WHO WE ARE
Watershared is a joint venture funded by the public—local governments and donors including the European Union—private sector investors such as Swiss Re, and foundations such as Natura. Local governments, supported by CVC, ETAPA and other partners implement each program. The research upon which Watershared is based was undertaken by Harvard University and the National University of Colombia, supported by the Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation Program and the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council, Innovations for Poverty Action and the Jameel Poverty Action Lab.
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INSTITUTIONS
The Autonomous Corporation Regional del Valle del Cauca — CVC—is the Entity in charge of conserving and managing renewable natural resources and the environment of Colombia;s Cauca Valley.
As the highest environmental authority and in alliance with social actors CVC tends for a healthy environment, contributing to the improvement of the quality of life of the population and the competitiveness of the region within the framework of sustainable development. CVC considers that conservation is a matter that depends on people, their behaviors towards nature, their beliefs about its value and their ability to protect it without sacrificing your basic needs; therefore, working with the communities is part of their intervention principles. Watershared is a strategy that contributes to the conservation and restoration of forests, shelterbelts, and watersheds; they also help reduce the threat generated by agricultural activities that negatively impact the natural resources and the environment. In the Valle de Cauca we have signed 148 reciprocal watershared agreements: about 5,000 hectares in the process of restoration; more than 25,000 hectares under management sustainable; 54,000 people benefited; 350 hectares of mangrove in conservation and 16 of wetlands under restoration. You can find more information about our work in Reciprocal Agreements for Water, at the following link: https://www.cvc.gov.co/acuerdos-reciprocos-por-el-agua
ETAPA based in Cuenca, Ecuador has been executing its own version of watersahred, the «Mutual Agreements for Water – AMA”since 2011 with positive results in terms of conservation and best practices in watershed management, this methodology is friendly, adaptable, that allows the participation and involvement of the local actors, on issues of conservation of ecosystems of water importance. In the canton Cuenca, ETAPA’s AMA methodology has guaranteed the strict conservation of 3,715 hectares of native forests and moors and the planting of 123,729 plants of native species seedlings through the signing of 23 agreements with the parish GADs, universities, boards of water and owners of water recharge areas.
The municipalities of Oxapampa, Chontabamba and Huancabamba, in the central jungle of Peru, in coordination with the Insituto Bien Comun (IBC), have been working for approximately 10 years to protect the forests of caberas that constitute water sources that supply the urban population of these districts. To this end, they have ensured the protection of 1,506 hectares of forest in private land through the establishment of Watershared agreements. For IBC, Watershared is a management instrument through which the owners of land holdings the water supply areas, recognized by Municipal Ordinances as Areas of Water Interest, they are committed to conserving the coverage of riparian forests and forested headwaters, developing for it sustainable agricultural practices. To date, this initiative has achieved the commitment of 49 subscribers, who guide their actions of conservation to the increase and improvement of the quality of the water ecosystem service for the use of the population of Oxapampa. It should be noted that the implementation of the Watershared agreements contributes also to the management of the “Oxapampa Asháninka Yánesha Biosphere Reserve” (https://ibcperu.org/proyecto-de-restauracion-y-conservacion-de-bosques-ayuda-a-preservar-agua-en-oxapampa/)
Fundación Natura Bolivia was founded in 2003 with the aim of developing actions for the conservation of biodiversity and the sustainable use of natural resources, in order to contribute to improving the quality of life of the Bolivian population. Our main objective is to support communities to protect their water sources through forest conservation. This objective is developed through the implementation of Reciprocal Agreements for Water or ARA, which in its implementation consolidate local institutions that develop actions in favor of the conservation of water factories in the Tropical Andes of South America and currently involve 80 municipalities in Bolivia, about 200,000 water users investing in the conservation of water sources, through agreements that today benefit more than 25,000 families that in exchange for receiving productive alternatives conserve about 500,000 hectares of forest. All this has been achieved in alliance with local actors such as municipalities, water cooperatives, private companies and international cooperation.