Buen Vivir and Community Water Organisations in Colombia: Lessons for Social Work.

The article focuses on the concept of Buen Vivir as a decolonial paradigm guiding community management of water for human consumption in rural and peri-urban Colombia. Buen Vivir, rooted in Indigenous, Afro, and mestizo ancestral knowledge, emphasizes harmonious coexistence with nature, social equality, reciprocity, and solidarity, contrasting with neoliberal and privatizing state models. Through ethnographic Participatory Action Research with the National Confederation of Community Organizations for Water and Sanitation Services of Colombia (COCSASCOL), the study highlights how community water systems operate on principles of collective ownership, mutual aid, and cultural patrimonialization despite limited state support and regulatory challenges. The findings suggest that Buen Vivir offers valuable theoretical and practical lessons for social work to support environmental justice, cultural identity, and self-determination among historically marginalized populations.