National Agreement State Policy No. 33: Integrated and Sustainable Water Resources Management in Peru

State Policy No. 33 on Water Resources, approved on August 14, 2012, by Peru's National Agreement Forum, establishes long-term national commitments to protect water as part of the nation's heritage and ensure its equitable, efficient and sustainable use. It recognizes the importance of access to drinking water and prioritizes adequate water availability, quality and timely supply for human consumption and food security. The policy promotes integrated water resources management through territorial, multisectoral and river basin approaches, taking climate change impacts and ecosystem protection into account. It provides strategic guidance for strengthening the National Water Resources Management System and the National Water Authority, consolidating River Basin Water Resources Councils, promoting stakeholder participation, preventing water-related disputes, formalizing water-use rights and improving interinstitutional coordination. It also calls for public and private investment to increase water availability and efficiency, develop hydraulic infrastructure, prevent risks, protect and rehabilitate river basins, improve water quality, promote wastewater treatment and reuse, strengthen research and innovation, and ensure access to information on water availability, quality and management. Its relevance to agrifood systems is direct but cross-cutting because of its explicit commitments concerning food security, water availability and sustainable resource use. It is a multisectoral state policy rather than an agricultural program, water law or evidence of completed investments and measurable outcomes.