Water conflicts, violations and forms of self-protection, phase 1

A multi-case study in Eastern Antioquia, Colombia

Socio-environmental conflicts are understood as those arising from the contradiction between antagonistic forms of appropriation, productive management, distribution and significance of nature. This research project focused on water as the structuring axis of hydro-social relations and on the conflicts that arise over its control and use. It sought to document the environmental conflicts related to concession processes for hydroelectric projects on the rivers La Paloma, Santo Domingo and Dormilón, with emphasis on three municipalities in Eastern Antioquia (Colombia) – Argelia, San Francisco and San Luis – in order to recognise both the particular forms of violation and their actors, as well as the self-protection strategies deployed by the inhabitants and organizations.

IX Festival del Agua, Sonsón, 2017

RESEARCH TEAM

  • Beatriz Arias López, Universidad de Antioquia (principal investigator)
  • Hernán Dario Pineda Gómez, Universidad de Antioquia 
  • Mateo Valderrama, Asociación Campesina de Antioquia – ACA
  • Juan David Arias, Grupo De investigación Territorio, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana
  • Jessica Restrepo, Grupo De investigación Territorio Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana
  • Vanessa Vasco Vargas, Corporación Jurídica Libertad

PROJECT OUTPUTS

Project Brochure

Let the rivers be for life! Self-protection and community care (English)
¡Qué los ríos sean para la vida! Autoprotección y cuidado comunitario (Spanish)

Three short films: Let the rivers be for life!

Introduction/Reel: ¡Que los ríos sean para la vida! | Let the rivers be for life!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWLWlqO4RWo

Short Film 1: Argelia, Antioquia, Colombia: Río La Paloma | La Paloma River
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ven7udKbXmI&t=46s

Short Film 2: San Francisco, Antioquia Colombia: Río Santo Domingo | Santo
Domingo River
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq6dLbKkr2U&t=20s

Short Film 3: San Luis, Antioquia, Colombia: Rio Dormilón | Dormilón River
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28VZXfAptbU&t=146s

Journal Article

Arias López, Beatriz Elena, Laura Jiménez Ospina, Vanessa Vasco Vargas, and Elsa Pilar Parra Mojica, ‘Autoprotección, solastalgia y cuidado en los conflictos por el agua: estudio multicaso en el oriente antioqueño, Colombia’ [Self-protection, solastalgia and care in water conflicts: a multi-case study in Eastern Antioquia, Colombia], Aguga y Territorio | Water and Landscape, 25: e8111, 2025 (online first, 2024).

PHASE II

This project has led to a second continuation phase. Read more about Phase II.

MAP OF RESEARCH AREA


22. What are the requirements for the Letter of Support from the Lead Organisation?

A Letter of Support must be provided from the Lead Organisation, and should be signed by someone with the appropriate level of authority within the organisation – this should be someone other than the Principal Investigator. The letter should be on letter-headed paper, and consist of the following statement:

“I am pleased to confirm that [name of Principal Investigator] is authorised to apply for this Creating Safer Space grant on behalf of our organisation. If the project is awarded funding, our organisation will provide full support to enable the Principal Investigator to carry out the project. The Principal Investigator will be permitted to carry out the project in their work time.”

There is no need to provide any further information. The letter will be checked to ensure the applicant’s eligibility, but will not be shared with the Funding Panel and will not otherwise form part of the review process.

Next FAQ

Back to FAQ overview


23. What are the requirements for the Letter of Support from the Co-Investigators’ Organisations?

A Letter of Support must be provided from each Co-Investigator’s Organisation, and should be signed by someone with the appropriate level of authority within the organisation – this should be someone other than the Co-Investigator. The letter should be on letter-headed paper, and consist of the following statement:

“I am pleased to confirm that [name of Co-Investigator] is authorised to apply for this Creating Safer Space grant on behalf of our organisation. If the project is awarded funding, our organisation will provide full support to enable the Co-Investigator to carry out the project. The Co-Investigator will be permitted to carry out the project in their work time.”

