Proyectos multipropósito para la gestión de recursos hídricos en los Andes tropicales: planteamientos generales basados en proceso participativo

In view of an increasing magnitude of climate change impacts, adaptation has turned into a political priority at international level. The direction and attribution of adaptation measures imply a complex analysis process of characteristics and impacts of hydro-climatic and socioenvironmental systems in high-mountain regions. In the Tropical Andes, changes in the hydrological regime –and their subsequent impact on glacier shrinkage and socio-economic development in the region– require robust response mechanisms based on integrative analysis of multidimensional realities and landscapes. In this context, Multi-Purpose Projects for Water Resources (MPP-WR) represent promising strategies in order to deal with current and future challenges in high-mountain regions, considering a transdisciplinary-participatory approach. The present article aims to present a participatory pilot initiative in the field of water resources management and MPP-WR in Andean glacier areas. The workshop, called Winter School, emphasized a structured formulation process for MPP-WR, through which the elements that condition the design of sustainable water projects in the Tropical Andes were identified and analysed (e.g., access to scientific data, social conflicts, institutionality, local culture). Furthermore, through the design and formulation of the MPP, the relevance (and challenges) of a coordinated work between different disciplines and actors was demonstrated, in which both professional experience and local practical knowledge were considered. Future related studies and programmes should take into account the context, variables and scenarios for the formulation (and implementation) of MPP-WR, in order to contribute to robust adaptation measures on the long term in basins with multiple pressures over water resources.