Case study: review of IWRM policies and practices in Colombia

A first glimpse at Colombia’s water resources reveals that these are abundant. A closer look shows that shortages of water may occur locally, especially in the densely populated river valleys and peri-urban areas. This can have an impact on the sustainability of water supply facilities.

The case study looks at how IWRM policies try to regulate this situation, and what this means for water supply and sanitation services.

Basic policies exist to integrate water supply and sanitation services projects in broader IWRM. However, these mechanisms are not being applied everywhere and not to the desired level. Given the localised character of the problem, one can suggest that it would be more effective to apply some of these principles locally rather than issuing general national policies and undertaking large scale activities.