The Blue Passport, an instrument for Public consultation

The Blue Passport is an hydrographic identification that distinguishes the holders for their formal commitment to conserve water resources. In the basin of the Cachi river in Ayacucho, Peru, in early 2016 the ISW granted blue passports to all those basiners (residents of the basin) interested in protecting their basin. Around 1.200 blue passports were printed, delivered and granted to mainly indigenous communities that felt proud of being officially recognized as basiners. In March 5th, 2016 the ISW and its partners organized a public consultation in the Cachi basin calling all the blue passport holders to vote for important basin’s issues.  524 basiners answered to the call and voted for

  1. i) the constitution of a communal authority to manage and conserve headwaters (91% voted in favour)
  2. ii) Prioritize the use of resources coming from ecosystem’s services compensation in rural water supply and sanitation projects (94% voted in favour).

The public consultation using the blue passport is the first of its kind in Latin America and at the basin level. It had observers from the local and the regional government and from local and national NGO’s.