned two days, combining plenary discussions and group work, with an initial collective review of the matrix, identification of information gaps, and a final session to agree on next steps. Following the virtual workshops, representatives from various institutions linked to the provincial water system participated in a series of technical working meetings, during which inputs were shared to develop a Theory of Change to launch a water planning process.

Mendoza, support in the definition of a Provincial Water Plan

In the Province of Mendoza, the process was developed based on technical inputs and an initial diagnosis of the provincial water sector, which highlighted the need to move toward a strategic structuring of the Provincial Water Plan. To this end, the Province established an Interinstitutional Technical Committee composed of the main agencies involved in water management, tasked with leading the Plan’s formulation process.

Within the framework of the project, IICA joined as technical and methodological support to the work promoted by the Technical Committee. This support focused on strengthening capacities in water governance and strategic planning through training in the Theory of Change as a tool to organize objectives, outcomes, and actions under a coherent intervention logic.

From this stage onward, the Technical Committee progressed in reorganizing existing inputs and structuring the Plan under a results-oriented approach. Based on this provincial work, IICA systematized the content and developed a Theory of Change proposal, which was presented for methodological review and validation.

Currently, the Provincial Water Plan is in the process of consolidation and institutional validation. The work carried out has made it possible to provide a clearer strategic structure; however, its final formulation and formal approval are still ongoing.

Coquimbo, overcoming persistent governance challenges

In the Coquimbo Region, the project focused on strengthening water governance through the development of a participatory baseline and the structured identification of institutional gaps. Through technical working sessions with regional stakeholders involved in water management, critical challenges were identified, particularly in relation to interinstitutional coordination, information management, territorial planning, and adaptation to climate variability.

The process made it possible to systematize the main structural bottlenecks of the regional water system and to generate inputs for the formulation of progressive improvement plans. This work went beyond diagnosis, advancing toward the prioritization of strategic actions, incorporating criteria such as resilience, efficient resource use, and the strengthening of institutional capacities.

In this way, Coquimbo consolidates a technical and methodological foundation to guide future interventions, articulating regional learning with a perspective of integrated and long-term management.

Coquimbo–San Juan Technical Mission: exchange of experiences and territorial cooperation

Within the framework of the project’s supranational nature, a structured process of technical exchanges was developed between the Coquimbo Region (Chile) and the Province of San Juan (Argentina), aimed at sharing applied experiences in water management in semi-arid contexts. The process began with a virtual Argentina–Chile technical exchange, during which both jurisdictions:

Presented the progress of their planning processes
Identified key institutional challenges
Shared their approaches to water resource management
Established a common agenda for technical cooperation

Visit of the Coquimbo Delegation to San Juan

During this stage, the operation of the provincial irrigation system was reviewed, including the functioning of primary and secondary canals, water distribution and control mechanisms, and coordination among institutions responsible for water management. Concrete productive experiences related to strategic crops such as pistachio were examined, along with irrigation systems using hoses and other on-farm water conveyance methods, analyzing their performance in terms of efficiency, adaptation to scarcity conditions, and productive sustainability. The agenda included technical visits to hydraulic infrastructure and production units, allowing for the assessment of applied solutions in water conveyance, distribution, and efficient use.

Visit of Representatives from San Juan’s Water Sector to Coquimbo

This visit focused on operational governance experiences within the Elqui River system, including the role of the Water Users Association (Junta de Vigilancia), the operation of the Puclaro Reservoir, and the integrated management of surface and groundwater systems. Hydrometric monitoring systems, telemetry, and automated gates were reviewed, as well as modeling tools and decision-support systems, including the HydroBID platform. In addition, visits were conducted to farms using technified irrigation and sensor systems, water and soil conservation initiatives (OCAS), and pilot experiences in managed aquifer recharge at INIA Pan de Azúcar. The agenda also included technical presentations by academic institutions such as the University of La Serena and CEAZA.

The missions went beyond institutional presentations, serving as spaces for applied technical analysis where models of user organization, planning instruments, technological solutions, and operational governance mechanisms were compared. This exchange enabled the identification of transferable lessons and strengthened horizontal cooperation between territories facing similar water and productive challenges, reinforcing the technical foundation for advancing the structuring and implementation of their respective water planning instruments.

Timeline

Prior to 2025, a technical baseline was developed through which San Juan and Mendoza have diagnostic inputs on the water sector. Both jurisdictions have technical instruments that allow them to characterize their water systems, identifying structural challenges that require progress toward strategic plans focused on implementation.

March 2025

Formal start of technical support

Collaboration with IICA is activated within the framework of FoHRSA. Methodological support to the provinces of San Juan and Mendoza begins, defining its role as technical assistance to strengthen water planning processes.

April-June 2025

Strategic review and diagnosis

San Juan: A technical review of the provincial water instrument is conducted, identifying weaknesses in its strategic structuring. The analysis reveals gaps in governance and institutional coordination that must be addressed to move toward a results-oriented plan.

Mendoza: The Province consolidates the work of its Interinstitutional Technical Committee, created to structure the Provincial Water Plan based on inputs and an initial sector diagnosis.

Jule 2025

Methodological turning point

San Juan: In an in-person workshop with key stakeholders from the water system, the identified gaps—particularly in governance, roles, and interinstitutional coordination—are validated through a participatory process

September 2025

Mendoza: A governance and strategic planning workshop is held, where the Theory of Change is applied as the foundation of the Plan, with methodological support from IICA. Following this training, the Technical Committee reorganizes the Plan with a strategic approach, while IICA systematizes the process and advances the formal formulation of the Theory of Change.

San Juan: Virtual workshops on the Theory of Change are conducted, and a digital tool is implemented to facilitate collaborative work. Interinstitutional teams hold technical meetings to complete the inputs needed to structure the Plan under a results-oriented approach.

Strategic development in progress

September 2025

Participatory workshop

Coquimbo: The region carries out its participatory workshop as part of the effort to strengthen water governance. The event brings together public stakeholders involved in water management and makes it possible to consolidate previously gathered inputs, compare institutional perspectives, and systematically organize the main challenges of the regional system. This exercise marks a milestone in the process, as it enables the identification of gaps, the prioritization of areas for improvement, and the establishment of a strategic foundation to advance toward progressive action plans aimed at water resilience.

October 2025

Regional coordination

Regional Water Dialogues: Representatives from Mendoza, San Juan, Coquimbo, and IICA share progress, common challenges, and lessons learned, consolidating the supranational dimension of the process.

November 2025

Binational cooperation on the ground

Coquimbo–San Juan Technical Missions: Technical delegations visit both territories, review applied experiences in governance, infrastructure, and irrigation management, and strengthen a horizontal cooperation agenda between semi-arid regions.

December 2025

Mendoza: The Theory of Change of the Provincial Water Plan is presented for methodological review by the Technical Committee. The Plan remains in the process of institutional consolidation.

Projection toward implementation