Watershed Management

PROMIC – a Regional Pilot Program

The valley of Cochabamba in Bolivia is home to more than 1 million inhabitants. Settlements suffer a high risk of flooding and mudflows, originating in the surrounding mountain range. At the same time, this Cordillera provides drinking and irrigation water to the arid valley below.

The Programa Manejo Integral de Cuencas PROMIC was an initiative by the departmental administration, with support from the Swiss Government. It developed a successful regional approach to integrated watershed management. Results were essential to create the national plan for integrated watershed management and for conflict mediation between upstream and downstream water users.

Services: Research, overall project concept, operational development of the pilot project with 5 main components, including sustainable mountain agriculture and agro-forestry, torrent control, research and digital measuring network, GIS-based modelling.