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Indigenous and Afro communities in Colombia and Ecuador united

Advancing the integrated and inclusive management of shared water resources

By IW:LEARN

December 21^st, 2023

Between Colombia and Ecuador, the Mira, Mataje and Carchi-Guáitara transboundary watersheds face multiple environmental and social threats that affect water sources, biodiversity, and the quality of life of the local population. While both governments are actively working to mitigate certain contributing factors, there is a pressing need to identify the root causes of these problems and address them.

In 2021, the project “Integrated Management of Water Resources in the Mira, Mataje, and Carchi - Guáitara Binational Watersheds, Colombia - Ecuador," emerged as a vessel of hope. With funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia (Minambiente), the Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition of Ecuador (MAATE), and the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the project will help governments generate environmental and socioeconomic benefits through integrated water resources management (IWRM). The project aims to address the loss of biodiversity, environmental services deterioration, and the decrease in the quality of life of the population. In this context, the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) and the Strategic Action Program (SAP) are being developed with the participation of Afro and indigenous peoples and nationalities settled in the transboundary basins.

The project offers a participatory approach, unique spaces for dialogue in the territory, and collective decision-making. The project will magnify and uphold the diverse voices of women, youth, and men in diversity through inclusive participation to promote mutual respect. Roundtables will be used as workshops in the territory to serve as safe platforms for conversing with indigenous and local communities.

Relevant data on the lifestyle and problems related to water and the territory is being collected and will serve as important inputs in validating the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) and in consolidating the Strategic Action Program (SAP). These actions complement the technical information on the identified root problems that affect the integrated management of water resources, at the same time opening an evaluation of the varying needs and expectations of the communities.

Indigenous and Afro communities in Colombia and Ecuador united

The territorial workshops were inaugurated in June 2023 and are set to be extended into the Colombian territory from March to April 2024 to mark a significant step towards fostering inclusivity and engagement. To date, 14 spaces for participation have been set up and attended by 270 people comprising of 54% women and 46% men, of whom 38% are young people, and members of the Kichwa, Awá, Pasto indigenous peoples and nationalities and Afro-Ecuadorian communities of Ecuador.

These workshops signify a promising chapter in the inclusive management of shared water resources, reflecting a shared commitment to creating a more sustainable and harmonious future for the Mira, Mataje, and Carchi-Guáitara transboundary watersheds.

About the project

The project “Integrated Management of Water Resources of the Mira, Mataje, and Carchi–Guáitara Binational Basins, Colombia – Ecuador” is led by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition of Ecuador (MAATE) and the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia (Minambiente), with the support of UNDP for its execution and with financing from the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

The project began in 2021 and will end in December 2024, it aims to promote the integrated management of transboundary water resources. This strengthens the capacities of various actors at the regional, local, and community levels to achieve environmental and socioeconomic benefits.

For more information, please contact Sebastián Izquierdo, binational coordinator (sebastian.izquierdo@undp.org), or visit our website https://mmcg.iwlearn.org/ and the dedicated page on iwlearn.net.