Rainwater harvesting and irrigation in the Tota Lake basin Colombia

Multiple Authors
    3 Page views
  • November 10, 2025
  • 2 min read
  • Likes
Agricultural practices with rainwater harvesting. Credit: AICCA

Summary

In the Lake Tota basin, Colombia, the effects of climate change, and especially climate variability during the dry season, have led to greater uncertainty regarding water resource availability. Climate change scenarios for the region show that for the period 2026-2050, changes in rainfall and a general increase in climate variability are expected, with increases of more than 100% in precipitation or reductions of 80% predicted (Armenta Porras, 2019). Additionally, it is estimated that the agricultural demand of sub-basins with very high climate risk ranges from 37.7 L/s in Quebrada Aguablanca, 33.0 L/s in Quebrada la Mugre, and 90.5 L/s in the Tobal River (Peña, 2020). These are considerably high values compared to other sub-basins. This situation causes greater uncertainty about the availability of water resources, generating pressure and conflicts within the community to secure it.

These intense projected climate variations, coupled with water overuse, could lead to water deficit events, crop loss, detriment to livelihoods, shortages, and economic losses, among others. This implies important challenges in water management and usage practices, both for productive activities and for domestic use.

Rainwater harvesting is a practice that seeks to collect excess water from precipitation and convey it through channels for later use (Hirozumi, 2015). To intercept rainwater, surfaces available within a property or farm, such as roofs, tiles, sheets, and plastic surfaces, are usually used. It is estimated that for the system to function, a single or double-pitched roof structure with a minimum slope of approximately 3% is necessary  (Paredes & Sindy, 2019).

Rainwater harvesting systems are mainly composed of the following elements:

  • Catchment surface
  • Conveyance system
  • Storage tank
  • Water filter.

The systems vary according to the storage capacity for rainwater harvesting, and the needs of the different activities of producers or families (Sánchez Rodríguez, 2020). The practice allows to collect and use for water for different uses such as domestic, agricultural, or animal consumption, resulting in lower costs for the community in both capturing and transporting the resource. Additionally, this measure increases resilience capacity for families who do not have constant access to water during climate variability and phenomena related to climate change, such as droughts or prolonged dry seasons .

Climate change scenarios resulting in an increase in temperature ranging from 0.85 to 0.88 °C have been identified as a threat in the area, which may eventually cause changes in water availability. In addition, it is known that livelihoods in the Lake Tota basin community are affected during the dry season. Therefore, rainwater harvesting would increase the adaptive capacity of the community and improve the resilience of agricultural systems, as it establishes an alternative water source. This can contribute to reducing impacts from water shortages, a fundamental resource for agricultural activity, which is predominant in the basin.

The objective of this adaptation measure is to strengthen the resilience of productive systems in the Lake Tota basin through rainwater harvesting systems in areas with climate risks related to changes in water availability. Additionally, it is expected that the measure contributes to an increase in the adaptive capacity of communities through capacity building processes for the proper use and management of water, with a focus on responding to hydrometeorological phenomena derived from climate variability and change.

Overview

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

  • Andes

Province:
  • Boyacá
Site locations:

  • Aquitania municipality

Solution scale:
Ecosystem type(s):
Solution type(s):
Sector(s):
Climate impact(s) addressed:
Other climate impact(s) addressed:
  • Changes in rainfall patterns and intensity, unsustainable use of local resources, productivity loss, crop loss, reduced water availability, reduced food security.
Climate impact time-scale(s):
Main benefit associated with the solution:
Other benefit(s) associated with the solution implementation:
  • Reduction of vulnerability related to water
Co-benefit(s) associated with the solution implementation:
Sendai targets:
SDGs:

Solution details

Main beneficiaries & outcomes

The beneficiaries of the solution are women from the municipality of Aquitania, belonging to the Association of Proactive Rural Women of Aquitania (ASOMUC). This organization is a key actor in the territory, having experience in converting crops to good agricultural practices (BPAs). It works to vindicate the rights of women in Aquitania and ensure food security, and aims at transforming their environment to guarantee a healthier and safer place for their children. The solution is widely accessible; there are various designs that vary according to the conditions of the property or farm. It was implemented with only one actor.

The main benefit associated with the implementation of rainwater harvesting is the reduction of vulnerability related to water. With the implementation of this solution, the community’s adaptive capacity is increased, and the resilience of agricultural systems is improved, because it establishes an alternative water source against predominant climate variations that accentuate drought events or intense summers. Additionally, it contributes to reducing impacts from water shortages, a fundamental resource for agricultural activity, which is the main livelihood in the Lake Tota basin.

