© Photo credit: Ian Turnell (pexels), ezel video prod

In northern Colombia, in the heart of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Tchendukua is supporting a project in partnership with the Wiwa communities of the Badillo River basin.

The aim is to implement a traditional management plan to restore and protect water sources.

Driven by a participatory approach and in close collaboration with the traditional Wiwa authorities, this project draws on the millennia-old knowledge of indigenous peoples to address major environmental challenges.

It is structured around four main components:

– Cultural empowerment: passing on and reviving ancestral knowledge relating to water and nature within the communities;
– Water education: raising awareness amongst young people and adults of the importance of water and its sustainable management, from an intercultural perspective;
– Protection of springs and forests: restoring fragile ecosystems, particularly around catchment areas
– Improved management of livestock and natural resources: developing more sustainable practices, in harmony with natural balances.

This project builds on the work carried out over several years to restore ancestral lands and preserve the culture of the Sierra’s indigenous peoples. It reflects a firm conviction: it is by listening to the guardians of the Earth that we can build a future that is more respectful of all living things.