ScaleWat: scaling up capacities for responsible governance of water tenure

 Colombia

In Colombia, the ScaleWat project supports efforts to strengthen water tenure governance in response to growing water scarcity, climate change and increasing competition for water. By contributing to the , the project raises awareness and promotes inclusive conversations around how water rights are defined, recognized, and shared – particularly among vulnerable water users.

At the national level, the project supports a review of Colombia’s water governance frameworks and facilitates dialogue among key stakeholders – including government institutions, civil society, and rural communities. These national conversations are informed by local-level assessments that provide a clearer picture of how water is accessed, managed and distributed in practice. In selected pilot areas, the project supports water tenure assessments and water accounting evaluations, using tools such as FAO’s WaPOR to monitor how productively water is used, based on satellite data.

Capacity development is another central pillar of the project. Through targeted training and technical support, ScaleWat equips public officials, community organizations, and water user groups with the skills to assess water tenure and contribute to stronger, more inclusive governance. These efforts ensure that decision-making is based on reliable data – and that everyone, especially marginalized groups, has a voice in how water access and use are governed.

 

Pilot area

The pilot area for the project is located in the Sierra Nevada and Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta Ecoregion, in the Colombian Caribbean. This territory was selected in coordination with the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, in line with Colombia’s National Development Plan 2022–2026 and its environmental strategy to protect strategic ecosystems. Within this ecoregion, activities focus on the Frío and Sevilla river basins, where biodiversity is high and water governance challenges are critical.

 

Key publications
Country updates
15/09/2025

As part of the project ScaleWat: scaling up capacities for responsible governance of water tenure the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the National Water and Biodiversity Center of ...

18/06/2025

On 17 and 18 June, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Ministry of Environment in Colombia co-organized a multi-stakeholder dialogue on the responsible governance of water tenure in Bogotá. The event marked an important milestone in the national conversati...

13/06/2025

On June 11 and 12, 2025, the University of Magdalena hosted a training session on the use of the WaPOR platform (WAter Productivity throu...

02/06/2025

On 29 and 30 May 2025, the ScaleWat team gathered at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ (FAO) headquarters in Rome for the Global Mid-Term Planning Workshop. The event brought together project staff from headquarters and country teams in Colombia and Thailand, nationa...