Climate Risk Informed Decision Analysis (CRIDA) for Strengthening Water Resource Management in the Katari River Basin (Bolivia)

The Katari River Basin, located in the Bolivian Altiplano and draining into Lake Titicaca, faces increasing pressures from climate change, rapid urbanization, industrial development, mining activities, and water pollution. These pressures threaten water security, ecosystem health, and the livelihoods of Indigenous and rural communities that depend on the basin for agriculture, livestock production, and fisheries.

Climate adaptation in water management is often challenged by deep uncertainty regarding future hydroclimatic conditions. To address this challenge, this project applies the Climate Risk Informed Decision Analysis (CRIDA) framework, developed by UNESCO-IHP and partners, to support the identification of robust and flexible adaptation pathways for the Katari River Basin. The initiative combines hydrological modelling, climate change projections, and participatory planning processes to strengthen long-term water resource management.

A central component of the project is the active involvement of Indigenous communities, local authorities, government institutions, researchers, and civil society organizations in the co-production of knowledge and adaptation strategies. Through participatory workshops, vulnerability assessments, and collaborative dialogue, the project seeks to ensure that local knowledge, community priorities, and scientific evidence jointly inform decision-making processes.

Beyond strengthening climate resilience, the project explores how climate adaptation planning can become more inclusive and equitable by placing vulnerable groups at the center of decision-making. In doing so, it contributes to ongoing efforts to improve water governance, environmental justice, and climate adaptation in one of Bolivia’s most socially and environmentally challenged river basins.