Governmental leadership changes in environmental and water sectors

In Peru, Juan Carlos Castro Vargas has been appointed as the new head of the National Water Authority (ANA), an entity under the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation. Castro, a biologist with long-standing experience within the ANA, returns to the position alongside an emergency decree (N° 008-2026) allocating S/179 million. This funding is intended for the cleaning and desiltation of riverbeds and ravines using machinery and vehicles previously slated for acquisition under a 2023 decree that faced delays during his previous tenure.

In Chile, lawyer Emanuel Ibarra Soto has been named the new Superintendent of the Environment. Selected through the High Public Management process, Ibarra will officially assume his duties on September 1, 2026. He brings extensive legal and environmental expertise, having previously served in various roles within the Superintendency, including acting Superintendent and head of the Litigation Department.