The management of water providing strategic ecosystems. The case of the basins that supply Medellin and Bogota in Colombia

The population growth and the urban concentration involve a sustained increment in water demand, which requires an adequate effort and management of the ecosystems that provide the liquid to guarantee a plenty future offer. The performance of the entities in charge of the management of such ecosystems and the results obtained in the basins that supply drinkable water to two cities in Colombia are analyzed; financial topics and their relation with the local community are considered. Management is delegated to governmental entities, whose work is insufficient and unsatisfactory. Thus, application of economical, legal and social tools is proposed in order to improve ecosystem's conservation and life quality of farmers that inhabit in their influence areas, partially transferring management to the local community's orbit.