Natural resources management is not a one-man job. So it’s no surprise that organisations from all sectors are working to protect water sources in Latin American countries such as Colombia, Mexico and Costa Rica.
A Bogotan family uses around 10.76 cubic metres of water every day, while an individual can use over 76 litres within the same time frame. These numbers might not seem significant on their own, but if we consider that home water treatment systems are not common yet, this means that most of this water will not be treated properly after being used. It is no wonder that domestic water use is one of the main contributors of pollution to water sources in Colombia’s capital.
Entities from all sectors around the world are working on projects to achieve the sustainable development goals, and water is one of the main themes. The Latin American Water Funds Partnership (LAWFP), integrated by the Inter-American Development Bank, FEMSA Foundation, the Nature Conservancy and the Global Environment Facility, is one of them. It works on the conservation of key watersheds in the region. Bogotá, South America’s fifth largest city, is one of the metropolitan areas where the partnership has focused its efforts.
Meanwhile, The Coca-Cola Company set an ambitious worldwide goal: to become water neutral by 2020. The strategy goes beyond treating water used during production processes, or reforesting to replenish the liquid required for the manufacturing of their bottled products; it means contributing to maintain watersheds’ health so that they keep providing this irreplaceable resource, which is vital for human development.
Coca-Cola FEMSA, the largest Coca-Cola bottler in the world, and The Coca-Cola Company’s Latin Center business unit searched for a way to accomplish this objective while including an even more ambitious goal: achieving water neutrality by the end of 2016 in their operations in Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Panama. The aim was clear, but what would they need to do to make it feasible?
Multisectoral collaboration was the answer. Coca-Cola FEMSA teamed up with the LAWFP - which had already been working in the development of collective impact mechanisms (water funds) in metropolitan areas - to invest in green infrastructure. The LAWFP provides support to local stakeholders for the implementation of the water funds, and guidance to build their management structure, facilitating the exchange of best practice.
Together, they launched Agua por el Futuro (Water for our Future), an initiative to strengthen and develop water funds in the companies’ target geographies in order to promote the conservation of watersheds that are strategic for urban water supply. Agua Somos (We are Water) in Colombia is one of these funds, where government institutions, NGOs, and private sector organisations came together to ensure Bogotá’s water supply.
The Colombian capital obtains most of its water from the Chingaza National Park in the eastern cordillera of the Andes, where forests and neotropical alpine grasslands feed and protect this watershed. But the park faces a huge challenge since its ecosystem has suffered from the consequences of degradation and land clearing for cattle and agriculture, all of which have taken their toll on water quantity and quality.
Agua Somos works on different green infrastructure solutions mainly within the park, ranging from environmental conservation and restoration to natural resources management plans. The fund also covers the Tibitoc and Tunjuelo systems, other suppliers for the city.
To date, Agua Somos has leveraged more than $929,000 (£756,324) that has been invested in conservation actions and reforestation works with native species covering 1,131 hectares (2,793 acres). These funds contribute to ensuring water production,the protection of the environment and reduction of the effects that humans and climate change have on the ecosystem. Investments have also be made to lower the costs of water treatment through sediment control.
Bogotá is just one of the cities where Agua por el Futuro takes action through water funds. With an investment by Coca-Cola FEMSA and The Coca-Cola Company of over $6m, Medellín in Colombia, San José in Costa Rica, Panama City in Panama, and Guatemala City in Guatemala have all found solutions to some of the water-related challenges they face. In 2016, all Agua por el Futuro operations of Coca-Cola FEMSA in Colombia and Central America have achieved water neutrality.
However, beyond conservation and replenishment, there are still challenges that have to be met. These mechanisms are not the only path to follow, neither are they capable of solving every issue on their own. All sectors must coordinate their efforts towards an objective worth pursuing: achieving water security for the sustainable future.
Content on this page is paid for and provided by FEMSA Foundation, a sponsor of the Guardian Global Development Professionals Network.
