Uruguay's water crisis in 2022-23 left 1.5 million people without access to drinking water.
According to Oxu.Az, this was stated by Paola Florio, Director of the Territorial Planning Department at Uruguay's Ministry of Housing and Territorial Planning, during a session at the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku.
She noted that for years, water access was never considered a problem in Uruguay: "We never thought that when we turned on the tap, water wouldn't come. But the water crisis of 2022-23 completely changed that perception."
Florio emphasized that territories are not limited by political borders and that water resource management requires a comprehensive approach: "When discussing water, we must consider not only risks from climate disasters but also water quantity and quality issues."
She stressed that planning should cover not only cities but also rural areas, incorporating adaptation to climate change, development of drinking water and sanitation infrastructure, and protection of the most vulnerable population groups.
