Strategic environmental assessment for priority basins of the Colombian Andes: dilemmas, challenges and necessities

In Colombia many rivers and other inland aquatic systems, especially into the Andean region (the most populated of the country), suffer several anthropogenic impacts related to land use and land cover compromising their water quality and quantity, and the provision of other goods and ecosystem services for the future. it is imperative that the colombian government may initiate new and updated policies, plans, programs in constant consultation and cooperation with other institutions, civilian and environmental authorities, and researchers from the country (or elsewhere), to obtain amply responsibility on the sustainable river management, especially in this region. Thus, a more integrative watershed river assessment and related riverine issues are necessaries for the current freshwater use and management, and before that new development projects going to start. Decision making regarding concerted solutions should be carried out at the lowest appropriate level, ideally involving all stake holders into a strategic environmental assessment framework (sea). This article discusses several issues about how all Colombians and mainly Andean people can contribute by working together in partnerships with government under the vision and implementation of a sea, towards a more effective and integrated sustainable management of river basins in the Andean region and throughout country. This point of view is supported by a biophysical and social vision related to the Coello River basin in central Colombia (Department of Tolima).