Gardens of life – sustainable livelihood strategy to increase resilience, in terms of food security, in the Tota Lake basin,Colombia

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  • November 10, 2025
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Gardens of life produces. Credit: AICCA

Summary


“Gardens of life” are agroecological productive systems with diverse food species for self-consumption and surplus for commercialization. The structure of these systems seeks to integrate practices that reduce impacts associated with extreme events derived from climate variability and change, such as: water harvesting, itinerant protection structures against extreme meteorological and climatic events to protect the development of plant material, and the use of liquid and solid bio-fertilizers. With “gardens of life,” agrobiodiversity is increased with a greater number of species including vegetables, fruit trees, native seeds, and forest species, by implementing practices with an agroecological approach to improve the soil-plant balance.

Overview

Location:
Implementation sites:
  • Single country
  • Multiple locations
Mountain region:

  • Andes

Province:
  • Boyacá
Site locations:

  • Tota and Cuitiva

Solution scale:
Ecosystem type(s):
Solution type(s):
Sector(s):
Climate impact(s) addressed:
Other climate impact(s) addressed:
  • Productivity loss, crop loss
Climate impact time-scale(s):
Main benefit associated with the solution:
Co-benefit(s) associated with the solution implementation:
Sendai targets:
SDGs:

Solution details

Main beneficiaries & outcomes

The main beneficiaries of the solution are rural families from the municipalities of Cuitiva and Tota, who depend on some type of agricultural activity. The solution is widely accessible for households and even educational institutions, although it was implemented with only one actor.

 Among the co-benefits associated with the implementation of the solution, are:

 

  • Contribution to closing gender gaps by strengthening women’s autonomy.
  • Strengthening  of family food sovereignty.
  • Increase of the adaptive capacity of families.
  • Strengthening of  the technical and organizational capacity of beneficiaries.
  • Support in generating leadership and entrepreneurship skills.
  • Recognition of local and ancestral knowledge.
  • Support for the family economy of beneficiaries.
  • Decrease in living costs.
  • Increase in agrobiodiversity.
  • Increase in interactions with pollinator species.
  • Improvement of land use practices.
  • Decrease in water demand in adjacent channels to the implementation zones.

 

Planning and implementation

The planning and implementation process was led by the Project on Adaptation to the Impacts of Climate Change on Water Resources in the Andes (AICCA), which is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), implemented by the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF), and executed by the Consortium for the Sustainable Development of the Andean Ecoregion (CONDESAN). In Colombia, the project is executed jointly with the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (Minambiente) and the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM). In the implementation phase, the Agrotourism and Environmental Association “Bosque Nativo” provided leadership.

The methodology for the design and implementation of the “gardens of life” adaptation measure included:

I. Socio-environmental diagnosis:
An analysis of the territorial context of the study area’s relevant aspects was developed, characterizing the main productive systems, ecosystems, actors, level of governance, and agricultural systems with Good Agricultural Practices, among others.

II. Development of the Territorial Analysis for Adaptation: The analysis integrated inputs to define the adaptation needs in the territory. Depending on the available information, studies such as: climate variability and change scenarios, definition of the Main Ecological Structure (MEP), assessment of environmental pressures, CC vulnerability and risk analysis, hydrological modeling, among others deemed relevant, can be integrated. This determines susceptible zones for the implementation of adaptation measures in the natural systems, economic activities, and education sectors. Finally, adaptation measures were prioritized according to the effectiveness criteria established by FEBA and subsequently evaluated for their implementation considering gender analysis, stakeholders, and conflicts (Álvarez Peña & Pérez Lora, 2020).

III. Beneficiary selection: A general review of the communities within the properties cataloged with medium and high susceptibility from the previous analysis was carried out, and a survey of rootedness, vulnerability, and dependence was applied to them, which allowed prioritizing the communities that require this type of adaptation measure. Additionally, a survey was designed to characterize the diagnosis of socioeconomic conditions.

IV. Construction and implementation:
Implementation consisted of:

        • Site preparation:  cleaning, clearing, and leveling of the terrain were carried out with techniques depending on the slope.
        • Construction of beds: Beds approximately 1m wide by 30cm high were built with the soil available on each property. A passage of 40 to 50 cm was kept between beds to ensure accessibility. The landscape design  was defined depending on the available space of the property, with two possible options: circular or strip. The first option was prioritized considering that it helps to improve the Ecosystem Services that the garden of life can provide, particularly with respect to the water retention capacity of the beds and the interactions  between water, soil, sunlight, and humidity; on the other hand, the strip design is flexible for small areas and easily replicable (Asociación Bosque Nativo, 2021; Garnizo, 2016).
        • Construction of itinerant meteorological protection structure: Areas and zones of special protection against extreme meteorological events were delimited. The infrastructure consists of micro-tunnels in an arch shape with a 50% plastic hose and shade cloth cover, easily removable. The orientation of the micro-tunnels depended on the zone and, in particular, on the air, rain, and sun conditions of the property, in order to reduce the impacts of wind and events of frost or hail, among others.
        • Construction of the rainwater harvesting system: This phase depends on the property and its characteristics. The main actions implemented were:
          • Preparation and site-conditioning activities, such as leveling.
          • Installation of collection systems for harvesting runoff from rainfall.
          • Installation of conduction systems for water collected by gutters to the storage tank.
          • Installation of the water conduit from the storage tank to the area where the collected water will be used.
        • Installation of bio-fertilizer module: Depending on the available space, three possible options were considered:
          • Solid fertilizer from the aerobic fermentation of fresh manure.
          • Liquid bio-fertilizer from the anaerobic fermentation of fresh cow manure.
          • Bio-preparation based on silphocalcic, ash broth, Bordeaux mixture.
        • Planting of plant material: Crops used for alimentation of the families were  given priority. Additionally, the arrangement of plant material was organized to integrate various aspects to favor the ecosystemic relationships of the “garden of life”. Fruit trees and aromatic plants were planted in the border areas, which help protect the garden from some pests and also promote pollination and soil moisture. Legumes and tubers were planted in the middle; finally, in the inner zone where the micro-tunnels are located, vegetables were arranged, which are more vulnerable to extreme meteorological changes (Gonzalvez, Cifre, Dolores, & Gómez, 2018; Hinestroza Valois, 2018).
        • Likewise, the selection of species integrated pollinator-attracting floral species and native tubers typical of the area into the design. For example, the legume Lupinus bogotensis was added, which helps cushion extreme events by generating a microclimate, along with various vegetables, aromatics, and fruit trees for the supply of beneficiary families (Asociación Bosque Nativo, 2021).
        • Construction and installation of perimeter isolation, which consists of a 35% shade net with wooden posts, to prevent the entry of livestock animals.
        • Finally, capacity building activities focused on:
          • Accompaniment and training for beneficiaries on the installation, planting, maintenance, and harvesting process, and the importance of the gardens of life as a climate change adaptation measure.
          • Development of workshops to train beneficiaries in the constitution of a Civil Society Organization.

