Colombia: National Policy for Integrated Water Resources Management (PNGIRH)

The National Policy for Integrated Water Resources Management (PNGIRH), formulated in 2010 by Colombia's Ministry of Environment, Housing and Territorial Development, establishes objectives, strategies, targets, indicators and lines of action to guide integrated and sustainable water management nationwide. Its overall objective is to ensure the sustainability of water resources through efficient and effective management and use, coordinated with land-use planning, ecosystem conservation and the participation of stakeholders involved in water management. The policy is structured around six objectives: conserving ecosystems and hydrological processes on which water supply depends; assessing, quantifying and optimizing water demand; improving water quality and reducing pollution; developing integrated management of risks associated with water supply and availability; strengthening institutions responsible for water resources management; and consolidating water governance. Its strategies include water resources planning and management, information generation and management, institutional strengthening, stakeholder coordination, participation and monitoring. The National Water Plan is the principal mechanism for implementing its lines of action. The policy was formulated with a twelve-year horizon corresponding to the 2010–2022 period.