The Lempa River, which flows through Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, is suffering severe degradation due to mining, agrochemicals, deforestation, and wastewater. This pollution, compounded by climate change and the El Niño phenomenon, threatens the food security of over 5.4 million inhabitants and heightens the risk of social conflict. To avert a regional water crisis, experts propose a trinational treaty and a coordinated, multi-stakeholder, and multi-level governance mechanism.

The initiative will be presented by AMAES, an eco-feminist organization for environmental restoration; the Lempa River Trinational Border Association, which has over a decade of experience in local political advocacy in the Trifinio region; the Heinrich Böll Foundation, which supports environmental defenders and democracy; and UNES, which has promoted environmental protection in El Salvador for 25 years. This multi-stakeholder network aims to influence decision-makers across the three countries to restore this vital shared resource.