Category: Colombia

Interview Marieke van Nood: a visit to Blue Deal Colombia

Marieke van Nood, Programme Manager at the Blue Deal Programme Office, recently visited the COP16 on biodiversity and combined this with a field visit to InspirAgua, the Blue Deal partnership in Colombia. During her visit, she explored the progress and impact of the partnership on the ground, engaging with local teams and partners to strengthen ties and exchange valuable insights. Below, she reflects on her experience and shares her observations.

Participative monitoring during the field trip in Rio Las Ceibas, Colombia

What stood out most to you about your visit to the InspirAgua programme?

“When I had the chance to spend a few days with the InspirAgua team in Colombia at the end of October 2024 for the COP16 and for a field visit, I was particularly curious about how the local partner organisation values the collaboration. My curiosity was immediately rewarded when I met the technical director of the regional water authority in Cali, Paola Patiño, upon my arrival. She has a comprehensive view of the value of InspirAgua, from strategic to tactical levels. This was further confirmed by her colleagues in Cali and especially in Huila.”

“The lively and open discussions about improving monitoring and information management there highlighted for me that InspirAgua addresses unique and essential topics in knowledge exchange. Of course, I would have loved to see even more of the other work InspirAgua is involved in, such as crisis or wastewater management. That’s something for next time!”

How would you describe the collaboration between the Dutch and Colombian colleagues?

“The collaboration is warm and cordial. The trust that has been built forms the foundation for diving deep into substantive topics and sometimes having challenging discussions. A special compliment also goes to the new Young Expert colleagues. In Huila, Laura Camila was an excellent translator – not just linguistically, but also in terms of content and cultural nuances.”

What would you like to share with the colleagues of InspirAgua and other Blue Deal partnerships?

“The commitment of all the experts is incredibly high. I noticed this during the preparatory meetings as well as in the field teams. I hope you can pass on this dedication to future experts of Dutch Water Authorities.”

“I was also impressed by the efficiency of splitting into small groups of 2 or 3 people focusing on specific topics. This makes excellent use of everyone’s time and knowledge, including colleagues at the regional water authorities. I realise this involves significant logistical and coordination efforts for the partnership management, but the results are truly fantastic.”

Read more about Marieke van Nood

Blue Deal delegation attends COP16: Biodiversity must be a central theme

From 21 October to 1 November 2024, the United Nations (UN) hosted the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) on biodiversity in Colombia. A small delegation from the Blue Deal attended the COP to highlight the importance of regional cooperation by water authorities to strengthen biodiversity together. Erik de Ridder, Chair of the Dutch water authority De Dommel and Lead of the Blue Deal Colombia partnership, was part of the delegation.

Blue Deal representatives

Erik de Ridder participated in COP16 at the invitation of CVC and ASOCARS, partners of the Blue Deal Colombia partnership known as InspirAgua. CVC is based in Cali, Colombia, where COP16 was held. Marieke van Nood, Programme Manager of the Blue Deal, represented the Blue Deal Programme Office, while Water Envoy and Blue Deal Steering Committee Member Meike van Ginneken was also present.

A global approach to biodiversity

During COP16, UN member states discussed global strategies to address biodiversity loss, including the Global Biodiversity Framework established in 2022. This framework sets out objectives to halt the worldwide decline in biodiversity.

“Small steps are crucial”

De Ridder participated in a panel on the integrated management of biodiversity and ecosystems, focusing on the role of governance and institutions. “When implementing complex goals, like those discussed at the COP, small steps are crucial,” he shared. “Biodiversity should be a central theme in all government policies, from agriculture to urbanisation. Only an integrated approach can offer meaningful solutions and make resources available for implementing organisations. I was deeply moved by how Colombia views biodiversity as a natural and essential responsibility.”

“Water quality must be in order”

Water Envoy Van Ginneken also highlighted the importance of regional and international cooperation by water authorities to enhance biodiversity. During a visit to a local water treatment plant, she stated: “Improving biodiversity requires good water quality. The collaboration between the Blue Deal and the local water treatment plant operator is an example of how bilateral partnerships can contribute to stronger biodiversity and help achieve COP goals together.”

International collaboration and biodiversity

During COP16, the Blue Deal delegation strengthened ties with Colombian and other international partners. The event also provided an opportunity to gain new insights into biodiversity through lessons learned from international collaborations. Learning from other countries is a key priority for the Blue Deal.

