Traditional Ecological Knowledge of the Arhuaco People on Water Management in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

Abstract

Abstract This article analyzes the role of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) of the Arhuaco people in water management in the upper Ariguaní river basin, in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (Colombia), in a context of accelerated socio-environmental transformation. From an ethnohydrological approach, the study adopts a mixed-methods design that integrates community surveys, participatory techniques, spatial analysis of land use change (2000–2023), and dynamic socio-hydrological modeling. A TEK Index was constructed to evaluate three dimensions of water management: cultural management, indigenous norms, and government norms. The results show that traditional water knowledge is mainly based on ritual practices and indigenous norms guided by indigenous spiritual authorities, while coordination with state institutional frameworks is limited. Spatial analysis shows a loss of forest cover and expansion of agricultural uses around the sacred sites that sustain TEK. Modeling indicates that, although indigenous norms slow the deterioration of the system, only co-governance scenarios can cushion pressures and avoid trajectories of collapse. Taken together, the findings show that the effectiveness of TEK depends on its articulation with multiscale governance arrangements.