Water has historically been undervalued – at least in those regions with a plentiful supply. It’s seen as natural, abundant and limitless. But climate change and human consumption have put a strain on this natural resource.
In Colombia, a major beer company is leading an effort to monetize the protection of water. Colombia is home to a special ecosystem known as the páramos – a combined 7 million hectares of alpine tundra.
The páramos is a natural reservoir, providing 90 percent of the country’s water supply and 60 percent of its electricity via hydro dams. The earth is so moist that one cubic meter of soil holds up to half a metric ton of water.
Despite the abundant water in the páramos, climate change has caused fewer clouds and greater evaporation. Human activity is also a threat: unsustainable farming in the area has increased and miners are eager to dig for silver and gold.
So five years ago, Colombian brewing company Bavaria, with its own obvious interest in a clean water supply, partnered with the Nature Conservancy to create the Bogota Water Fund.
It was an innovative new strategy: paying landowners for their conservation efforts. Colombian farmers, for instance, could receive grants to purchase cattle if they entered into an agreement to protect the páramos.
In Colombia, the strategy has been successful in inspiring land-owners to take up the conservation cause. And other Latin American countries have followed suit. There are now 13 similar water funds in operation and 16 more in design.
With continued success, the concept could serve as a model for protecting natural resources worldwide.
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How Beer Money Can Help Save a Nation’s Water Supply
Photo, taken on October 21, 2005, courtesy of David Brown via Flickr.
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Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Support for Earth Wise comes from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY.