"Evaluación del conflicto hidrosocial por la actividad minera de cobre en la cuenca alta del Río Mocoa, Departamento del Putumayo, Colombia"

Abstract

The research analyzed the hydrosocial conflict generated by copper mining in the upper Mocoa River basin (Putumayo, Colombia), a highly ecologically fragile territory where strategic ecosystems, indigenous and peasant communities converge, and the Libero Copper mining exploration project. The problem arises from the overlap of mining titles with protected areas such as the Cuenca Alta Forest Reserve, uncertainty about water impacts, and community mistrust of institutions. The overall objective was to propose a sustainable management model for handling and resolving the conflict. A qualitative approach was adopted using a participatory action research method, employing social cartography, problem trees, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups with institutional, community, and academic actors. The results show polarization between actors in favor, neutral, and against the project, with a predominance of critical positions linking mining to risks of water contamination, health impacts, and social breakdown. It is concluded that the conflict transcends the environmental, revealing power struggles, institutional weaknesses, and conflicting development models. Participatory strategies are proposed that are oriented toward transformative dialogue, strengthening water governance, community environmental monitoring, and legal defense of the territory, integrated into the Basin Management Plan.