Biodiversity crisis in the Netherlands

Biodiversity and ecology play a vital role in the work of the water authorities in the Netherlands. Through the design and management of ditches, dykes, and other infrastructure, they contribute to strengthening nature. The water authorities can therefore play a key role in addressing the biodiversity crisis in the Netherlands.

Blue Deal Colombia

In Colombia, Blue Deal InspirAgua works to improve water conditions in the Magdalena River basin. The partnership collaborates with national and regional partners to promote climate-resilient and socially inclusive water management. Key priorities include developing functional river basin plans, establishing an effective crisis organisation, improving data-driven knowledge and insights, wastewater treatment, and pollution prevention and enforcement.

Colombian water authorities visit the Netherlands

From 7 to 14 September, 13 board members of Colombian water authorities visited the Netherlands. They shared knowledge and experience with Dutch officials and specialists. The visit was part of the Blue Deal Colombia programme, InspirAgua.

The visit focused on cross-border collaboration, within their own organisations, with each other, and with regional partners. Key themes included engaging local communities in projects, nature conservation in Colombia, decision-making, wastewater treatment in the Netherlands, and water management in general. “The collaboration with Colombia is about exchanging knowledge and inspiring each other with good examples. This helps both sides to become better water managers, equipped for the changing and challenging tasks ahead,” says Ellen Bollen-Weide, programme manager for InspirAgua.

Mutual learning experience

The Colombian water authorities were immersed in Dutch water management for a week. At the same time, there was great attention to the Colombian approach, from which the Netherlands can learn a lot, especially in areas like climate change, drought, and heavy rainfall. Organisational topics were also covered, such as regional processes and their financing.

Cross-border collaboration helps both parties

According to Erik de Ridder, chair of the Dutch water authority De Dommel and responsible for InspirAgua, the visit provided valuable insights. “I firmly believe that by seeking collaboration beyond borders, you not only help others but also yourself. By seeing things through someone else’s eyes, you notice aspects that may seem obvious to us but aren’t.”

InspirAgua’s mission

The Blue Deal programme InspirAgua aims to deliver cleaner water to 15 million Colombians living and working along the Rio Magdalena by 2030. The programme works with national and regional partners to strengthen water management, making plans for rivers, developing a robust crisis organisation, utilising data, treating wastewater, and preventing pollution.

InspirAgua and Wetskills: a win-win

From May 27 to June 7, Wetskills Water Challenge took place in Cartagena, Colombia. Colombian partners of the Blue Deal programme InspirAgua provided 2 interesting cases that young water professionals worked on. 6 of these young talents participate through InspirAgua. Programme manager Ellen Bollen: “With Wetskills we get a fresh look at water issues in Colombia. It is a great opportunity for young professionals to gain international experience. So it’s a win-win!”

Wetskills is a programme that brings together young people from all over the world. They spend 2 weeks searching for creative solutions to water problems in a changing world. Every year, Wetskills are held in a number of countries across the continents. 3 candidates from Dutch Water Authorities and 3 candidates from the Colombian Corporaciones Autónomas Regionales (CARs), among others, got to work on the issues.

Water availability and water as a engine for socio-economic growth

The CARs Cdmb and Cundinamarca provided 2 of the 3 cases on behalf of InspirAgua. One case was about the unpredictable droughts in the Tona River: How can we create flexible water availability there? The other case was about the Río Frío microbasin: How can we use water sustainably as an engine for socio-economic growth?

2 countries, similar challenges

Margriet and Menno, participants of Wetskills: “Wetskills was an unforgettable experience for us. We learned a lot about water management in Cartagena and Colombia in general and the consequences of climate change on the water sector. Although at first glance the differences seem large between the Netherlands and Colombia, we have discovered that we encounter the same problems in both countries, large and small. The problems just manifest themselves slightly differently. This, in combination with working in multicultural teams, has made us look at our daily work at home with different eyes and new appreciation.”

They continue: “The theme of our case was ‘How to address the growing demand for water in the Tona River micro basin, with increasing drought periods due to climate change and variability?’ We came up with 3 solutions: 1) implementing an automated monitoring system, 2) nature-based solutions to store more water in the system, and 3) monitoring groundwater supplies. To become close with a group in a new environment in such a short time is very special, and we are grateful to have been a part of it.”

