In Latin America, the water crisis is already one of the starkest faces of the pressures facing our planet. Today, more than 160 million people in the region lack access to safely managed water services. The impacts of environmental extremes-f from prolonged droughts in Mexico to floods that displace families in the Amazon basin-are all felt through water. Globally, the United Nations estimates that over 90% of natural disasters are water-related, underscoring that today's global challenges are, at their core, water challenges.
As leaders prepare to gather in Belém for COP30, one truth must be front and center: resilience begins with how we protect and manage water. And because solutions at this scale demand collaboration, we are calling on partners and impact investors to join us in advancing proven models and transformative partnerships that can turn the tide.
Systems thinking: the missing piece
A critical issue for water and climate solutions is the persistent lack of systems thinking. Too often, efforts remain fragmented-focused on building infrastructure or funding a project-without addressing the interconnected social, financial, cultural, and ecological systems that determine whether solutions endure. True water security depends on the alignment of infrastructure, behavior change, and institutional strength. Without this systems approach, even the most well-intentioned projects remain vulnerable to the pressures of environmental shocks.
Human-centered innovation through SABC
At the One Drop Foundation, innovation in water access goes far beyond pipes and pumps. Through our signature Social Art for Behaviour Change™ (SABC) approach, we work with communities to not only use water systems to their full potential but also protect them as shared resources. By integrating art, theatre, murals, and other creative expressions, SABC sparks conversations that resonate, shifting daily habits and collective attitudes. This focus on behavior change is critical: a well may be built, but without community ownership and care, it will not withstand the pressures of a changing waterscape.
Lessons from Lazos de Agua: collaboration that lasts
One Drop's experience across Latin America through the Lazos de Agua Program proves that when communities lead, change lasts. Since 2016, this multisectoral alliance-founded by One Drop, the Inter-American Development Bank, The Coca-Cola Foundation, and Fundación FEMSA-has reached more than 235,000 people across Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Paraguay with access to sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene services.
But access alone is not enough. Through Social Art for Behaviour Change™ (SABC), the program has strengthened handwashing practices, improved household hygiene, and fostered a culture of water protection. Across the Lazos de Agua projects, we've recorded:
- The practice of handwashing with soap and water at critical moments rose from 29% to 62%.
- Proper payment of water service fees increased from 47% to 83%.
These results underscore the program's strength: multisectoral partnership. Governments, NGOs, businesses, and communities work together to co-create solutions that are not only technically sound but also socially and financially sustainable. Lazos de Agua is a proven, high-impact model for lasting water access in Latin America. As we scale it further, we are inviting new partners to join us in bringing safe water and healthier futures to even more communities.
Driving Water and Climate Solutions at Scale
The broader social and environmental impact ecosystem has the power to scale our lessons learned. By fostering cross-sector collaboration, advancing blended financing models, and elevating the human and cultural dimensions of water management, it can help create long-term resilience. Strengthening institutions, valuing local knowledge, and building trust between communities and decision-makers are just as vital as technical advances. By investing in innovation that brings together people, culture, and governance, the ecosystem can ensure that water systems are resilient, inclusive, and sustainable.
Looking ahead to Belém
Water is not just another item on the COP30 agenda-it is the thread that connects the entire Sustainable Development Goals framework, from food security to health, gender equality, and environmental action. Latin America's water crisis is both a warning and an opportunity: a reminder of the urgency to act, and a fertile ground for innovation. That's why One Drop, together with Lazos de Agua partners, is calling on visionary allies to help bring safe and sustainable water services to more than one million people across the region-because only together can we achieve it.
By placing systems thinking, behavior change, and community-driven solutions at the heart of climate negotiations, we can move toward a future where water is safeguarded as both a human right and a cornerstone of resilience.
Learn more and join us in building this future at onedrop.org.
