Environmental Education and Water Management in Colombia

With the support of the Cooperation Fund for Technical Assistance Missions, the exchange of experiences and good practices between the Ministry of the Environmentand Sustainable Development of Colombia (MADS), the National Institute of WaterResources of Dominican Republic (INDRHI) and the Department ofSustainable Development of the OAS was made possible. The MADS, the environment authorities of Colombia and the youth leaders that are part of MAD’s environmental networks or programs were trained in citizenship awareness, education, use, and management and state of water resources by the Program UNESCO-WET of Water and Education Program for Latin America and the Caribbean, promoted on this occasion by the section of Integrated Water Resources Management of the OAS Department of Sustainable Development.
 

The technical assistance activities took place in the planned dates as a side event in the framework of the Seventh Inter-American Dialogue on Water Management (D7) organized in the city of Medellin, Colombia from November 13 to 19, 2011.

Technicians from the MADS received capacity-building in the methodology UNESCO-Wet Water and Education Programme for Latin American and the Caribbean for it to be used in their technical and community work processes in their respective area of action. The technical personnel acquired new tools and approaches for informal work in activities of Water Culture.

The young people were provided with training tools to work with in their communities through a set of dynamics, practical activities and original methodologies on the topic of water and the environment, thereby strengthening their actions in their surroundings and increasing the capacity to involver a greater number of young people that are engaged with the environment. The young people were trained and motivated to continue educating in topics related to Water Management, the Network of Water Resources and the National Network of Environment Youth in Colombia were strengthened and youth’s engagement with the environment and community work was increased.

“all people in the planet are obliged to adjust our activities to the limits and auto-regulatory capacity of nature. Each generation has the obligation and must assume a commitment in relation to the water they will drink, use and be enjoyed by future generations.”

 Seventh Inter-American Dialogue on Water Management (D7), Youth Working Table.

Those responsible for water management in the Hemisphere heard the voice of youth and gave them a space to actively participate. The young people issued a declaration that was submitted to the D7 organizers that included the commitments they established. They committed to the following:

• Work to transform Water Culture.
• Promote the efficient use of water.
• Raise awareness of Water Culture from an educational, ludic and participatory perspective. 
• Be watchmen and actors of change in the norms and policies of water heritage.
• Strengthen the social fabric of our communities through participation.
• Think, build and participate in spaces to exchange knowledge

To read the declaration made by the young people, click here (available only in Spanish).

The workshop’s great success made various institutions and companies interested in carrying out this type of training and support the process.