Different approaches

Daniel, another participant: “Wetskills enables meeting and collaboration between young Colombians from different regions and the Netherlands, with water as a common theme. A rich experience. During this meeting we had the opportunity to meet different people and cultures, exchange new experiences, and learn about different views on the use and management of water resources. In developing the cases, we learned new concepts related to water, as well as different approaches to the problems related to water in different contexts and territories. In my personal case, I learned about the concept of water footprint, the different types of water footprint that exist, the global need to be aware of the water footprint caused by different activities, and the different measures that can be taken to mitigate the water footprint.”

The results were presented on June 7 at the Acodal international conference Water, Sanitation, Environment and Renewable Energy in Cartagena.

Young talents work on InspirAgua cases at Wetskills Colombia

From May 27 to June 7, 'Wetskills Water Challenge' takes place in Cartagena, Colombia. Colombian partners of the Blue Deal programme InspirAgua provide 2 interesting cases that young water professionals will work on. 6 of these young talents participate through InspirAgua.

Programme manager Ellen Bollen: “With Wetskills we get a fresh look at water issues in Colombia. It is a great opportunity for young professionals to gain international experience and we are very curious about their solutions. So, it’s a win-win situation!”

What is Wetskills?

Wetskills is a programme that brings together young people from all over the world. They spend 2 weeks searching for creative solutions to water problems in a changing world. Every year, there are Wetskills challenges in a number of countries across the continents. Wetskills already visited Colombia in 2018.

2 InspirAgua cases

3 candidates from Dutch Water Authorities and 3 candidates from the Colombian Corporaciones Autónomas Regionales (CARs), among others, will be working on the cases. The CARs CDMB and Cundinamarca provide 2 of the 3 cases on behalf of InspirAgua. One case covers the unpredictable droughts in the Tona River. How can we create flexible water availability there? The other case concerns the Río Frío microbasin. How can we use water sustainably as a stimulant for socio-economic growth?

The results will be presented on June 7 at the Acodal international conference Water, Sanitation, Environment and Renewable Energy. InspirAgua will be present in the Dutch Pavilion of Holland House.

What is InspirAgua?

InspirAgua stands for cooperation and exchange for clean, safe and sufficient water in Colombia and the Netherlands. The Blue Deal programme aims to improve water conditions by 2030 for 15 million Colombians in the Rio Magdalena basin. The Blue Deal programme works with national and regional partners on climate-proof and socially inclusive water management. We are committed to making working plans for river basins, an adequate crisis organisation, knowledge and insight based on data, purifying wastewater, and prevention and enforcement of pollution. Through collaboration and knowledge exchange on these themes, we will become better water managers in both Colombia and the Netherlands.

Experts on wastewater management share best practices in Colombia

InspirAgua is the Blue Deal programme on knowledge exchange in water governance in Colombia and the Netherlands. A technical conference was held from March 4 to 6 in Bogotá on the topics associated with the management of municipal wastewater.

This included topics such as: the remuneration rate for discharges, the management of rainwater, the management of bio solids, the control and permission of discharges into the sewage network, and the technical skills of the personnel in charge of the operation of the wastewater treatment systems.

Who participated?

The participants in this technical conference were the public service companies and environmental authorities that make up the regional nodes of Caldas, Huila and Valle del Cauca (Acuavalle, Aguas de Manizales, Corpocaldas, CAM, CVC and Empocaldas), Andesco, and ASOCARS. Also present were representatives of the ministries of Housing, City and Territory and Environment and Sustainable Development, the National Department of Planning, and Dutch Water Authorities.

Different actors, same goal

The event had 3 thematic axes as emphasis: the remuneration rate, bio solids, control and permitting of discharges into the sewer. And of course there was an important exchange of experiences in the area.
“It was very beneficial, because we can conclude that the different actors who are here want the same thing. It is noted that although we are different entities between service providers and ministries, we agree that there must be greater coordination to achieve better results in the future,” says Hans Geerse, coordinator within the InspirAgua programme from Dutch Water Authorities.

Technical sessions

Technical sessions dealt with the management of assets related to risks in urban sewage systems, such as experiences with the management of biosolids in the Netherlands. On the second day, a visit to the Salitre WWTP operated by the affiliated company Empresa de Acueducto y Alcantarillado de Bogotá (EAAB), allowed visitors from the Netherlands to see first-hand the technological level and size of one of the most important wastewater treatment plants in Colombia.

