PLAN DIRECTOR DE LA CUENCA DEL RÍO ROCHA

The Master Plan for the Rocha River Basin addresses critical water scarcity, pollution, and ecosystem degradation in the Cochabamba Department of Bolivia. It outlines five strategic lines—water management, sustainable basin management, institutional strengthening, knowledge management, and water culture—to improve water security and resilience. Key goals by 2040 include increasing safe water access to 834,049 people and reducing the total water deficit by 227 hm3, while mitigating risks from climate-induced precipitation changes and temperature increases.

• The Rocha River Basin faces severe water security challenges; by 2025, safe water supply capacity is estimated to cover only 66% of demand, with the Sulty sub-basin as low as 49%. Under drought conditions with a 30-year return period, supply capacity drops to 30% of the total population.
• Sanitation coverage is inadequate, averaging 64% in the region. Approximately 520,000 inhabitants lack basic sewerage services, and only 70% of wastewater in Cochabamba city is treated at the Alba Rancho plant.
• Agricultural water demand is significantly unmet, with only 49% of the potential 40,002 ha under optimal irrigation. Unsatisfied demand reaches 66% in the Rocha sub-basin, 48% in Maylanco, and 64% in Sulty.
• Water quality is deteriorated throughout the basin due to wastewater discharges and solid waste disposal. In the Rocha River, Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) levels exceed legal limits, and groundwater in Cochabamba and Colcapirhua contains natural arsenic levels above 10 mg/l, exceeding the NB 512 standard.
• Uncontrolled urban expansion is prevalent, particularly in the Rocha and Maylanco sub-basins, driven by the conversion of rural lands for urbanization without technical studies or regulated zoning.
• The basin suffers from environmental degradation, including the loss of native forests and soil salinization affecting approximately 2,610 ha, primarily in the Sulty sub-basin's lacustrine plains.
• Climate change models predict significant hydrological shifts: the IPSL-CM5A-LR model suggests annual precipitation could decrease by 7% and temperatures could rise by 1.1°C (2020-2050), while the CMCC-CESM model predicts a 4% precipitation increase and a 1.6°C temperature rise.
• The Master Plan sets ambitious targets for 2040, including increasing safe water access to 834,049 people, adding 10,497 ha of optimal irrigation, and reducing the total basin water deficit by 227 hm3.
• The plan's operational framework is organized into five strategic lines: Water Management, Integrated and Sustainable Management of Sub-basins and Micro-basins, Institutional Strengthening, Knowledge and Information Management, and Water Education and Culture.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2019). PLAN DIRECTOR DE LA CUENCA DEL RÍO ROCHA. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/resumen-ejecutivo-río-rocha.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. PLAN DIRECTOR DE LA CUENCA DEL RÍO ROCHA. 2019. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/resumen-ejecutivo-río-rocha.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=PLAN DIRECTOR DE LA CUENCA DEL RÍO ROCHA |date=August 2019 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/resumen-ejecutivo-río-rocha.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2019plan, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{PLAN DIRECTOR DE LA CUENCA DEL RÍO ROCHA}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2019}, month = aug, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/resumen-ejecutivo-río-rocha.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }