A Water, Sanitation and Environmental Management Specialist fluent in Spanish and experienced in design and management of wetlands and green areas, and planning training activities in university institutions is needed to assess the current situation of the Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá (UTP) lake. The university has had an artificial lake built with the purpose of creating a recreational space without direct contact and a water source for an irrigation system for green areas. Subsequently, the area adjacent to the lake has been arranged as a point of the National Alliance Program for the Million Hectares Reforested (an initiative from the government for reforestation).

The establishment of the use of this area over time has generated the need for the development of technical skills to have a sustainable reforestation program, establish the mechanisms to reach adequate environmental conservation management and guarantee the quality of water, sanitation, and the hygiene of the area. Periodic maintenance cleanings and cleaning days are carried out to the seedlings with the support of teachers, administrators and students. The lake has been very poorly managed because it has not been regularly monitored and there is no documentation of related activities. It is necessary to have a complete program to adequately manage both the lake and its surrounding green areas. The Peace Corps Response Volunteer (PCRV) could provide advisory services to cover this technical assistance and the generation of these capabilities.

The mission of the university is to provide society with comprehensive, qualified, entrepreneurial and innovative human capital, with critical and social thinking responsible, in engineering, science and technology. Generate appropriate knowledge to contribute to the sustainable development of the country and Latin America. Respond to the requirements of the environment.

The Water, Sanitation and Environmental Management Specialist will work to advise university professionals in the development of a sanitation program, including recovery and maintenance of the green areas and lake of the university campus. In addition, the PCRV will advise and co-design a wetland project proposal for managing the existing treatment of wastewater from the university. Other duties include: developing a manual for monitoring and evaluating the lake, and developing training activities and educational campaigns in the aspects of water conservation, management, and treatment, and sustainable reforestation. The goal of this assignment is to allow the PCRV to provide support to cover technical assistance and generate the above duties and responsibilities.