Placemaking
&
Fieldwork Insights
Cochabamba, Bolivia
The "City of Eternal Spring"
Cochabamba's Water Crisis and Infrastructure
Considering Cochabamba’s complex history with water access and the profound social, political, and environmental implications surrounding it, I chose to focus my placemaking project on the city’s water and sanitation infrastructure, particularly the Multiple Misicuni Project. Known as the “City of Eternal Spring,” Cochabamba still grapples with severe water scarcity and inadequate sanitation. These challenges are intensified by a fragmented, outdated infrastructure and longstanding governance issues. The Multiple Misicuni Project was designed to alleviate these problems by providing drinking water, irrigation, and hydroelectric power to seven municipalities. However, despite its potential, the project has faced significant political, technical, and community-based resistance, limiting its ability to deliver on its promise of a more sustainable future for Cochabamba.
Key stakeholders in Cochabamba’s water crisis include SEMAPA, the city’s primary water utility responsible for managing water distribution, and local cooperatives, which control access to water in many of the southern districts. In addition, international development agencies, such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), play a crucial role by providing technical and financial support to infrastructure projects like Misicuni. These agencies are integral to the long-term success of efforts aimed at improving water access and resolving political and infrastructural challenges in the region.
To better understand the complexities and challenges, I engaged with several key experts, including Eng. Gustavo Méndez, Former General Manager of SEMAPA, Brazil Sector Lead and Southern Cone Coordinator at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB); Juan Carlos Cabrerizo, Technical Manager of the Misicuni Project; Luis Esteban Prudencio Rodriguez, Executive General Manager of SEMAPA; Pablo Lopez, former General Manager of Misicuni; Roberto Laserna, an economist from CERES; and Erika Estrada Loayza, Civil Engineer with the Misicuni Project. Their insights, shared below, shed light on the political resistance, infrastructural inefficiencies, and the community-based opposition that continue to impede progress in Cochabamba’s water management efforts.
The Misicuni Project: Hopes and Challenges
“Misicuni has the capacity to serve much of Cochabamba, but we face significant losses—up to 40% of water is lost due to leaks in the system. Political fragmentation between municipalities and resistance from local cooperatives further complicate the situation.”
Luis Prudencio, General Manager of SEMAPA (Municipal Water and Sewerage Service)
Misicuni offers hope, but the water system’s inefficiency and the complex web of political and local stakeholder interests make cohesive progress difficult.
The Multiple Project Misicuni was designed to supply drinking water, irrigation, and hydroelectric power. It took over 30 years to plan and execute. Covering seven municipalities, it currently provides water to an estimated 400,000 residents. The project cost approximately $142 million and has faced delays due to political and technical challenges.
“Misicuni was envisioned as a multi-purpose project—irrigation, drinking water, and hydroelectricity. However, without better integration of community-managed water systems, the full potential of the project will remain untapped.”
- Pablo Lopez, Misicuni Project
Former General Manager
Misicuni’s success depends on bridging the gap between municipal services and local water cooperatives. Both technical improvements and political alignment are required for the project to meet its goals.
The Misicuni Dam, as shown in the image, is located about 35 kilometers from the city of Cochabamba in the Andean foothills. Surrounded by mountainous terrain, the dam collects water from the high-altitude rivers, contributing to the supply for several municipalities, but its integration into Cochabamba’s fragmented water infrastructure remains a key challenge.
The Misicuni Project was funded through a combination of international and local sources. Significant financial contributions came from international development organizations, with a major portion of the funding secured from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which provided loans aimed at supporting the construction of the dam and associated infrastructure. Additionally, the Italian government contributed a grant of 25 million euros (around $33.8 million USD), a key element in launching the project. Locally, the Bolivian government and Empresa Misicuni, the state-owned company overseeing the project, coordinated efforts to secure additional financing and manage construction. These combined resources helped cover the total project cost, which amounted to approximately $142 million.
Water Cooperatives and Fragmented Infrastructure
Cochabamba’s water system is heavily reliant on cooperatives, known as OLPES (Local Water and Sanitation Service Provider Organizations). These grassroots systems are preferred by many communities over the centralized SEMAPA. However, their independence complicates efforts to create a unified water distribution network.
