SURCO
Sustainability of Rural Communities
Confronting climate change, water
scarcity and biodiversity loss
Funded by FORMAS
What is the SURCO project?
The project aims to enhance the sustainable development of rural and dispersed communities living in tropical dry areas of Colombia. Reaching that goal requires a firm understanding of the climate-water-biodiversity interactions. We use groundwater resources as a laboratory to study these interactions in ten communities that manage their commons through self-governance models. Groundwater resources are common pool resources (CPR), and the risk of overexploitation is high, leading to the decline of “ecosystem services”. Recently, we also began examining rural communities that suffer the impact of pollution in water-abundant areas.
THE PROJECT BRINGS
Three world-leading universities are working with Colombian universities and local communities to examine the linkages between climate change, water scarcity, and biodiversity loss.
A socio–ecological framework (SES) to study the decision-making process of rural communities in managing local commons (aquifers, forests, grazing land, among others) and Ecosystem Services.
Data collection through social cartography, surveys and interviews, environmental DNA, and behavioral experiments about water governance.
GLOCAL expertise in stakeholder engagement and communication.
Case studies, based on rural communities in Guajira, Sucre, and Chocó, with a focus on adaptation and mitigation.
Economic History about the role of water for commodity production
What is the SURCO project?
The project aims to enhance the sustainable development of rural and dispersed communities living in tropical dry areas of Colombia. Reaching that goal requires a firm understanding of the climate-water-biodiversity interactions. We use groundwater resources as a laboratory to study these interactions in ten communities that manage their commons through self-governance models. Groundwater resources are common pool resources (CPR), and the risk of overexploitation is high, leading to the decline of “ecosystem services”. Recently, we also began examining rural communities that suffer the impact of pollution in water-abundant areas
Project funded by FORMAS (Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development) Diarienummer: 2023-00339.
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THE PROJECT BRINGS
-
Three world-leading universities are working with Colombian universities and local communities to examine the linkages between climate change, water scarcity, and biodiversity loss.
-
A socio–ecological framework (SES) to study the decision-making process of rural communities in managing local commons (aquifers, forests, grazing land, among others) and Ecosystem Services.
-
Data collection through social cartography, surveys and interviews, environmental DNA, and behavioral experiments about water governance.
-
GLOCAL expertise in stakeholder engagement and communication.
-
Case studies, based on rural communities in Guajira, Sucre, and Chocó, with a focus on adaptation and mitigation.
-
Economic History about the role of water for commodity production
-
Funded by FORMAS (Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development) Diarienummer: 2023-00339.
SITES AND COMMUNITIES
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NEWS AND EVENTS
PARTNERS
LIAISONS WITH OTHER INSTITUTIONS
