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ScaleWat: scaling up capacities for responsible governance of water tenure

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Regional Dialogue on Water Tenure in Latin America and the Caribbean
February 10 and 11, 2026 | Marriott Panama Hotel, Albrook Mall, Panama City, and online

The Regional Dialogue on Water Tenure in Latin America and the Caribbean will take place on February 10 and 11, 2026, at the Marriott Panama Hotel (Albrook Mall, Av. Roosevelt) in Panama City, Panama.

This multi-stakeholder forum will bring together representatives from government, civil society, Indigenous Peoples, academia and the private sector, with the aim of consolidating the process of the Regional Dialogue on Water Tenure in Latin America and the Caribbean. During the meeting, proposals for elements of responsible water tenure governance will be collectively analyzed, and the region's contributions to the Global Dialogue on Water Tenure will be consolidated. In addition, lessons learned and experiences gathered throughout the regional process will be shared.

The meeting will be hybrid, with interpretation in English and Spanish. Register here to attend online >

The regional process has been participatory, bringing together diverse actors to understand water tenure systems better and promote governance models that strengthen food security, inclusion and climate resilience. 

The following events stand out in this process:

  • Webinars with more than 80 participants to share ScaleWat project tools and identify relevant issues, initiatives, and actors.
  • Virtual pre-dialogues on the concept of water tenure, the genesis of the principles, and the Regional Dialogue process, with academia, civil society, the private sector and international organizations.
  • Bilateral meetings with key regional actors such as ECLAC, ACTO, Parlatino, Global Water Partnership and others.
  • Identification of regional projects related to water tenure in Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Central America, Honduras, Venezuela and other countries.
  • This process reached a significant milestone in October 2025 during the Latin American and Caribbean Regional Water Week organized by ECLAC, where FAO presented preliminary results and articulated a joint vision for global and regional dialogue. 

The Regional Dialogue on Water Tenure in Latin America and the Caribbean is a regional process that will support the implementation of the Global Dialogue on Water Tenure, initiated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) during the 2023 United Nations Water Conference, as one of the commitments to the Water Agenda for Action. as one of the commitments to the Water Agenda for Action.

During the 26th and 28th sessions of the Committee on Agriculture (COAG), the committee requested that FAO launched a Global Dialogue on Water Tenure, with the aim of building consensus around a set of principles for responsible governance of water tenure. The ultimate goal is to help countries eradicate hunger and poverty, promote sustainable social and economic development, and protect the environment by recognizing and safeguarding legitimate water rights.

The Regional Dialogue for Latin America and the Caribbean will contribute to this global process.

 

Proposed agenda

Tuesday, 10 February

Time (UTC-5)Activity
8:30–9:45

Opening of the event

  • Opening remarks (FAO Subregional Office for Mesoamerica, Regional Water Champions and partners)
  • Event objectives and the Regional Dialogue process
9:45–10:15

The dialogue process and water tenure in practice

  • KnoWat, ScaleWat and the Global Dialogue process
  • Summary of the Regional Dialogue process
  • Other regional experiences
10:15–10:30Coffee break
10:30–11:30

Practical application of tools and lessons on water tenure

  • Practical lessons from applying the Water Tenure Assessment Guide based on its implementation in Colombia
11:30–12:30

Dialogue on water tenure and governance

  • Presentation on the international context, with an emphasis on climate issues and successful water management experiences
  • Multi-stakeholder panel: The importance of collective dialogue on water governance and tenure
  • Q&A

Expected outcome: inputs on perceptions, challenges and opportunities from different perspectives

12:30–14:00Lunch

Time (UTC-5)Activity
14:00–14:30

Principles on governance

  • Presentation of the synthesis document on principles for the governance of water tenure and the systematization of contributions from the multiple settings of the Regional Dialogue
14:30–17:00

Discussion of the principles

  • Discussion in sectoral and/or multi-stakeholder groups on water tenure and the principles for responsible governance of water tenure
  • Identification of consensus areas, gaps, adjustments and recommendations

 

Wednesday, 11 February

Time (UTC-5)Activity
8:30–10:30

Sharing, alignment and wrap-up: plenary discussion on the group conclusions from the previous block

  • Presentation of group reports
  • General discussion to consolidate cross-cutting points
  • Identification of priority topics for the region
10:30–11:00

Coffee break and networking

11:00–12:30

Linking the Regional Dialogue with other regional and national agendas

  • Presentation on how the Regional Dialogue is integrated with ongoing processes
  • Panel on possible synergies and continuity of the process
12:30–13:00

Closing of the event

  • Presentation of the roadmap, conclusions and key messages
  • Closing remarks (FAO Subregional Office for Mesoamerica)

📧 To participate in person, contact us at [email protected].

🖥️ To join online, register here.

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