El Recurso Agua en las Comunidades Indígenas Wayuu de La Guajira Colombiana. Parte 1: Una Mirada desde los Saberes y Prácticas Ancestrales

Abstract

The purpose of the research was to study the knowledge, beliefs and ancestral practices that the indigenous Wayuu communities of La Guajira Colombiana have around the concept of water and how they manage this resource for its sustainability. The work was developed within the project co-financed by Colciencias guidelines for the coastal and marine territorial ordering of the department of La Guajira. The type of research is historical, documentary and explanatory. The interview was used as the instrument for gathering information, which includes open and semi-structured questions. The questions were grouped into components to facilitate their descriptive analysis. The results show that the ancestral practices of water management depend upon the presence or absence of the liquid. That is, the areas with better water availability communities have different behavior and customs in terms of administration, conservation and good use of the resource, than those in which water is scarce.