Community Liaison Coordinators

Highlights

Main Information

The Salto de Chira project, which includes a pumped-storage hydroelectric plant, a desalination facility as well as a 220 kV overhead transmission line of 15km, affected around 2,000 inhabitants dispersed in 14 neighborhoods. In its context, two “Gestoras Vecinales” (Community Liaison Coordinators), based near or in the affected communities, were employed on a full-time basis to engage with the residents. Their contribution went well beyond information sharing around the project. Through door-to-door visits and personal discussions with residents, the Community Liaison Coordinators facilitated the identification of emerging community needs. Based on these identified needs, Red Eléctrica was able to co-create solutions in collaboration with the residents, providing additional benefits for the community. Implemented initiatives included for example maintaining a construction detour as a permanent route for heavy traffic to relieve residential roads, redirecting excess tunnel water to irrigate local farmland, and providing emergency health access for remote communities. In total, 380 issues were received with a 70% resolution rate, calculated via the monitoring system put in place by Red Eléctrica to track all proposed initiatives and their implementation status. Thanks to this process, the community along the Salto de Chira project received additional environmental, social and economic benefits, responding directly to the needs that were expressed through the Community Liaison Coordinators.