 

The stakeholders involved were:

      • AICCA Project: leader of the planning and implementation processes of rainwater harvesting systems.
      • Corporación Autónoma Regional de Boyacá (Corpoboyacá): technical support for the implementation process of the systems.
      • Municipal Mayor’s Office of Aquitania: local facilitator and technical support within the implementation process.
      • Beneficiary community: participants in the planning, design, and implementation process of the “gardens of life”.

Finance

The project was funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), with funding provided as a grant.

Innovation

The “gardens of life” adaptation measure focuses on reducing vulnerability to food security and sovereignty. It also seeks to create a sustainable productive system in a context of climate variability and change, by implementing a design that includes an itinerant structure made of shade net. This reduces risks from frosts, solar radiation, and dryness caused by winds in the soil. All of the above is done in a cost-effective way, as the initial investment is low compared to the food production in each productive system.

Long term project sustainability and maintenance

Maintenance activities are planned for 5 years. Changes are required for affected shade nets, replanting of plant material, and fertilizing the garden area. It is also important to continue strengthening the process of native and creole seed propagation. Long-term ownership/costs will be assumed by the beneficiary community, in coordination with the municipal mayoralties.

Capacities for design and implementation

Knowledge

Scientific and local knowledge played a decisive role in the solution. For zone definition, spatial integration was carried out, including: climate variability and change scenarios, definition of the Main Ecological Structure, pressures, vulnerability and risk analysis, and hydrological modeling of the Lake Tota basin. This determined areas susceptible to the implementation of adaptation measures in the natural systems, economic activities, and education sectors. Finally, existing and potential adaptation measures were prioritized according to the effectiveness criteria established by FEBA and subsequently evaluated considering gender, actor, and conflict analysis. All development of these actions was carried out through local initiatives, highlighting local knowledge, especially in different agricultural practices.

Technology

For the design, the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) was fundamental, particularly for the territorial analysis for adaptation.

Political / Legal

The development of this solution was articulated within the framework of the National Climate Change Policy, specifically aligned with the strategic line of management and conservation of ecosystems and ecosystem services for low-carbon and climate-resilient development. Furthermore, within the framework of the National Adaptation Plan, guidelines were established to address planned adaptation, including implementing adaptation measures. Finally, at the local level, the National Council of Economic and Social Policy (CONPES) document, 3801 of 2014, regulates the environmental management plan for the Lake Tota basin, among its objectives is to increase the development of sustainable productive processes and the diversification of products in the Lake Tota basin. This national framework motivated local teams for the development of this solution and facilitated the justification for its implementation.

Institutional

The local partners for the implementation of the rainwater harvesting measure were the environmental authority: the autonomous corporation of Boyacá (Corpoboyacá) and the Municipal Mayoralties of Tota and Cuitiva. The coordination mechanism was established through framework agreements for the development of climate change adaptation measures. In this, commitments were defined by the parties to ensure adequate coordination in implementation, which has been successful, as it has allowed for adequate management with the local community.

Socio-cultural

Within the framework of the project’s governance and sustainability strategy, guidelines were established to engage in co-development spaces with communities and jointly evaluate specific needs related to climate variability and climate change. Additionally, a survey of rootedness, vulnerability, and dependence was conducted, in order to establish the socio-environmental vulnerability conditions.

Outlook & Scalability

Barriers and adverse effects

The main barrier to the implementation of the solution was the lack of access to water resources for some of the families where the systems were implemented. This was resolved once the rainwater harvesting systems were installed. The solution has no known or expected side effects / adverse effects (e.g., on the ecosystem, on equity in risk distribution) now and in the future.

Transformation and future outlook

It has been determined that in the municipalities of Sogamoso, Tota, and Cuitiva there are high levels of climate risk. This is related to the low investment in improving the agricultural sector, the low percentage of implementation of good agricultural practices, and widespread poverty. This situation could be accentuated by the possible impacts on agroecosystems due to increased droughts, frosts, temperature, and extreme rainfall events in the area, foreseen in climate change scenarios.The “gardens of life” have the potential to provide vulnerable communities with livelihoods that allow them to have products for both commercialization and self-consumption during periods of drought or floods. This is expected to increase their adaptive capacity in the food security dimension.