Applus+ supervises water and sewage infrastructure in the Ngábe Buglé region of Panama

In the last 50 years, the Ngábe Buglé region of Panamá has made significant progress in providing water for around 95% of the population. Notwithstanding this improvement, not all homes in the region enjoy an uninterrupted service of high quality water directly to their homes.

In addition, the operations to provide safe sanitation for the whole population require the most immediate attention, especially in historically excluded indigenous communities. Indeed, the lack of sanitation also poses a threat to the provision of safe drinking water. In the region, around 80% of wastewater from households is not treated before being discharged into the environment, usually into rivers in the county.

In the Aqueduct Administration Board’s drive to improve the coverage of water supply in the indigenous areas of this county, the project is already delivering improvements, specifically in the indigenous communities of Chichica and Las Lajitas. 

As part of the development, Applus+ supervised the works for the infrastructure construction and promoted the economic development of the indigenous communities by employing local workforce to guarantee equal opportunities for the indigenous groups. Our expertise at Applus+ also strongly supported the management of the project by the area's Aqueduct Administration Board.

According to estimates from different multilateral agencies, closing the sanitation gap would cost around US$180 billion by 2030, the year in which the United Nations has committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which include improvements in sanitation. This figure represents almost twice the amount historically invested in the region.

One of the greatest social contributions delivered by the services at Applus+ is to build close relationships with local communities. This makes it easier for the Group’s professionals to identify their needs, and ensure the social benefit of the initiatives, while contribute to improving the quality of life in the communities where we operate.