Co-benefits of the solution include:

  • Increased resilience capacity of productive systems with Good Agricultural Practices.
  • Strengthening of beneficiaries’ technical and organizational capacity.
  • Strengthening of family food security.
  • Support in generating leadership and entrepreneurship capacities.
  • Recognition of local and ancestral knowledge.
  • Decreased production losses due to drought periods.
  • Decreased production costs.
  • Support for the family economy of beneficiaries.
  • Decreased water demand in adjacent channels to the implementation zones.
  • Sustainable water management.

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 was 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, coordination was carried out by Luz Ángela Sánchez and her work team.

The methodology for the design and implementation of the rainwater harvesting adaptation measure can be summarized as:

  • Socio-environmental diagnosis: an analysis of the territorial context of the study area’s relevant aspects was carried out, characterizing the main productive systems, ecosystems, actors, level of governance, and agricultural systems with good agricultural practices.
  • Development of the Territorial Analysis for Adaptation: inputs were integrated into the analysis to define adaptation needs in the territory.
  • Beneficiary selection: A general review of the communities that were found to have medium to high susceptibility in the previous analysis was carried out, and a survey of vulnerability and dependence was applied. This allowed to identify priorities in the communities for this type of adaptation measure.
  • Design of rainwater harvesting systems – Mapping of ecosystems and land use: this consisted in identifying the main activities within the property or farm, describing the socio-ecosystems, and analyzing the topography. With this information, problems and limitations related to water use and conservation were identified, and alternatives for the design of rainwater harvesting systems were analyzed.
  • Construction and implementation: This phase dependen on the property and its characteristics. In general, the main actions can be summarized as:
    • Site preparation and conditioning activities, such as leveling.
    • Installation of catchment 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.
  • Training on the correct functioning of the harvesting practice.
  • Preparation of a maintenance manual for rainwater harvesting systems.

The stakeholders are:

  • 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 processes of the systems.

Finance

The project was funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).Funding was provided as a grant. The total cost of the solution (basic unit: 1 rainwater harvesting system with 5,000 L capacity) is $1,345.23 USD. Key expenditure items include: Studies ($257.00), Labor ($117.65), Inputs and materials ($882.35), Training and technical support ($88.23).

Innovation

The adaptation measure of rainwater harvesting focuses on the sustainable use and management of water. Creating a self-sustainable productive system in a context of climate variability and change is one of the main challenges. With the implementation process, this challenge was satisfactorily met, and various strategies have also been established to strengthen the value chain of agricultural systems that implement this measure. This is especially true concerning the strengthening of these actions with green markets and organizational strengthening. This seeks to expand this action into more comprehensive processes that help provide sustainability to the process and effectively contribute to reducing the vulnerability of beneficiary communities in the medium and long term in the scenario of the global climate crisis.

Long term project sustainability and maintenance

Maintenance activities planned are: Adjustment of gutters, change of hoses, and cleaning of tanks. These activities are in place for 5 years. Long term ownership/costs will be assumed by the ASOMUC Organization, which is part of the beneficiary community.

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 (MEP), 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. Finally, at the local level, the National Council of Economic and Social Policy (CONPES) regulates the environmental management plan for the Lake Tota basin. Its objectives include increasing 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 Autonomous Corporation of Boyacá (Corpoboyacá) and the Municipal Mayor’s Office of Aquitania. The coordination mechanism was established through framework agreements for the development of climate change adaptation measures. Commitments were defined by the parties to guarantee adequate coordination in the implementation.

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.

Outlook & Scalability

Barriers and adverse effects

The main barrier to the implementation of the solution was the management of topography and diverse terrain conditions. Leveling actions were carried out to adapt the terrain, and this situation was overcome during the implementation process. The solution has no known or expected side effects / adverse effects now or in the future.

Transformation and future outlook

With the development of the solution, impacts related to accentuated climate changes will be faced, allowing the adaptive capacity of rural communities to be increased and their resilience to be improved;  implementation provides an alternative source of water for different uses, as well as the possibility of storing it in the face of eventual drought or water scarcity events. It is a highly viable measure in mountainous ecosystems since the slope favors the amount of water that could be collected.

Potential for upscaling and replication

It is desirable to expand the solution, as a global increase in temperature can cause strong impacts on water availability, especially in vulnerable populations. With its implementation, water use is improved, and conflicts over water use are reduced.