How does the Paramo capture and store water? The role of plants and people
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Bristol
Department Name: Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Planned Impact
Our project's high level goal is to safeguard the sustainable use of the Northern Andean Páramos and so ultimately improve the livelihoods and wellbeing of people living in Colombia and other Andean countries. The proposed research, which aims to substantially enhance current understanding of the Páramos' socio-ecological system, forms a core step towards this goal. The project aims to achieve measurable impact in terms of real changes in people's knowledge, skills and behaviours associated to the Páramos.
Stakeholder groups which we have identified and targeted are:
1.The Páramo Guantiva-la Rusia local farming communities, who rely on the Páramo for their livelihood, will benefit from this project by learning more about their role and impact on the functioning of the Páramo, information which could help support their decision making.
2. The Páramo Guantiva-la Rusia local decision makers, who have a direct impact on the local economy and sustainable use of the Páramo, will benefit by learning about the role of plants and people in the functioning of the Páramo. They will also benefit from the land cover and Páramo status maps and the Páramo valuation the project will produce which will help them in their decision making.
3. Colombian early career scientists and students and who are seeking opportunities for exchanges in expertise within Colombia and between Colombia and UK through collaborations and training. Through the field work bursaries we will be providing opportunities for Colombian early career scientist and students to join the project's activities and so expose them to the expertise of UK and Colombian senior scientists. They will also gain skills and knowledge through informal and formal training that will occur during the planned field campaign and workshops. The four months research visits to the UK offered to 2 Colombian early career scientists will further enhance the exchange of expertise and skills and facilitate international networking.
4. The Colombian community of practitioners and researchers who are interested in Drone technology and are keen to exchange drone experiences through an informal national drone network. This community will benefit from sharing with the UK experiences and from evaluating the collected drone imagery collected by the project.
The project will also be relevant to a variety of other stakeholder groups who will be: for example, national and international NGOs who are concerned with the preservation of the Páramo, or who are interested in the welfare of the local communities; regional and national decision makers and policy makers who are concerned with the sustainable use of the Páramo within the context of the national green economy agenda; private companies for whom the Páramo is a resource of genetic diversity, water or minerals; and the general public (Colombian and UK).
Stakeholder groups which we have identified and targeted are:
1.The Páramo Guantiva-la Rusia local farming communities, who rely on the Páramo for their livelihood, will benefit from this project by learning more about their role and impact on the functioning of the Páramo, information which could help support their decision making.
2. The Páramo Guantiva-la Rusia local decision makers, who have a direct impact on the local economy and sustainable use of the Páramo, will benefit by learning about the role of plants and people in the functioning of the Páramo. They will also benefit from the land cover and Páramo status maps and the Páramo valuation the project will produce which will help them in their decision making.
3. Colombian early career scientists and students and who are seeking opportunities for exchanges in expertise within Colombia and between Colombia and UK through collaborations and training. Through the field work bursaries we will be providing opportunities for Colombian early career scientist and students to join the project's activities and so expose them to the expertise of UK and Colombian senior scientists. They will also gain skills and knowledge through informal and formal training that will occur during the planned field campaign and workshops. The four months research visits to the UK offered to 2 Colombian early career scientists will further enhance the exchange of expertise and skills and facilitate international networking.
4. The Colombian community of practitioners and researchers who are interested in Drone technology and are keen to exchange drone experiences through an informal national drone network. This community will benefit from sharing with the UK experiences and from evaluating the collected drone imagery collected by the project.
The project will also be relevant to a variety of other stakeholder groups who will be: for example, national and international NGOs who are concerned with the preservation of the Páramo, or who are interested in the welfare of the local communities; regional and national decision makers and policy makers who are concerned with the sustainable use of the Páramo within the context of the national green economy agenda; private companies for whom the Páramo is a resource of genetic diversity, water or minerals; and the general public (Colombian and UK).
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
Maria Escobar-Tello (Principal Investigator) |
Description | This research has allowed us to identify the links between a particular type of conservation that is based on the expulsion of local communities and their livelihoods and ways of living from their territories and an economic model based of a neoliberal privatisation and appropriation of natural resources, in this case water. We have presented on our findings at various academic and non-academic events. |
Exploitation Route | Our outcomes could be used by different Colombian beneficiaries to better design and implement conservation initiatives (for example Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Agriculture); to better investigate and incorporate communities in the understanding of environmental problems (Instituto Humboldt, which is the main environmental research institute in Colombia) and by communities by drawing from our arguments and narratives when raising their voice in public debates about conservation initiatives that affect them. |
Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Environment |
Description | Arthur Hosier Bequest, Bristol Veterinary School |
Amount | £330 (GBP) |
Organisation | University of Bristol |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 11/2019 |
End | 11/2019 |
Description | 'Interrogating land and water use change in the Colombian Andes' Blog in CABOT Institute website |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | We published a blog entry under the Water Theme within the CABOT Institute website blog called 'Interrogating land and water use change in the Colombian Andes'. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://cabot-institute.blogspot.com/2019/03/interrogating-land-and-water-use-change.html |
Description | Academic community event in Tunja, Boyacá, Colombia |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | The projects research findings were presented to students from the UPTC University and were followed by a workshop designed to discuss the findings and identify specific research gaps and potential new collaborations. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Community event in Duitama, Boyacá, Colombia |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | The projects research findings were presented to farmers, local authorities and local NGOs from Duitama and were followed by a workshop designed to discuss the findings and identify specific ways in which the local community could use them to protect their livelihoods and the ecosystem on which they depend. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Community event in Susacón, Boyacá, Colombia |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | The projects research findings were presented to farmers, local authorities and local NGOs from Susacón and were followed by a workshop designed to discuss the findings and identify specific ways in which the local community could use them to protect their livelihoods and the ecosystem on which they depend. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Fieldtrip blog under the project's website. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | We published a blog entry reporting on our first fieldwork campain under the project's website. The entry is called PARAGUAS First social science field trip |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://paraguas.ceh.ac.uk/news-and-media/news/first-social-science-field-trip |
Description | Hay Festival, Cartagena, Colombia |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | I was one of three panellists interviewed by a BBS journalist during a session on Conservation and Research during the Hay Festival that took place in Cartagena de Indias in Colombia. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://www.hayfestival.com/cartagena/projects |
Description | Interrogating land and water use change in the Colombian Andes, Socio-ecological tensions, farming and habitat conservation in Guantiva-La Rusia |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Coinciding with World Water Day and at the request of the Cabot Institute, we published this post on Cabot´s blog introducing the social science component of PARAGUAS |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://cabot-institute.blogspot.com/2019/03/interrogating-land-and-water-use-change.html |
Description | Programme Impact Event to showcase integration of all the funded projects |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | This two-day event brought together Colombian researchers and policy-makers and representatives from each of the funded projects. Day 1 was used to share the key findings and recommendations from all the projects and discuss them with beneficiaries, particularly to identify ways in which they could be acted on to create tangible impact. Day 2 was devoted to more specific in-depth discussion of some research results. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Talk by invitation of policy-maker Corpoboyacá during a Forum they organised 06/07/2020 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Corpoboyacá wanted to present the work that the project has been doing in the region and discuss preliminary findings. My talk as leader of the social sciences component reflected work by Bristol, Loughborough and Edinburgh Universities. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |