Water governance in transboundary lakes: Earth Observation Data for Objective decisions

Water governance in transboundary lakes and wetlands where there are shared water bodies between countries presents significant challenges due to cultural diversity, differences in regulations, and conflicts over water use. In this paper, we will evaluate the water governance mechanisms developed in Latin America for the coordinated management of wetlands and lakes. We will show the challenges in two systems with a shared institution for lake management: the Lempa river basin between El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, and Lake Titicaca between Bolivia and Peru. Through the evaluation in workshops and a survey with the members of these institutions, we gather lessons learned on how the constitution of these institutions allows countries to address the coordinated management of water bodies and wetlands. Using earth information data, it is possible to objectively evaluate water dynamics in terms of quality and quantity, overcoming political will barriers.