National strategies for monitoring and control

For the last day of the event, presentations focused on national strategies for monitoring and control, such as strategies for detecting illegal discharges and the relevance of the issue of permits (and the necessary adjustments) to improve the quality of surface waters. A Dutch example was given by Andras Koops, who presented the Dutch Water Innovation Prize winner ‘Facade control’ (see video in Dutch and Spanish).

Joint agenda

At the end of the conference, a plenary session was held to reflect and find common points on all the topics addressed in the previous sessions. These included adjustments on the economic instrument of the remuneration rate, an update of the protocol for monitoring discharges, and a training plan for wastewater treatment plants operators. A joint agenda will be defined with ASOCARS and with the support of the Blue Deal. Technical spaces will be developed on control protocols for discharges into the sewer for the development of capacities of the affiliated companies. All in all, an important meeting of sector experts in favour of strengthening the sector and creating alliances and improvement strategies.

Summit on water governance in Colombia prioritised 4 lines of action

100 expert professionals from Corporaciones Autónomas Regionales (CAR) all over Colombia gathered on November 23 and 24 in Barranquilla to discuss the future of water governance in Colombia.

Experts from InspirAgua (Blue Deal), the CAR, SEI, Esri, IDEAM and the Ministry of the Environment, among others, met to share the progress of the work in water governance. The Asociación Corporaciones Autónomas Regionales (ASOCARS) and Blue Deal Programme InspirAgua organised the event together with the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), the Environmental Systems Research Institute Colombia (ESRI) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (COSUDE). The event was hosted by Corporación Autónoma Regional del Atlantico (CRA).

Strengthened partnerships and knowledge networks

This unique gathering of water experts throughout Colombia represents an important step towards the 2030 Blue Deal Colombia goals of strengthened partnerships and knowledge networks in the country. Four lines of action were formulated. Wastewater (with an active program in Caldas, Valle del Cauca and Huila), Groundwater; permits, control and monitoring of discharges; and planning (water boundary, decision-making and modeling tools) were prioritized to be further elaborated in 2024.

Important guests

The event was attended by 31 of the 33 environmental authorities CAR, Fabián Caicedo, director of water resources at the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, experts of the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM), National Planning Department (DNP), the Ministry of Interior, Justice and Decentralization of the Government of Honduras, the Antioquia Science and Technology Center -CTA and the University of Antioquia.

High-quality knowledge

Ellen Bollen, director of Blue Deal InspirAgua in Colombia, pointed out that: “There is a lot of high-quality knowledge in Colombia and in the CARs. InspirAgua wants to connect, share, and contribute through an exchange programme for all CARs through ASOCARS. Meeting up and sharing our practices are essential for our ability to tackle big challenges in water management now and in the future. We identified wants and needs for knowledge exchange to further elaborate and I’m proud of InspirAgua and its partners who made it come together.”

Regional lessons from 30 years of existence

During the last 30 years, the CARs have worked on water management in 124 hydrographic basins, covering 28.6 million hectares, and 87 POMCAS approved by 2023 at the national level are reported. “These spaces for dialogue around water governance are essential to identify regional lessons learned from work carried out by the CARs during the 30 years of existence of the SINA, in search of contributing to the National Policy for Integral Management of Water Resources, to the implementation of the National Development Plan, and the future Four-Year Action Plans of the CARs,” said Ramón Leal Leal, director of Asocars.

Management 4 largest Blue Deal partnerships exchanges knowledge

On September 7, the Dutch management of the 4 largest Blue Deal partnerships came together in the Dutch province Fryslân for a meeting. The objective for this gathering was: how can we learn from each other about managing large partnerships?

The meeting was amongst the partnerships of Mozambique, Colombia, Eswatini and South Africa. The managers were invited to Friesland, at the invitation of the partnership manager of Mozambique, of which Wetterskip Fryslân (the Dutch water authority in the area of Fryslân) is the lead partner. This was the third time that the major partnerships organized such a consultation. This time was extra special, thanks to a boat trip through the beautiful Alde Feanen nature reserve.

Topics to discuss

The colleagues exchanged, for example, their experiences with working with a so-called ‘talking sheet’. This sheets makes it visible which Blue Deal topics the partnership is working on, and where there are topics that still need to be addressed. “It helps to establish a relationship of the concrete activities which are implemented with the longer-term goals,” says one of the participants. “Large partnerships deal with many people and interests. Visualising this helps to get an overview of how all our activities contribute to our larger goals, and what we should continue or stop.”

