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How One Colombian Community Set Up a Water Filtration System and is Preparing for Climate Change

One Colombian community has banded together to address the effects of Climate change. When one neighborhood in the Colombian city of Medellín found themselves being overlooked by government organizations, they banded together to create their climate change action plan. Residents in the hillside neighborhood of Comuna Ocho have designed an emergency action plan, set up a water filtration system, and worked to educate residents about the potential effects of climate change.

Comuna Ocho is one of Medellín’s 16 districts. Although Medellín is the second largest city in Colombia, residents of Comuna Ocho are mostly impoverished workers who migrated from more rural areas of the country or people who were displaced by the rising cost of living in other areas. The community is located high on the hillside of a mountain located in the northeast of Medellín.

Despite being considered part of Medellín, the residents of Comuna Ocho do not receive drinking water from the local government. Instead, residents recently banded together to set up a water filtration system that filters water from a nearby creek for residents.

Volunteers also built a retaining wall alongside La Rafita, a ravine that flooded in 2020. The retaining wall will help to reduce the risk that such an event will occur again.

Despite these achievements, residents in the Colombian community continue to worry about how Climate change will affect their neighborhood. Due to Comuna Ocho’s location, the neighborhood may be particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events such as heavy rain or drought. Rain can cause flooding or mudslides, while drought may contribute to erosion.

In light of these fears, community activists have developed a comprehensive neighborhood safety plan. Yellow arrows show people where to head if there is a catastrophe. Residents have also been advised on what actions they should take if an event occurs.

Community leaders have also compiled information about different areas of the neighborhood. This information is reflected in a series of maps that show what environmental issues different residents are most concerned about. The maps also show who lives in which house; knowing who inhabits each residence can make it easier to ensure that vulnerable residents, such as the elderly, are accounted for in case of an emergency.

The Colombian community also monitors the area to best assess potential environmental risks. With resources from a Ministry of Science grant and Support from Pascual Bravo University, community leaders have been able to increase monitoring efforts.

Leaders in Comuna Ocho have also worked to educate community members about the potential risks and impacts of Climate change. Through demonstrations and guest speakers, they have worked to ensure that community members understand the risks that a warming world may pose.

Comuna Ocho is an example of how a community can work together to become more Climate change resilient. However, Climate change disproportionately threatens socially vulnerable groups. This includes low-income people, communities of color, those experiencing homelessness, and immigrant groups. These communities may have fewer resources, making it more difficult for them to deal with the effects of Climate change. For this reason, governmental organizations need to understand how a changing environment will impact these communities and their residents.

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