Mercedes Castro is an economist who leads high-performance teams focused on water, innovation for inclusion, and development. She is currently the Director and CEO of the NGO Agualimpia in Peru, where she spearheads projects funded by international cooperation organizations such as the IDB, WB, CAF, EU, SDC, and the private sector. Mercedes creates public-private platforms to benefit vulnerable rural and urban populations, aiming to influence public policy. She has developed programs that provide access to water and sanitation through microfinance and has accelerated public water infrastructure projects through private investment, leveraging Peru’s Works for Taxes law. Additionally, she promotes the assessment and management of the water footprint in the private sector at both national and international levels. She is a Partner and CEO at Hidrika, an international consultant firm specialized in water issues.

Mercedes served as Peru’s Sherpa for the High-Level Panel on Water 2016-2018 and chaired the Steering Committee of the 2030 Water Resources Group in Peru 2016-2023. She is a member of the International Advisory Committee for the Dushanbe Process for the Water Decade 2018-2028 and joined the Water Policy Group in 2020. In 2022, she became a member of the Deltares International Advisory Board. In 2023, she joined the Board of Human Right 2 Water and was appointed President in 2024.