Bogotá DC: Mayors with a vision for the future?

What will future generations think, 20 years from now, when they learn that their city experienced a water crisis that was foreseeable and preventable, but that no one dared to solve in time?

The water rationing faced by the city of Bogotá (which remains vulnerable due to a lack of definitive solutions), which impacted more than eight million people, is not simply a consequence of climate change.

(You can read: Bogotá Treasury launched a special day for tax payment agreements ).

It is, above all, the result of a persistent absence of vision and leadership in the holistic planning and execution of strategic (sustainable) infrastructure that guarantees basic well-being: such as water .

A project like the Chingaza system , run by the Bogotá Water and Sewer Company (EAAB) - which includes the Chuza dam, pipeline tunnels and the treatment plant - requires between 15 and 20 years to go from idea to operation.

Since 2010, more than five mayors have served in the city; some see it as a leap toward the presidency. However, today we face a situation that reflects a profound disconnect between environmental urgency and political will .

Uncontrolled growth

The uncontrolled expansion of Bogotá's savannah is alarming. Between 2005 and 2020, municipalities such as Cota, Chía, and Cajicá grew by 31%; Funza, Mosquera, and Madrid by 43%; and Soacha by 37% (Juan Guillermo Yunda, PhD in Regional Planning. El Tiempo, June 17, 2020) .

(You can read: Do you receive a guaranteed minimum income? The Bogotá Mayor's Office announced an important change .)

On the other hand, from 2005 to 2018, Gachancipá, Tocancipá, Sopó and La Calera grew by 41% (Strategic Plan. ProBogotá, Bogotá Chamber of Commerce November 2021).

Urban and industrial pressure has turned the water supply through the EAAB (Water Supply and Reclamation System) into a bottomless pit, through direct provision or bulk sales of water to municipalities in the Sabana. This policy, lacking sustainable management, affects the Tibitoc system —one of the three systems that supplies the city, accounting for 50% of its water supply—which draws water from the Bogotá River, whose environmental conditions upstream from the intake are rapidly deteriorating.

This raises treatment costs and represents a growing risk to public health, in addition to the uncertainty of the continuity of its operation .

Short-term decisions have brought us here. The problem isn't just one of infrastructure; it's also one of governance. We need leaders, not just administrators.

Bogotá needs inspiring leaders with credibility and long-term vision .

(We recommend: Last days to apply for property tax payment in installments in Bogotá ).

Leaders capable of coordinating with regional and national actors, of convening political adversaries when it comes to the public interest, and of leaving behind sustainable public goods, not scandals or improvisations. A transcendent objective is the creation of the Capital District as a metropolitan area, contemplated in Article 325 of the National Constitution , which would allow for comprehensive territorial planning, the efficient provision of the services under its charge, with a sustainable approach to land use and water management. This instrument, more than a legal framework, must become the driving force behind a new metropolitan development model.

What legacy does the mayor want to leave?

Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán has a historic opportunity. He may be remembered as the man who managed a city under the pressure of rationing, or as the leader who promoted the process of responsible metropolitan development and decisively addressed structural solutions for the city's public services and goods.

These include the expansion of the Chingaza system , the incorporation of new water sources from Sumapaz , the strengthening of waste treatment and disposal, the renovation of cemeteries, energy security, and the modernization of road infrastructure.

(Also: Why is Colombia the country with the most rented homes in Latin America? )

All within the criteria of efficient use of natural resources and appropriate environmental compensation. The decisions made today will shape the lives of millions for decades to come. Will we have the courage to think beyond the next term? JAIME SALAMANCA LEÓN Former Director of the CRA. Board of Directors Consultant. Value Creation. [email protected]