There is no need to provide any further information. The letter will be checked to ensure the applicant’s eligibility, but will not be shared with the Funding Panel and will not otherwise form part of the review process.

Next FAQ

Back to FAQ overview


24. What are the requirements for the Letter of Support from Project Partners?

A Letter of Support must be provided from each Project Partner, and should be signed by someone with the appropriate level of authority within the organisation. The letter should be written when the proposal is being prepared and should be targeted specifically to the project. Each letter of support should be max. 2 pages of A4 on headed paper.

The letter should articulate the benefits of the collaboration to the Project Partner, and the relevance of the project to the Project Partner’s wider work. For example, if the Project Partner’s main aim is to support people who have been displaced by conflict in a particular region, does the project have the potential to support that work and to benefit those displaced people?

The letter should also identify the role of the Project Partner in the project, the full nature of the collaboration or the support that it will provide, and how the Project Partner will provide added value to the project. Project Partner letters of support that merely indicate that an organisation is interested in the research are not permitted – Project Partners should always play an integral role in the proposed research (e.g. facilitating access to research participants etc.) or in furthering the research’s dissemination and knowledge exchange (e.g. organising/hosting a dissemination event, pledging to seek to integrate research findings into the organisation’s practices etc.).

Next FAQ

Back to FAQ overview


25. What are the requirements for CVs?

A Curriculum Vitae (CV) of the Principal Investigator and each Co-Investigator is required, and should include basic information about education, employment history, academic responsibilities, as well as publications and other outputs. CVs should be max. 3 pages of A4 each, and they should be written in Arial font, size 11 or larger, using standard 2 cm margins.

Back to FAQ overview


Dr Meg Tiddeman

Aberystwyth University, UK
Finance and Contracts Officer

Meg Tiddeman ensures the relevant contracts with project partners are in place and is in charge of processing all payments related to the Creating Safer Space Award. She will gladly answer all your questions about these subjects.


Dr Katja Daniels

Aberystwyth University, UK
Academic Network Manager

Katja Daniels supports the Principal Investigator in managing the Creating Safer Space network. She organises the network’s international funding competitions, supports successful projects during set-up and implementation, arranges events and meetings, develops network policies and procedures, monitors and reports on progress, and is responsible for network communications (monthly newsletter, website, YouTube). She looks forward to contributing to the synthesis of Creating Safer Space results and to making sure outputs are easily accessible and informative.


Prof Chantana Banpasirichote Wungaeo

Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
Co-Investigator

Chantana Wungaeo is a Associate Professor at the Department of Government at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok. She specialises in conflict transformation and is an engaged member of numerous peace organisations in Asia. She leads the Creating Safer Space activities in Southeast Asia.

Websites:

http://pioneer.netserv.chula.ac.th/~cbanpas/chantana/curriculum.htm

https://th.linkedin.com/in/chantana-banpasirichote-wungaeo-66319547


Ms Rosemary Okello-Orlale

Strathmore Business School, Kenya
Co-Investigator

Rosemary Okello-Orlale is the Director of Africa Media Hub at Strathmore University Business School. She is committed to improving the media sector in Kenya and beyond, with a particular focus on gender and development issues. She leads on the Creating Safer Space activities in East Africa and is particularly interested in exploring the role of media communication strategies and digital data in enhancing local civilian protection capacity.

Websites:

https://svai.africa/our-people/rosemary-okello-orlale-strathmore-business-school/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosemary-okello-orlale/


Prof Roger Mac Ginty

Durham University, UK
Co-Investigator

Roger Mac Ginty is a Professor in Defence, Diplomacy and Development at Durham University’s School of Government and International Affairs, specialising in critical peace and conflict studies. He develops a UCP Design, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning mechanism and research with and for Creating Safer Space partners.

Websites:

https://rogermacginty.com

https://www.dur.ac.uk/directory/profile/?id=17299

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rogermacginty