“The cooperatives serve important functions but they operate in a fragmented way.
This not only limits the reach of projects like Misicuni but also results in inconsistent water prices and services across the city.”
Luis Prudencio, SEMAPA
General Manager
While community-based cooperatives empower local populations, their fragmented nature means that achieving a consistent, city-wide water management system is difficult. This creates disparities in water access and quality.
The chart below outlines the distribution and percentage of different types of Local Water and Sanitation Service Provider Organizations across various territories in Cochabamba. The data highlights the dominance of self-managed systems, which make up 58% of the total, followed by territorial base organizations at 21.49%. This breakdown showcases the diversity and fragmentation of water management systems across the region.
Tipo de OLPES | Cercado | Colcap. | Quillac. | Sacaba | Sipe Sipe | Tiquip. | Vinto | Totales | % |
Territorial Base Organizations | 23 | 15 | 28 | 46 | 1 | 9 | 11 | 133 | 21.49% |
Self-managed Systems | 122 | 48 | 75 | 52 | 18 | 35 | 13 | 359 | 58% |
Coop. | 11 | 9 | 4 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 40 | 6.46% |
Private Urban Systems | 26 | 13 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 67 | 10.82% |
Agrarian Unions | 7 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 2.58% |
TOTAL EPSAS | 189 | 85 | 118 | 131 | 20 | 51 | 25 | 619 | 100% |
Social and Cultural Dimensions of Water
Water in Cochabamba is more than just a resource; it is a deeply ingrained part of the city’s cultural identity and social fabric. The Lavanderías Tradicionales (Traditional Laundries), dating back to 1866, remain a poignant symbol of community life. These laundries, like the one in Cala Cala pictured here, serve not only as places for washing clothes but also as important social hubs where women gather to exchange stories, advice, and maintain long-standing social bonds. Historically, these laundries have been vital to everyday life in Cochabamba, especially for those who may not have access to modern laundry facilities. This community element speaks to the cultural dynamic of the city and country as a whole.
“Cochabamba’s south still relies on water cisterns, paying higher prices for lower-quality water.
Many communities view SEMAPA with distrust, seeing it as more focused on profit than on serving the people.”
Erika Estrada, Misicuni Project
Civil Engineer
Despite the advances in urban infrastructure, many areas, particularly in Cochabamba’s southern districts, continue to rely on outdated water cisterns and private water vendors. This is largely due to deep-seated mistrust of centralized water systems like SEMAPA, which many residents perceive as focused on profit over community service. These community-run laundries symbolize the resilience and resourcefulness of local populations who continue to adapt to their circumstances.
The reliance on private water systems in these areas not only increases the cost burden for residents but also highlights inequalities in water access. While some areas enjoy consistent water services from the Misicuni Project, others are left to fend for themselves, perpetuating a cycle of water insecurity. This image of the Lavanderías Tradicionales demonstrates how, despite modernization, some traditional methods persist as a result of cultural preferences and systemic challenges in public service delivery.
The image depicts a bustling washing station located at the intersection of Jaimes Freire and Simón López streets, where families and social groups have almost claimed the space as their own informal car and clothes washing area. After speaking with locals, I gained a deeper understanding of how these dynamics operate. In a city where water access is often inconsistent, these informal washing stations have become an integral part of daily life for many residents. Far from just being a practical solution to water scarcity, these stations represent a strong sense of community and ownership. People from all social classes, driving all kinds of cars—from old, battered vehicles to newer models—come to these stations to have their belongings washed. Certain families or groups establish semi-permanent operations in these spaces, creating micro-communities within the broader urban environment.
At stations like this, you will often see clothes draped over barriers to dry, while cars are meticulously cleaned using water from nearby sources. For those involved, this activity is not just a means of earning an income but a way to spend time with family and friends, reinforcing bonds and sharing responsibilities. Over time, these spaces have become quasi-territorial, with the same groups returning daily to “their spot,” operating informally but with an unspoken understanding among other users of the area. This blend of necessity and community tradition illustrates the way Cochabamba’s citizens have adapted to water scarcity, forming social structures around their access to and use of essential resources like water.
