Environmental authorities enabled a forum on your website www.corpoguajira.gov.co for the guajiros contribute their insights and suggestions on the plan.

The Regional Autonomous Corporation of La Guajira (Corpoguajira), It is working on a draft standard, enabling design guidelines for the implementation of the Environmental Management Plan Groundwater in the municipality of Maicao, to protect and preserve the quality of water resources, oriented towards sustainability and perpetuation of groundwater and to the economic viability, taking into account the environmental costs and benefits, social and environmental management and operational investments to maintain sustainable use of water.

For the development of this project, The following planning instruments were considered: management and protection of aquifer, management of catchments abandoned, efficiency and water saving, Construction time series data, geoelectric exploration, numerical model, equipment to indigenous communities, fee for water use, groundwater exploration permit, concessions groundwater; which were proposed considering knowledge strategies, planning, conservation, efficient and sustainable use of water resources, monitoring, monitoring and evaluation of water quality.

Maicao aquifer is objective within the guidelines of the departmental water policy and Corpoguajira, because their problem is closely related to the low coverage of drinking water in the city and rural area that cater only river basin Carraipía – Paraguachón. Thus, the same villagers have built wells without preliminary study for their location and depth, then the possibility exists that the aquifer is contaminated with seepage water from septic tanks that are near wells, and likewise of the overexploitation of these as there is no type of control would lead to future premature depletion of groundwater.

"This plan will help to change the current culture to the misuse of water that exists in Maicao, working for the preservation of this natural resource vital to humans and the environment; additionally associated waste will be minimized with the use of water operations and avoid damage to other natural resources and maintaining ecological functions, soil integrity and ecosystem services ", Romero Perez explains Arcesio, General Manager Corpoguajira.

In order to conclude with the community, the construction of this plan, Corpoguajira has set up a forum on your website www.corpoguajira.gov.co, in which the peasants can bring their appreciations, suggestions, concerns or comments and in this way to advance this process in a joint manner. The forum will be open until next Friday 19 August 2011. Based on comments from foristas, the proposed Environmental Management Plan Groundwater in the municipality of Maicao be enriched, then be adopted by the Corporation.

More information: www.corpoguajira.gov.co