Lempa River Day 2025: Governance of the Lempa River Basin

San Salvador, March 14, 2025 – In a significant event held at the San Salvador Art Museum, Lempa River Day was commemorated, highlighting the river's importance to the region and promoting the creation of sustainable solutions for its protection. The main activity of the day was the Roundtable for the Governance of the Lempa River Basin, which brought together experts, government authorities, representatives of civil society, and representatives of different religions to discuss and propose strategies for the responsible and efficient management of the river basin.

The event began with a series of conferences and round tables discussing the most pressing challenges facing the basin, such as pollution, water management, and climate change. Panelists emphasized the need for inclusive governance that integrates both the countries that share the river basin and local communities to ensure equitable and sustainable water management.

The Lempa River, which crosses El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala, is a vital resource for more than 6 million people, and its protection is essential to ensure the well-being of the communities that depend on it for their livelihoods and development. In this context, the working group provided a space for participants to share experiences and best practices on water resource management, promoting regional and local collaboration.

Throughout the day, creative proposals were also presented to raise awareness among the population about the importance of caring for this natural resource. One of the highlights was the presentation of a play that, through art, illustrated the deep connection between communities and the river, while highlighting the challenges facing the basin.

As part of the celebrations, several murals created by local artists were unveiled, visually capturing the symbolic and environmental relationship between the river and the region's inhabitants. The works, exhibited in the museum, invited attendees to reflect on the urgency of protecting the river as a natural and cultural heritage site.

Lempa River Day was presented as a call to action, a reminder that preserving the river is a shared responsibility. The event organizers, which included government institutions, environmental organizations, and the artistic community, highlighted the importance of continuing to work together to implement concrete policies and actions that ensure the health and sustainability of the basin.

“This day is an opportunity to reinforce everyone's commitment to caring for the Lempa River. Through dialogue and cooperation, we can face the challenges presented by the management of this valuable resource,” said one of the event organizers.

Lempa River Day 2025 was a clear example of how culture, art, and science can come together to raise awareness and promote actions that ensure the protection of our most precious natural resources.