In Cochabamba, Carnaval is typically celebrated in mid-February, and in 2024, it will take place on February 12th and 13th. This vibrant and lively event, filled with parades, music, and playful water games, brings together the community to celebrate life and abundance. During Carnival, it’s common to see firefighters head to main plazas, like the one in Cala Cala, where they hose down citizens in a fun, spirited manner as part of the festivities. This playful use of water during Carnival stands in stark contrast to the everyday challenges the city faces regarding water scarcity, adding a layer of irony to the celebrations
Political Resistance and SEMAPA’s Role
“The water system in Cochabamba is plagued by fragmentation, with SEMAPA controlling certain areas while local cooperatives and informal groups operate in others. This has created unequal access to water, where some pay exorbitantly for limited water while others benefit from heavily subsidized rates. Without a unified approach, the water from Misicuni is being wasted, and political struggles prevent meaningful progress.”
Roberto Laserna, CERES (Center for the Study of Economic and Social Reality)
Economist, Urban Planner, Princeton Professor
Cochabamba’s water infrastructure is deeply entangled in political and territorial rivalries, which complicates efforts to establish a cohesive and efficient system. The fragmentation between different municipalities and local water cooperatives—often driven by their desire for autonomy—creates roadblocks to integrating water distribution under SEMAPA’s centralized control. The Multiple Misicuni Project, while offering great potential to solve the city’s water scarcity issues, has unfortunately become a pawn in these political struggles. Local factions, particularly in the southern districts, resist SEMAPA’s push for a more integrated network because they fear losing control over their water management systems, preferring their self-managed cooperatives.
Key stakeholders, like Juan Carlos Cabrerizo, Technical Manager of the Misicuni Project, emphasize how these cooperatives refuse to join the broader system, even though their infrastructure remains inefficient and fragmented. This pushback against integration highlights the deep-seated distrust between municipal authorities and local communities, which prefer the independence of their self-run water systems, despite their inefficiencies. As a result, SEMAPA’s ambitions for a fully coordinated water system face significant political resistance, delaying much-needed reforms and improvements.
Recommendations: The Future of Water in Cochabamba
Technological Innovation: The Future of Water in Cochabamba
After consulting with all relevant stakeholders, my recommendations for Cochabamba focus on a multi-pronged approach to tackle the city’s water management challenges. One of the primary recommendations is the integration of cutting-edge technologies to address water loss. I am currently facilitating a collaboration between Asterra, an Israeli startup specializing in satellite-based leak detection, and the general managers of SEMAPA and the Misicuni Project (PMM). Asterra’s technology can help prioritize areas for repair by identifying leaks in the water system through satellite imagery, which analyzes temperature and chlorine anomalies. This partnership has the potential to significantly reduce the 40% of water lost due to leaks, allowing for the progressive improvement of infrastructure, particularly in the most vulnerable areas.
This technological advancement could transform the city’s water management system. The ability to quickly identify leaks across vast areas means SEMAPA and other stakeholders can address systemic inefficiencies before they escalate. Asterra’s technology not only boosts operational efficiency but also supports the sustainable use of water, critical in a city facing consistent scarcity.
Expanding Public Awareness and Sanitation Campaigns
For Cochabamba’s water conservation efforts to succeed, technological interventions must be paired with multi-sectoral education campaigns. As SEMAPA’s General Manager, Luis Prudencio, pointed out, public awareness is especially critical in the southern districts where water scarcity is most severe. Collaborating with local schools, NGOs, and media outlets, the city can embed water conservation into everyday discourse, fostering a culture of sustainable water use.
However, a successful campaign must go beyond short-term outreach. To create lasting change, Cochabamba needs to spark an inter-generational awareness plan by embedding water conservation, sanitation practices, and urban redesign lessons into school curricula. By educating children about water scarcity and infrastructure challenges, the city can create a generation more receptive to sustainable practices and future urban initiatives.
This strategy works because it addresses both the immediate and long-term challenges of Cochabamba’s water crisis. On one hand, educational campaigns will raise awareness among current residents, encouraging more responsible water use. This will complement technological innovations like Asterra’s satellite-based leak detection, ensuring that both the supply and demand sides of the water system are managed effectively.
