Incorporating Natural Infrastructure in Bogotá’s Water System

The report argues that investing in natural infrastructure, specifically in the páramos surrounding Bogotá, can generate significant cost savings for the city's water utility by improving sediment and nitrogen control. It highlights a specific investment portfolio in sustainable silvopastoral systems and ecosystem restoration that could yield high economic returns and reduce the need for reservoir expansion.

• Investing US$5.3 million in ecosystem restoration and sustainable silvopastoral systems across 2,460 hectares (approximately 2% of the Bogotá River's upper basin) is projected to produce undiscounted benefits of $44.6 million over a 30-year period.
• Natural infrastructure investments can lower operational costs at the Tibitoc water treatment plant by controlling nitrogen and sediment, which in turn reduces depreciation costs, chemical product usage, and energy consumption.
• Strategic investments in the upper basin of the Bogotá River enhance water security by diversifying the city's water source portfolio and decreasing the pressure to expand reservoirs within the páramos.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Incorporating Natural Infrastructure in Bogotá’s Water System. https://www.wri.org/research/incorporating-natural-infrastructure-bogotas-water-system

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Incorporating Natural Infrastructure in Bogotá’s Water System. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/incorporating-natural-infrastructure-bogotas-water-system.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Incorporating Natural Infrastructure in Bogotá’s Water System |url=https://www.wri.org/research/incorporating-natural-infrastructure-bogotas-water-system |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendincorporating, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Incorporating Natural Infrastructure in Bogotá’s Water System}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/incorporating-natural-infrastructure-bogotas-water-system}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }