The project "Concertación"
Concertación is a project (2006-2011) that aims to improve the water- and livelihood security of local economies in the Andean region. This will be done through the development and support of democratic, equitable and sustainable water management policies and practices.Justification and focus
The urgency of the water problem is well recognized in the Andes. The present distribution of water and decision making power over water management is characterized by problems of justice, democracy and sustainability. New water policies try to respond to the water management challenges. These have been, and continue to be, highly debated, because of diverging visions, objectives and strategies of the different water use sectors and water users groups.
One of the central issues in the debate is the effect these new policies have on the water access security of the Andean communities and organizations, especially those of the farmers, indigenous peoples and other groups of low economic resources that depend on water for their livelihoods.
With special emphasis on the Andean communities, this project pretends to feed the debate over water policies. This will be done through research, exchange and capacity building aimed at the creation of new responses and proposals of actors at local, regional and national level. In this way, these actors will participate in the public debate over the present water policies by proposing and developing water management strategies and policies that are more effective, equitable, democratic and adapted to the local context.
Central themes:
- Integrated management of water in river basins
- Legal pluralism, water management and policies of recognition
- Regional and international policies for integrated water management
- Local water management and the strengthening of authorities and organizations
The project strategy:
1. Educate a pool of water practitioners in order to establish a network of professionals in the Andean countries.
2. Develop innovative academic research and stimulate social learning processes in the development and management of water resources.
3. Create a knowledge base and knowledge exchange platform on sustainable and equitable water resource development and management.
By comparing concrete experiences in water management and stimulating exchange and learning at an inter-Andean level, Concertación aims to have an added value, both for policy and practice. This will be done together with actors and platforms at local, regional and international level.
Methodology:
The project works with so called ‘Knowledge Projects’: these are structured working plans that align the different activities of investigation, capacity building and exchange on one specific topic. For each topic a document is produced, which defines the specifics and points of focus of that project, the indicated time frame, the people and institutions involved and also the knowledge products, like publications, audiovisual materials or (virtual) platforms and spaces for exchange of information and knowledge that can be expected from these activities.
Coordinating institutions:
Peru:
Interinstitutional Program for the Improvement of Water Management (Instituto de Promoción para la Gestión del Agua) – IPROGA
Ecuador:
Interinstitutional Capacity-building network on Natural Resources Management (Consorcio interinstitucional de Capacitación para el Manejo Sostenible de los recursos Naturales Renovables) – CAMAREN
Bolivia:
Andean Center for Water Management and Use (Centro Andino para la Gestión y Uso del Agua) Centro AGUA
The Netherlands:
Program Coordinator: Irrigation and Water Engineering Group (IWE) of Wageningen University
Centre for Latin American research and Documentation – CEDLA
The counterparts with whom the coordinating institutions work form an extensive group of participants composed of organizations, institutes, platforms and networks at local, national and international level.
For more information:
Project coordinator: Edwin Rap
Irrigation and Water Engineering Group, Wageningen University
Address: Nieuwe Kanaal 11, 6709 PA, Wageningen, NL
P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, NL
Telephone: + 31 (317) 48 39 31/ +31 (317) 48 41 90
Fax: +31 (317) 48 47 59
Email: concertacion<AT>wur.nl
