New Project to Protect Water Resources from Climate Change

Aware of the challenges facing water resources in Latin America, Colombia presents the Adapting to Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources in the Andes (AICCA) project, which will focus on improving the interdependence between the agricultural sector and water cycles in the Andean highlands.

To this end, the project will seek comprehensive responses and transformative changes by working from inclusive, systemic, contextualized, local approaches that understand the importance of gender equality.

The initiative extends to Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru, and was kicked off in March 2018 and will end in June 2021, with a total investment of USD 67 million with the purpose of enhancing the use and preservation of water resources. 

The project is supported by the Global Environment Fund (GEF), CAF—development bank of Latin America—and CONDESAN. In Colombia, it is also developed as part of the agreement with the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM), Colombia’s Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and the Boyacá Regional Autonomous Corporation.

“Colombia is one of the countries with the greatest water potential in the world, and this project is a good opportunity to realize environmental preservation measures and promote natural and economic ecosystems in different areas of the country. Lake Tota offers the ideal conditions to create a scalable success experience,” said Federico Vignatti, CAF’s Senior Green Business Executive.

The expected impacts include benefitting 27,000 people with actions on adaptation to Climate Vulnerability and Climate Change, of which 13,770 are women.

In addition, the project seeks to promote transfer of related innovations, training of key local stakeholders, improvement in related water security, in the case of Lake Tota, with drinking water for nine municipalities, as institutional strengthening for governance and improvement of local articulation processes.