⛲ Water Management
Activities
Watershed Restoration and River Revival
TBS works with communities to bring back water abundance, revive river watersheds, and support sustainable development. Work includes harvesting structures across watersheds, efficient use such as drip irrigation, and water literacy for many actors. Before projects start, staff live in a village for six to twelve months to build trust, learn constraints, and co-design responses; engagement often runs ten to fifteen years per village. The core tools are johads, check dams, and percolation tanks, alongside literacy campaigns, drip systems, and sustainable farming. TBS reports 13,800 functioning rainwater harvesting systems and 13 rivers rejuvenated across India. Their work harvests 100 billion liters of rainwater annually and has converted more than 10,000 square kilometers from no-water zones into water-secure landscapes.
Ecological Restoration of Valle de Zaquencipá
The land at Bosque Fractal is part of a critical watershed feeding Bogotá and surrounding areas, and includes degraded zones requiring urgent care. Over the last few years, the team has planted thousands of native trees, regenerated damaged soils, and begun monitoring water flow and soil health. With initial funding, Bosque Fractal will expand several high-priority projects, including: Oak Forest Restoration: Reviving native oak forests, which are crucial for water retention and biodiversity. The oak forests surrounding the valley are themselves ancient elders, teaching how to heal and regenerate both land and spirit. Pollinator Hotel: Supporting bees and other pollinators as keystone species for ecosystem health. Rainwater Purification Plant: Supplying clean water to the community while demonstrating regenerative water management practices. Regenerative Tourism: Creating sustainable tourism experiences rooted in cultural education and ecological stewardship. Bioregional Zone and Guest House: Serving as a living showcase for bioregional practices and a space for international learning exchanges, including building a guest house for workshops and cross-bioregional collaboration. The restoration work recognizes that this ecosystem, though occupying just 1.7% of Colombia's páramos, provides 85% of the country's drinking water, making its restoration critical not just locally but nationally.