Involving local communities in contributing to the protection and conservation of Lake Atitlan, as a unique fresh water resource, is one of the principal objectives of CEC. The Lake nourishes ecosystems and biodiversity and sustains  the life of the plants, animals and human beings. It provides the communities living around it with water for drinking, agriculture, fishing, domestic use and recreation. The need to protect it is urgent; the quality of life of the local communities depends on the sustainable quality of the water.

CEC’s  water conservation and eco sanitation programmes focus on  awareness  raising,  prevention; and practical solutions and demonstration sites.  They will highlight examples of existing local solutions as well as appropriate solutions from other contexts. The themes are interrelated and include:

Water conservation

• understanding the water cycle, the control and flow of water ,our water footprint;  the potential impact of climate change, storm damage, rising water levels, cyanobacteria etc
• Understanding the impact of our actions on water quality-  our use of water for drinking, cooking, bathing, laundry, horticulture; the impact of human waste, chemical fertilizers and deforestation  
• The impact of deteriorating water quality on human health and ecosystems

Practical workshops in

• Rain water capture, recycling water from domestic use
• Building small scale sewage treatment systems and composting toilets
• Organic agriculture (see also management and conservation of natural resources)