Background
Peru boasts vast natural mineral resources, but rapid population growth and economic challenges have hindered the country’s progress.

Water & Sanitation
Although official water and sanitation coverage rates for Peru are 84% and 72% respectively, numbers in many rural areas barely reach 30%. The 2007 World Water Corps scoping team to Peru noted that Water For People could have a significant impact in Peru because of the government’s strong commitment to provide safe and reliable drinking water, the lack of water and sanitation services throughout the country, the availability of local partners, and the lack of other NGOs working in the sector. With similar geographic and cultural contexts as Ecuador and Bolivia, lessons learned from working in these areas will strengthen the Peruvian program from the outset.

In 2008, Water For People’s Board of Directors added Peru to the South American region. This strategic decision allows Water For People to deepen its interventions in the region and complement work in neighboring Bolivia under the leadership of Water For People’s Regional Manager, Kate Fogelberg.

Next Steps
The Water For People World Water Corps® will map Peru for the first time in October 2009 focusing on two regions—La Libertad and Cajamarca. The team will produce a map illustrating the region’s present water and sanitation conditions. In addition, the organization has partnerred with a local NGO—Instituto de Desarrollo Urbano CENCA—and are working with them on Ecological Sanitation, including an International Conference on Sustainable Sanitation in Lima 2010.