Promote collective actions for the integral and sustainable management of water in the communities within the area of influence of Holcim (Colombia), executed in its first phase in Boyacá.

Focus A - Restoration and Conservation of Water Recharge Areas in Rural Aqueducts

Awareness:

• Joint development of social maps and strategy for the protection and recovery of the Guática Andean moorland and management of the Calaveras, Diravita Alto, and La Victoria rural aqueducts in Firavitoba.
• Integrated Network of Water Managers for training and environmental awareness around water culture aimed at children, youth, and adults.

Integral Water Management - Reforestation and Conservation:

• Construction of reforestation and conservation strategies.
• Cleaning during the Minga with training and technical support.
• Measurement of water quality and quantity in 4 rural settlements: Guática, Calavernas, Diravita Alto, La Victoria.
• Preliminary assessment and organizational coordination for the collective management of water, sustainable management of ecosystems and reforestation material, use, and maintenance of supply infrastructure.

Water with a Purpose:

• Support for organizational capabilities for collective water management.
• Ecosystem characterization (possible partnership with higher education institutions).
• Sustainable ecosystem management (Fences, plants for the protection of water, wildlife corridors, protection for the micro-basin, informative signage).
• Collaboration with the E cient Water Use and Savings Plan (PUEAA).

Water Festival:

• Minga and community events around the appropriation of the project.
• Recognition of the rural settlement with the greatest decrease in water consumption (Minga to build water harvest facilities)

Focus B - Design, Construction, and Management of Water Harvest Systems

Awareness:

• Collaboration among territorial actors, the four educational institutions, and the community leaders.
• Engagement with "Computadores para Educar" with the installation of the Yaku Adventure game to create training processes around water in these schools. Developed in the framework of the global program of Water Initiative of Swiss Cooperation (www.aventurayaku.com).
• Creation of a youth group of water managers, trained by local community leaders (2018 - 2019).
• Collaboration with the Network of Water Managers for training and environmental awareness processes around water culture aimed at children, youth, and adults.

Integral Water Management – Water Harvesting:

• Collective design of water harvest strategies with the children of the community supported by a Holcim engineer.
• Evaluation of infrastructure, system design, and installation of water harvesting systems in each of the rural educational centers in participatory work with the communities.

Water with a Purpose:

• Engage the project with community gardens and the storage of water in times of drought.
• Engagement with the community: community leaders (community action board, schools’ environmental club). Participation in an event for the design of applications and the use of water harvests.

Water Festival:

• Minga and community events around the appropriation of the project and execution of other actions in favor of the improvement of the school and community facilities with the support of municipal mayor’s offices.

Project Results

The project proposes the promotion of integrated water management based on the intervention of all social actors and with an impact on community processes to manage the resource. Community processes will be strengthened based on the integration of knowledge and practices for the recognition of the environment from the potential of water in areas with water shortages.