Paramo, society and governance

Progress and challenges in the participatory management of the upper Bogotá River basin in the Guacheneque Paramo, Colombia

Abstract

The article analyzes the socio-ecological relationships between the headwaters of the Bogotá River and the Guacheneque paramo, as well as the effectiveness of the political and legal instruments aimed at the management and conservation of paramos in Colombia. Based on a qualitative approach grounded in socio-ecological systems theory and participatory environmental governance, it examines the interactions among the biophysical, socioeconomic, and institutional components of the Guacheneque paramo, located in the departments of Boyacá and Cundinamarca. Through documentary review, legal analysis, and verification of institutional information, the article identifies progress resulting from Law 1930 of 2018, but also relevant challenges associated with the formulation and implementation of the Environmental Management Plan, institutional fragmentation, socio-environmental conflicts, and limited effective participation of local communities. It concludes that the conservation of the headwaters of the Bogotá River and the Guacheneque paramo requires strengthening participatory territorial governance models. This requires the active integration of traditional communities as central actors in decision-making, recognizing their ancestral knowledge and fundamental role in ecosystem conservation, while integrating ecological protection with the social, economic, and cultural dimensions of the territory.