Community resilience: Defense of water and territory in the Sumapaz river basin, Colombia

The main objective of this article is to analyze the community resilience of the local and community stakeholders of the Sumapaz river basin, from the processes of defense of water and territory, which occurred in the period between the years 2012 - 2017, for the implementation of mining projects, exploration of hydrocarbons and generation of hydroelectric power. The methodology was based on the documentary review of the historical context and recent events, at national and local level, related to the topic; as well as the application of semi-structured interviews to key actors. For the analysis of community resilience, the categories were chosen: cultural identity, collective self-esteem, social cohesion and practices of participatory democracy. The research showed that in the Sumapaz river basin, community resilience translates into a strengthening of local and community actors who share concerns about water and appropriate their territorial realities, building a critical awareness of being, being, doing and transforming in their territory.