Results from the Water Footprint Assessment applied to the Porce river basin, Colombia, show that the basin has no blue water stress, but it does undergo significant levels of green water scarcity (competition for different uses of land and green water resources) and water pollution in some of Porce’s subbasins. The economic and social sustainability assessment of the water footprints shows the contrast between the economic activities in the basin and its financial retributions, and the number of people living within the basin with no access to drinking water and/or sanitation. It points towards a water governance issue.

As a result of this assessment, a number of response strategies and water policy measures have been proposed in consultation with the public and private sector operating in the basin. The water footprint assessment, conducted in a multistakeholder approach, has proven to be of significant value as a transparent communication tool among the basin sectors and to inform the debate on water allocation in the basin and the design of adequate response strategies. You can download the report of the project here (in Spanish; English version to come). Currently, a process of response strategy prioritisation is taking place in order to select the most feasible responses in financial, political and operative terms for the basin. Upon finalization of the prioritisation process and closure of the project, another phase will start, related to the “project concept design” of the few selected responses. This is seen as the most challenging phase, as it implies the beginning of a more political process.

GSI participated as technical advisor in this project. 

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