Sostenibilidad hídrica en la relación comunidad - Parque Nacional Natural Chingaza

Abstract

Protected areas seek to preserve strategic ecosystems, cultural values, ecosystem services or landscapes. The conservation processes of unique areas are usually carried out from an approach that favors the restoration and conservation of plant cover and, in this way, of ecosystem relations. This, without considering the human communities located in the interior, or in the surrounding areas, who usually see protected areas as a limitation for their own development. However, it has been shown that involving communities results in better conservation. Within the Colombian system of protected areas is the Chingaza National Natural Park, a hydrosystem that supplies more than 70% of the water for consumption in Bogotá and some neighboring municipalities. The creation and operation of this park has meant great changes and restrictions for the inhabitants of its area of ​​influence. This book is the result of a research project that sought to identify how the communities of La Calera, Choachí and Fómeque are related, located in the area with a buffer function of the park, having water resources as a central element. For this, their water needs, the Water Poverty Index and the perceptions they have regarding the protected area were calculated, in order to find alternatives that contribute to sustainability in the relations between the communities and the park.