The Titicaca-Desaguadero-Poopó-Salar de Coipasa water system (TDPS) is an endorheic basin located in the Andean Altiplano shared by Bolivia and Peru. With a surface area of 143,900 km², it lies between 3,653 m (Salar de Coipasa) and 6,542 m (Monte Sajama) above sea level and includes four main watersheds:
- Lake Titicaca (56.494 km²)
- Desaguadero River (31.218 km²)
- Poopó lake (23.743 km²)
- Salar de Coipasa (33.135 km²)
This diverse, complex and unique ecosystem of high mountain lakes, containing globally important wetlands and gene pools, is being negatively affected by environmental degradation from natural and anthropogenic causes, including sediment runoff and soil salinisation, untreated urban and mining effluents, and unsustainable agricultural, fishing and aquaculture practices.
The most recent challenges include the impacts of climate variability and change, increased population growth, changes in land use, mining activity and industrial production. These processes are generating threats to fragile ecosystems, manifested mainly in the following environmental problems: insufficient availability of water for multiple uses; pollution of water bodies; erosion and land degradation; and extreme events.
The objective of the GEF funded and UNDP implemented Integrated Water Resources Management in the Titicaca-Desaguadero-Poopó- Salar de Coipasa (IWRM-TDPS) project is to promote the conservation and sustainable use of water resources in the TDPS transboundary system, through the updating of the comprehensive Global Binational Master Plan.
As part of their communications efforts, the project is disseminating bi-monthly newsletters titled "The Soul of Water" which addresses different topics related to the progress of its pilot projects and activities.
The bulletins are available in Spanish, and can be found here.