Addressing Water Scarcity in La Guajira: A Comparative Analysis of Four Water Systems

Abstract: During the recent prolonged drought in La Guajira, Colombia, the child mortality rate surged to 23.4 per 1000. With the focal point in rural Alta Guajira, a lack of rainfall and wind resulted in an acute potable water scarcity. This paper presents data gathered from interviews conducted with members of the Wayúu indigenous group residing in Alta Guajira and the results surveying in field the solutions already present to the water scarcity. Four potential technological solutions were then devised and evaluated in this context: wind-driven wells, solar-driven wells, solar stills, and reverse osmosis desalination systems. This study shows that reverse osmosis desalination systems are economically unfeasible due to their high initial investment. Solar stills are concluded to be potentially viable for drought emergencies but prohibitively expensive due to their low productivity and area requirements. Solar-driven wells frequently break in the region, likely due to inadequate insulation in underground electrical components, but they represent a crucial yet non-existent complement for water production. Wind-driven wells are the most prominent water source, although relying solely on these creates significant risks. Hence a suggestion for mainly wind-driven production, complemented with solar-driven production, and backed by emergency systems of manual wells and solar stills is suggested.