In 2008, Charges municipality decided to coordinate an Integrated Water Management Plan with an initial three year horizon, aiming to lessen risks triggered by the environmental degradation and to improve user’s life quality. The main objectives were:
- Risk and water resources integrated management.
- Actions for natural resources conservation.
- Strengthening of governments and local organizations for the implementation of the Integrated Water Management Plan (2008-2020) and the sustainable development in the basin.
- Develop infrastructure to improve water systems.
- Awareness-raising about water to achieve a better attitude of communities towards the natural environment.
One of the most important activities was the management and maintenance of forests in the sub-basin to conserve and protect the hydrological regime. More so, four water protected zones with a total area of 521.7 ha were established. A hydrological corridor was also delineated ensuring the connectivity of water resources while guaranteeing the conservation of ecosystems to support the proliferation of wildlife. This contributed to improving the quality and quantity of water, reverse the fragmentation of ecosystems and protect groundwater recharge areas. In addition, workshops that encouraged participatory processes, analysis and self-reflection were conducted in order to encourage participants’ commitment to initiate and implement procedures of community organizations.
At the same time, this activity was accompanied by the improvement of the water systems (aqueducts), from the construction of storage tanks, improvement of the collection boxes, improvements to the conduction lines, installation and improvement of the equipment for the disinfection of water (chlorinators), which guarantees that the population of the communities in the basin consumes good quality water, this allows the percentage of contracting gastrointestinal diseases to be lower, especially in the infantile population.