The participants also discussed, among other things, their annual plans for 2024, presented to each other how they have organised their partnerships and discussed decentralization in one of the partner countries. They also covered the safety assessments of work visits, finances, accountability, and much more.

Learning from each other

An important part of the Blue Deal is learning from each other. Therefore, the Blue Deal learning programme also includes a training for new partnership managers. Thanks to this joint intervision of the partnership managers, the 4 largest partnerships are now going one step further to exchange knowledge with each other.

Busy InspirAgua summer

Slowly working towards the summer, for many people this applies in the months of June and July. But this was definitely not the case for the Blue Deal programme in Colombia, called InspirAgua. 2 work visits took place in June and July, 1 in the Netherlands and 1 in Colombia.

In June, 8 Colombian colleagues joined the first Blue Deal congress in Amsterdam to participate in workshops and field visits, together with Blue Deal colleagues from all over the world. After 3 days of congress the work visit continued with various activities. The Colombians visited a waste water treatment in Zutphen, came to see the challenges we face within the peat meadow areas, talked about ‘adaptive pathways’ and saw examples of the ‘Ruimte voor de Rivier’-project (‘Room for the River’), in which there is more space for water in rivers to avoid flooding and other water related problems.

In July, 13 Dutch InspirAgueros went to Colombia to continue working on the different topics within the InspirAgua programme. Along the Río Magdalena we worked on Nature Based Solutions and a stakeholder network to improve the cooperation of all the parties involved, in order to protect the river and the people. In the northeast we continued working on participatory monitoring and how to actually apply the useful data you gather. The focus in the south was partly on making use of data, but also involved the further development of an action plan for waste water treatment.

Overall, InspirAgua had a productive summer in which we not only worked together on the work that has to be done, but we also managed to strengthen the relationships between our partners and colleagues.

Work visit to Colombia: collaboration, contracts, and culture

During the work visit in February and March, Dutch colleagues within the Blue Deal programme InspirAgua visited Colombia to assist their Colombian counterparts in the regions of Caldas, Santander, Huila, Valle de Cauca and Bogotá. A memorable visit in which the continuation of the programme was endorsed by the Colombian partners.

Agreements for Phase 2 of the Blue Deal were signed with regional environmental and water authorities (CARs) CAM, CAS, CDMB, CVC, Corpocaldas and national association ASOCARS, as well as with the administration of the Santander department and with water companies Empocaldas, Aguas de Manizales, Acuavalle and Aguas del Huila. A new partner of the programme is Andesco, an umbrella organization for public service companies. Cormagdalena will follow in April.

Cooperation agreements

InspirAgua’s CAR partners formalized the agreement at the ASOCARS General Assembly, in the midst of the impressive nature of Nuquí on the Pacific coast of the Department of Chocó. There, 21 Colombian CARs gathered for this annual meeting, where they also signed the ‘Alliance for Protected Areas of Colombia’.

Director of the Dutch water authority Rijn en IJssel, Rudi Gerard, explained the method of water governance in the Netherlands, followed by Michelle Talsma of STOWA, who emphasized the importance of collaboration in knowledge development. A retrospective on Phase 1 and preview of Phase 2 of the programme was given by Ellen Bollen, programme manager of InspirAgua. Director of the Dutch water authority De Dommel, Marit Borst, signed the cooperation agreements on behalf of Watergraaf Erik de Ridder.

The programme also aroused interest among Colombian directors who were not yet affiliated with InspirAgua. It has been agreed that the results and knowledge gained will be shared horizontally with all CARs led by ASOCARS.

Working together in different cultures

Contacts and collaboration within InspirAgua intensify as time progresses and goals for 2030 are set. All the more reason to zoom into cultural denominators of our ‘way of working’ for a better understanding and effective cooperation, such as communicating, scheduling, deciding, trusting, and more. ‘Culture coach’ Sylvia van Glabbeek hosted workshops on intercultural cooperation in Manizales and Cali attended by Dutch and Colombian InspirAgueros. Simple examples like difference in the planning of a personal agenda sparked animated conversations and the exchange of ideas, as noted by a participant in Manizales. Work on the relational level is important for the technical and instrumental efforts of InspirAgua members. Interested in what those are? Visit InspirAgua on LinkedIn.