The UNESCO Chair on Sustainability has participated with the Joint Office UNESCOSOST Colombia (TdeA-UPC) in the development of the project for the Evaluation of the Water Footprint from the Porce River Basin, led by the Science and Technology Center of Antioquia, and as a part of the SuizAgua Colombia initiative of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (COSUDE).
The results of the evaluation of the water footprint applied to the basin of the Porce River, in Colombia, show that the basin has no shortage of blue water, but that significant levels of green water scarcity have been found (competition for the different land uses and green water resources) and water pollution in some of the sub-basins of the Porce River. The evaluation of the economic and social sustainability of the water footprints shows the contrast between the economic activities of the basin and its financial rewards, and the number of people living within the basin who do not have access to drinking water and / or sanitation. This points to a problem of water governance.
The analysis of the Water Footprint of the Porce River basin (Colombia) shows the scarcity of green water and pollution as the main issues of concern.
As a result of this evaluation, a series of response strategies and water policy measures have been proposed in consultation with the public and private sectors operating in the basin.
The evaluation of the water footprint, carried out in a multisectoral approach, has proved to be of great value as a transparent communication tool among all sectors of the basin and to inform on the debate on the distribution of water in the basin and the design of strategies of adequate response.
Currently, a strategy of prioritizing responses is being carried out in order to select the most viable in financial, political and operational terms for the basin. After the completion of the prioritization process and the closure of the project, another phase will begin in relation to the "project design concept" of the selected responses.
You can download the project report (in Spanish): Download