On the other hand, by embedding these lessons into school programs, Cochabamba can cultivate a future population that is more engaged with environmental stewardship and urban planning. Children and teenagers who grow up with a deeper understanding of water conservation and infrastructure management will likely adopt sustainable behaviors as adults and support the city’s urban redesign initiatives. This inter-generational approach ensures that change is not just temporary but embedded in the city’s cultural fabric, leading to a more resilient, future-proof urban ecosystem.
Japan provides a valuable example of how education and public awareness campaigns can have a transformative impact on environmental sustainability, including water conservation. After World War II, Japan underwent rapid industrialization, leading to environmental degradation. In response, the government introduced extensive public education programs in schools and media, emphasizing the importance of sustainability, including water conservation. Today, Japan is a global leader in water management and urban sustainability, largely due to ingrained public practices and government initiatives aimed at conserving natural resources, recycling, and ensuring efficient use of water in households and industries.
This approach of embedding environmental consciousness within the education system and launching community-wide campaigns cultivated an entire generation that prioritizes sustainability. This model demonstrates how long-term public education can create a cultural shift in behavior. Applying this framework to Cochabamba, an inter-generational awareness plan focused on water conservation and sustainable urban design would foster a similar cultural transformation. By starting with children in schools and reinforcing these lessons through media and community programs, Cochabamba can cultivate a generation that is better prepared to adopt and champion water-saving practices and urban redesign projects.
Infrastructure Modernization: A critical Need
Cochabamba’s urban redesign must incorporate a bottom-up approach, deeply involving grassroots organizations and the community to cleanly reimagine public spaces that integrate water conservation. The aging pipelines causing up to 40% water loss should be modernized with advanced leak detection technology, but equally important is a focus on how public water usage areas, like car and clothes washing stations, are designed.
Integrating Grassroots Involvement
Community involvement is essential for redesigning public spaces in Cochabamba. Currently, many informal car and clothes washing stations operate without efficient water management, causing significant wastage. By engaging local residents in the redesign process, Cochabamba can ensure that solutions meet community needs while promoting water conservation. However, this engagement must extend beyond the Olpe’s (local water cooperatives) communication structure, which often mediates between SEMAPA and residents.
For SEMAPA to gain a clearer understanding of the city’s urban desires and perspectives on water and sanitation, direct communication with citizens is critical. Establishing a comprehensive outreach campaign, including surveys and public consultations, can help SEMAPA gather valuable feedback. Offering incentives, such as discounts on water bills, could increase participation. This approach would not only enhance SEMAPA’s understanding of community needs but also strengthen the relationship between the utility and its customers, fostering greater transparency and trust in water management efforts.
By combining grassroots-led redesign initiatives with direct citizen engagement, SEMAPA can create a water system that is both efficient and reflective of Cochabamba’s diverse municipal needs. This direct contact would also ensure that SEMAPA receives real-time input from residents, allowing it to better respond to urban challenges and to ensure that modernized solutions are culturally aligned and practically feasible.
Recycling Water at Washing Stations
Implementing on-site water recycling systems at car and clothes washing stations would involve a multi-stage filtration and treatment process. Water used for washing would first pass through a sediment filter to remove larger particles like dirt, followed by a biological or chemical filtration stage to neutralize contaminants such as oil or detergents. After this, the water would undergo UV or ozone treatment to disinfect it, making it safe for non-potable uses like irrigation or for controlled release back into rivers.
Singapore offers an excellent model of how water recycling at washing stations can be implemented. In Singapore, car wash facilities have adopted advanced water recycling systems that allow up to 85% of the water to be reused. These systems involve multi-stage processes including sediment filtration, oil removal, and disinfection, making the water suitable for reuse in non-potable applications like car washing or irrigation. Another innovative example from Singapore is the TotalEnergies Wash Center, which uses automated systems that not only conserve water but also improve operational efficiency. A mix of these technologies can be adapted for Cochabamba to create a user-centered system that optimizes sustainability and efficiency while being mindful of the city’s cultural dynamics, guaranteeing that the solution is practical, community-friendly, and responsive to local needs.
