ScaleWat supports national dialogue on water tenure in Colombia

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 conversation on equitable water governance.

More than 75 participants from government institutions, civil society, academia, local communities, and the private sector came together to exchange views and experiences on good practices for fair and inclusive water allocation. Discussions focused on identifying practical solutions to persistent challenges and ensuring that water governance frameworks reflect social, environmental, and cultural realities.

Key discussion points included:

• The need to recognize the water rights of Indigenous Peoples and Afro-descendant communities, as well as the customary arrangements of local communities, for example, by simplifying procedures for granting water concessions to community-based drinking water and sanitation service providers.
• The importance of maintaining transparent and regularly updated water balances, and of integrating surface and groundwater into water resources planning to enable informed and equitable allocation.
• The essential role of healthy ecosystems in sustaining water availability, calling for the protection of ecological flow requirements, springs, and groundwater recharge areas.
• The need to ensure meaningful participation of water users in allocation decisions, and to establish accessible mechanisms to prevent and manage conflicts.

The results of the dialogue will feed into regional and national dialogues on water tenure, towards a global consensus on principles for responsible water governance.

Participants emphasized the importance of continued dialogue, coordination, and capacity building to strengthen national frameworks and contribute to global efforts. The outcomes of this event will feed into regional and national dialogues on water tenure, towards a global consensus on principles for responsible water governance. (Check out the dedicated section for the Global Dialogue)

This dialogue was made possible thanks to the support of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity of Germany, through the ScaleWat Project.