Peru

Home to the Amazon Rainforest and the Andes mountains, Peru is renowned for its rich environmental beauty and natural resources. Three-quarters of Peru is located within the Amazon basin, which suffers from droughts, floods, and other weather events that affect the country’s climate.

Water Mission’s Impact in Peru to Date

More Than

Given first-time access to safe water.

More Than

Served with sanitation solutions.

More Than

People served with hygiene solutions.

More Than

Being served with safe water through ongoing operation and maintenance.

The Need for Safe Water in Peru

International Poverty Rate

2.7% of the population lives on less than $2.15 per day.

Safe Water

48% of the population lacks access to safe water.

Sanitation

42% of the population lacks access to sanitation.

Basic Hygiene

30% of the population lacks access to basic hygiene.

Though the Amazon River is a major water source, it has been contaminated by human waste, agricultural pollution, and toxic chemicals from gas extraction. In rural areas of the country, nearly 80% of the population lacks access to safely managed drinking water. The Department of Iquitos has the greatest quantity of water in the whole country but the lowest percentage of people with access to safe drinking water. In Piura, nearly 50% of the population has access to safe water, but less than one-quarter has access to sanitation. More than 40% of the country’s population lacks access to safely managed sanitation. In the Amazon region, 2,700 rural communities are often neglected and under-resourced as a result of limited infrastructure, which creates transportation and logistical challenges. With no road to Iquitos, communities rely on expensive boat trips for transportation.

Water Mission in Peru

Known in Peru as Misiones del Agua Peru, Water Mission has provided more than 165,000 people with access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) solutions since 2006.

Our comprehensive approach emphasizes training local leaders and residents to manage ongoing operations and maintenance. We target some of the hardest-to-reach communities in the Peruvian Amazon (Iquitos region) and northwest coastal region of Piura and are one of the only organizations serving here.

With established offices in both regions, our team has built strong relationships with communities and can navigate logistical challenges involved in reaching remote areas by boat. We also partner with local churches, equipping them to meet their communities’ spiritual and physical needs.

Our Solutions

Design and build customized solutions using best-in-class technology and water treatment methods. Each community-based water project in Peru is characterized by:

Community partnership for sustainability and follow-up;
Long-term support for previously installed projects;
Unique technical solutions for challenging contexts;
Continuous improvement and innovation in sustainable delivery models; and
Prioritizing piped connections to institutions and households.

Build community leaders’ WASH awareness, train WASH promoters, and engage communities with sustainable and affordable sanitation and hygiene solutions they can support, including:

Latrines that are built with locally sourced materials and labor that bring dignity to individuals and families; and
WASH promotion and educational materials to teach healthy WASH behaviors in neighborhoods, schools, and healthcare facilities.

Build community leaders’ WASH awareness, train WASH promoters, and engage communities with sustainable and affordable sanitation and hygiene solutions they can support, including:

Latrines that are built with locally sourced materials and labor that bring dignity to individuals and families; and
WASH promotion and educational materials to teach healthy WASH behaviors in neighborhoods, schools, and healthcare facilities.

Equip, empower, and support local churches to effectively:

Share the gospel of Jesus Christ;
Make life-long disciples; and
Meet their community's specific physical and spiritual needs.

Water Mission’s Strategy in Peru

Communities in Peru have improved spiritual, physical, social, emotional, and material well-being; are equipped with services long-term; and have an opportunity to experience God's love.

The Peruvian Amazon (Iquitos) and northwest coastal (Piura) regions.

Community Managed Plus and Rural Water Cooperative. [link text to the Professionalized Services Page]

Professionalized Services

Rural communities, households, schools, and clinics.