Argentina has been through a really rough time since 1999, including a recession, depression and subsequent massive political, economic and social instability. In 2002, 64% of the Province of Buenos Aires (PBA) population was living under the poverty line.

Latin America is the most urbanised region on the planet, with over 80% of the population living in cities. Buenos Aries, the capital and most populous city in Argentina, was severely impacted in various ways, including its socio-economic development.

There was a drastic decrease in infrastructure investment as a result, with investment being less than one percent of total provincial spending, which was far less than what was required to make necessary new investments in areas unserved by water and sanitation infrastructure ,in areas subject to repeated flooding, and in the provincial road network.

Thanks to the MDGs, focus on what was needed in relation to access to drinking water and sanitation, has given impetus to how water is treated and managed. Buenos Aires recognised that water is key to security, sustainability and resilience, and has reacted accordingly, making it a forward looking city that embraces innovation and seeks to establish itself as a ‘smart city’.

The Buenos Aires Infrastructure Sustainable Investment Development Project was used to assist in the financing of infrastructure and, thanks to the adaptation of an Adaptable Program Loan, it was possible to provide a framework for additional program funding for resources and technical assistance for key infrastructure investments in strategic sectors, namely water and sanitation, roads and drainage.

This Adaptable Program Loan program resulted in extended water access being provided to 85,775 people and sewerage to 229,065 people in the poorest areas of the Province of Buenos Aires. Added to this, drainage of 230 hectares was improved in the Arroyo Soto drainage system, effectively eliminating flooding impacts from heavy rains in 2015 and new drainage system guidelines, taking into account the whole watershed and its hydrological cycle, were developed. This has completely changed the way the Province plans for the mitigation of urban flooding.

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