A. M. 
The Finance Committee of the Legislative Assembly issued a favorable opinion authorizing the State to sign a US$150 million loan with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), intended to strengthen urban drainage and the early warning system for flooding in the Área Metropolitana de San Salvador (AMSS). The initiative will be sent to the plenary session, where the deputies will decide whether to approve the financing.
The funds will finance the project called “Support for Flood Control in the San Salvador Metropolitan Area,” whose objective is to reduce the vulnerability of the population and infrastructure to extreme weather events.
Structural problems
Before issuing the ruling, legislators met with Delia Reyes, Deputy Director General of Investment and Public Credit at the Ministry of Finance, who explained that the recurring floods in the San Salvador Metropolitan Area (AMSS) are due to several factors.
Among these, she mentioned the obsolescence of drainage systems (many composed of old culverts and collectors), rapid urban growth that reduces areas of natural infiltration, the lack of infrastructure to retain and regulate rainwater, and inadequate solid waste disposal.
According to Reyes, the project seeks to address these causes with comprehensive solutions that combine infrastructure, institutional strengthening, and technology.
Four key components
The program will be implemented by the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transporte (MOPT) and includes four main components:
1. Development of urban drainage infrastructure.
This includes the design and construction of retention ponds in the Buenos Aires ravine (Santa Tecla) and the Merliot ravine (La Libertad); rehabilitation of drainage systems in the Colonia Médica and Santa Lucía neighborhoods; design and supervision of works in the El Piro ravine and along Boulevar Constitución; and improvements to bridges and other culverts.
2. Institutional strengthening of the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transporte (MOPT)
The AMSS Drainage Master Plan will be updated, pre-investment studies will be developed, technical training in risk management will be provided, awareness campaigns on waste management will be conducted, and operation and maintenance plans for the infrastructure will be created.
3. Modernization of the early warning system
A system will be designed that incorporates sensors for measuring and transmitting hydrometeorological data in real time, improving inter-institutional coordination, risk analysis, and communication channels with the public.
4. Administration, evaluation, and audits.
Consulting firms will be hired to support the execution, supervision, and quality control of the project.
Preventive approach
During the discussion, representative Dania González emphasized that the IDB’s support reflects international confidence in the country and stressed that the investment will benefit both residents and those who travel daily through the areas where the work is being carried out.
She also noted that prevention is especially important in the context of urban growth, tourism, and international events, making it crucial to strengthen resilience to climate phenomena to protect lives and economic activity.
Final approval of the loan will depend on the full legislature, where representatives must vote to authorize or reject the financing.
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