The need for protecting water resources, identified by the key players in the San Jerónimo basin, allowed for the establishment of the Basin Committee as a coordinating and negotiating agent. This Committee aims to implement joint operations towards the sustainable use of the basin’s water resources. The Committee includes representatives of all main users and their functions, including irrigation, pisciculture, hydroelectricity, tourism, domestic uses and others.
The Committee’s main objectives are: to preserve and to properly use the San Jeronimo basin’s natural resources, to fortify the abilities of its members in the integrated management of the natural resources and to motivate the key players of the river basin to preserve and adequately use its natural resources. The creation of the San Jeronimo Basin Committee is aimed at contributing to this problem’s solution. This Committee is enabling both the recovery of the river basin and the creation of alternative sources of income for its inhabitants through more efficient use of the resource.
The San Jeronimo Basin Committee acts as a negotiating body between all the basin’s users. The Committee comprises main water users representing various functions, including agricultural irrigation, aquaculture, hydroelectric use, human consumption and tourism. Its mission is to implement integrated management of the sub-basin, as well as to preserve biodiversity to ensure the socioeconomic well-being of the population and of water consumers. The creation of the Committee has allowed for strengthened coordination between all the different key players involved, and the development of joint activities aimed at preserving the river basin and promoting sustainable water use.