In Cochabamba, such a system could be adapted to the city’s needs. For example, car and clothes washing stations could be equipped with small-scale treatment facilities tailored to the volume of water used. After being recycled and treated, the water could be redirected for irrigation in public green spaces or parks, or returned to local rivers in a cleaner state. By decentralizing water treatment and recycling at these stations, Cochabamba could drastically reduce water wastage while simultaneously improving the quality of its river systems. This solution is both environmentally sound and practical, given the city’s current infrastructure challenges and high water loss.
Community and Municipality-Led Implementation
For Cochabamba’s urban redesign to be effective, it is crucial to acknowledge that each of its municipalities has distinct identities, values, and cultural dynamics. Some areas may emphasize preserving traditional ways of managing water resources, such as reliance on local cooperatives, while others may be more receptive to adopting modern technologies and infrastructure. Recognizing these differences ensures that water management solutions are not imposed in a one-size-fits-all manner but are instead tailored to the specific needs and preferences of each community.
Incorporating community groups, local cooperatives, and engineers in the urban redesign process is essential for fostering a sense of ownership and involvement. For example, areas with a stronger connection to traditional practices can work alongside engineers to integrate modern solutions that still respect local customs. In contrast, municipalities more open to innovation can serve as pilot zones for advanced infrastructure technologies, such as water recycling systems or leak detection solutions. This approach not only allows for smoother implementation of new systems but also helps build trust among residents by respecting their unique cultural context.
Public consultations and pilot projects tailored to the needs of individual municipalities are essential for ensuring the success of these initiatives. By engaging residents in conversations about what changes they would like to see and allowing them to participate in the planning process, municipalities can create systems that are both efficient and aligned with local values. Pilot projects, implemented on a smaller scale, can demonstrate the effectiveness of new technologies while allowing communities to provide feedback before they are scaled up city-wide.
Final Thoughts: Building a Sustainable Future for Cochabamba
The journey toward a sustainable future for Cochabamba requires a holistic and integrated approach that weaves together the threads of technology, education, and community engagement. Advanced technologies like Asterra’s satellite-based leak detection system are vital for addressing the city’s massive water loss. By pinpointing leakages with precision, Cochabamba can conserve precious resources, maximize efficiency, and lay the groundwork for future innovation in water management.
However, technology alone is not enough. Robust public education campaigns on water conservation must be a cornerstone of this transformation. Best practices from countries like Singapore show that engaging the public through schools, media, and local organizations fosters a culture of sustainability. Embedding water conservation lessons in the school curricula can spark an inter-generational shift, ensuring that future generations grow up understanding the importance of managing water resources efficiently. Cochabamba can create an educated and environmentally conscious population that will support and sustain these initiatives long after the technologies are implemented.
In addition to education, the expansion of water reserves through projects like Misicuni and Corani must be prioritized. While the Misicuni Project took approximately 40 years from planning to execution, Cochabamba cannot afford to delay the integration of Corani into the city’s water system. Planning must begin now, as any delay risks facing future water shortages due to growing demand and seasonal fluctuations. Learning from past lessons, immediate action and early-stage planning are critical to avoid repeating the lengthy timeline of Misicuni. By connecting Corani’s water reserves to the city’s system and leveraging nearby rivers, Cochabamba can ensure a sustainable water supply for future generations.
To make this vision a reality, continued investment, political alignment, and community engagement are critical. Local governments, international development agencies, and private investors must come together to ensure the long-term financial and political stability required to maintain and upgrade Cochabamba’s water infrastructure. A best practice example can be seen in the Cape Town water crisis response, where cross-sector collaboration helped the city avert a major water crisis through technology, community awareness, and policy change.
Ultimately, Cochabamba’s ability to meet these challenges head-on has the potential to serve as a model for sustainable water infrastructure across Bolivia and beyond. By embracing innovation, prioritizing education, and fostering collaboration across all levels of society, Cochabamba can become a beacon of resilience and sustainability. This placemaking project in Cochabamba seeks to should inspire other individuals to launch their own projects that challenge the status quo and reimagine what is possible for urban infrastructure and water management. Together, we can build cities that are truly sustainable, where water, our most precious resource, is used efficiently and equitably for all.
