Water as Leverage Cartagena

As part of the bilateral collaboration between Colombia and the Netherlands on the topics of water, climate and resilience, a trajectory based on the methodology of Water as Leverage has started in the city of Cartagena, in partnership with a group of local, national and international stakeholders. ‘Water as Leverage Cartagena – Construyendo con el Agua’ aims to invest ‘the millions’ in this early project development phase to unlock ‘the billions’ for implementation finance. As such, the cooperation supports sustainable, resilient economic development in Cartagena, in line with key policy ambitions such as the ‘Plan 4C Cartagena Competitiva y Compatible con el Clima’ (2014) and the ‘Plan Integral de Gestión del Cambio Climático’ (2022).

The objective of Water as Leverage is to deliver significantly different, design-driven solutions to water and climate change adaptation related challenges, aiming for leverage through investments in infrastructure. The projects must address climate change adaptation and/or urban water management challenges through physical infrastructure, and be able to count on local partners’ support and collaboration. The multidisciplinary teams should become an integral part of the Water as Leverage Cartagena process, facilitated by the Government of the Netherlands, in partnership with the Alcaldía de Cartagena de Indias, Colombian national authorities and national/international strategic partners.

Read more: The tender documents: SBIR Water as Leverage Cartagena