Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Find clear and concise answers to the most common questions about the Wayúu Information System (SIW) here.

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Wayúu Information System

  • The Wayúu Information System (SIW) is a technical, culturally relevant, and inter-institutional tool developed by DANE in compliance with Constitutional Court Ruling T-302 of 2017.
  • The Wayúu Information System (SIW) consolidates statistical, geographic, and territorial information on the Wayúu indigenous people. It includes data related to access to rights such as water, health, food, and mobility, as well as sociodemographic and territorial context data. This information comes from official sources, administrative records, DANE surveys, and the Wayúu Multidimensional Registry (RMW). Depending on the source, it is disaggregated by municipality, township, or community/ranchería.
  • The Wayuu Information System (SIW) raises awareness of the living conditions of the Wayúu indigenous people and enables state institutions to develop relevant policies and programs that respond to their cultural and territorial realities. In addition to providing reliable and disaggregated information, it strengthens processes for enforcing rights, promotes autonomy, encourages access to information in Wayuunaiki, and contributes to the recognition of indigenous knowledge on key issues such as water, health, food, and mobility.
  • The Wayúu Information System (SIW) has promoted spaces for effective participation for the Wayúu indigenous people in all stages of the process: design, collection, validation, analysis, and dissemination of information, through the formation of the Wayúu Technical Committee and the holding of territorial assemblies. This, in addition to participation, promotes the cultural legitimacy of the system and strengthens community governance.
  • With the Wayúu Information System (SIW), entities can implement projects on drinking water, health, food security and sovereignty, education, and mobility, prioritizing critical areas based on evidence.
    Thanks to the Wayuu Information System, key projects and actions can be promoted, such as:
    • Drinking water with greater coverage and quality.
    • More effective and culturally relevant food security and sovereignty.
    • Improved health care through a specific policy for La Guajira.
    • Decent mobility and reduced travel times.
    Having territorialized information allows for the transparent allocation of resources, the evaluation of project sustainability, and the guarantee of interventions that are consistent with the needs of the Wayúu indigenous people.
  • The Wayúu Information System (SIW) transforms the way the State plans, executes, and evaluates public policy in La Guajira. It provides reliable, disaggregated, and culturally appropriate data, enabling contextualized decision-making, overcoming historical information gaps, avoiding duplication, targeting interventions, and promoting transparent resource allocation, all in line with a rights-based approach and with the participation of the Wayúu indigenous people.
  • The Constitutional Court, through Ruling T-302 of 2017, declared the state of affairs unconstitutional with regard to the special protection of the rights to water, health, mobility, and food security of the children of the Wayúu indigenous people. Compliance with the order issued to DANE will make it possible to overcome the lack of reliable information from state entities (national, departmental, and local) on the living conditions of the Wayúu indigenous people; the consolidation of accurate records on the exact location of communities and their specific needs; and the collection of precise data to support the formulation of effective and relevant public policies.
  • The Wayúu Information System (SIW) makes it possible to visualize the real conditions of the territory, needs, and gaps in health, food, water, mobility, among others, through disaggregated information, including data by community/ranchería and culturally validated. This facilitates the planning of relevant interventions, improves the monitoring of state actions, and strengthens the autonomy of the Wayúu indigenous people, promoting their participation in demanding their rights.
  • DANE faced several challenges in implementing the Wayúu Information System. First, the territorial complexity and dispersed nature of the communities made it difficult to plan the logistics of the RMW field operation, one of the sources of the SIW. Second, limitations were identified in the availability and coordination of inter-institutional information, as well as delays in the delivery of data by some entities. In addition, there was confusion between the data dashboard of the National Planning Department and DANE's own system.

    To address these challenges, inter-institutional coordination was strengthened through MESSEP, technical processes were adjusted in dialogue with the Wayúu technical team, and institutional education on the differences between existing tools was promoted. Also, through genuine assemblies and joint technical processes, progress was made on collectively constructed solutions.
  • The Wayúu Information System (SIW) is a key tool for the protection and transmission of the cultural and linguistic heritage of the Wayúu indigenous people. This information, systematized and disseminated in a culturally appropriate manner, incorporates Wayuunaiki, promotes recognition of indigenous knowledge, and enables public policies to respond to the needs of the Wayúu indigenous people. Furthermore, the fact that the Wayúu indigenous people actively participate in the construction and validation of the system ensures that the data reflects their own worldview, thus promoting autonomy and the exercise of the right to cultural identity, enshrined in the Political Constitution and international treaties.
  • The construction of the Wayúu Information System (SIW) provides several lessons that are applicable to other institutional processes in ethnic territories.
    1. The first is the importance of the effective and binding participation of indigenous peoples in all stages of the process, from design to implementation.
    2. The second is that genuine dialogue and the joint development of tools promote social ownership of information.
    3. The third lesson is the need for intercultural technical teams capable of articulating statistical knowledge with their own worldviews.
    Finally, the importance of having platforms that not only store data but are also functional for the exercise of rights, social control, and territorial planning with an ethnic and differential approach is highlighted.
  • The Wayúu Information System (SIW) has data on living conditions, access to rights, demographic, social, economic, cultural, health, mortality, services, and mobility characteristics, among others. The information comes from censuses, administrative records, DANE surveys, and the Wayúu Multidimensional Registry, and allows for the construction of culturally relevant indicators.
  • The system is open to anyone interested. The information is public, organized with a cultural focus and with respect for the collective rights of the Wayúu indigenous people.

Wayúu Multidimensional Registry

  • It arose in response to Ruling T-302 of 2017 by the Constitutional Court, which called for improved information on the Wayúu indigenous people so that the State could plan and implement better public policies to guarantee their rights. In fact, the Court mentioned that some programs were not working satisfactorily for the Wayúu indigenous people and that it was necessary to create a specific registry in the four municipalities with the largest Wayúu populations.

  • About key aspects of the life of the Wayúu indigenous people: access to drinking water, health services, adequate food, births, living conditions, deaths, and other issues. This provides up-to-date information on their population, their real needs, and how they live, so that the Colombian government can take action to improve their quality of life.

  • This is the first statistical exercise in which an indigenous people not only responded to surveys, but also actively participated in their design and implementation. In fact, the ancestral and traditional authorities, and the people in general, helped to develop the forms and conduct the surveys. Likewise, DANE directly hired Wayúu indigenous organizations to fill the roles of surveyors and supervisors.

    This also ensured that the data collection respected indigenous autonomy and that the surveys were conducted in the native language, Wayuunaiki.

  • By collecting information every three months from entities such as DANE, the Ministry of Health, ICBF, the Registrar's Office, and the mayor's offices. The databases are then cross-referenced to reduce errors and improve coverage. In addition, geospatial technology tools are used to locate rural areas inhabited by the Wayúu indigenous people, and there are technical committees responsible for validating the data.

  • To all members of the Wayúu indigenous people living in the places mentioned in the Judgment. Within the framework of the Registry, each and every home is visited.

  • DANE is responsible for coordinating the collection of quality information with the various technical committees made up of State entities.

Data on the map (Geovisor)

  • In the context of maps, a layer is a set of geographic data that is superimposed on a base map. Each layer contains information on a specific topic, such as the location of water sources, regional roads, roads under construction, and health care centers. By turning these layers on or off, you can view different types of information.

  • It is a feature that allows you to explore a location on the map with 360-degree panoramic images at street level. By selecting a point on the map where the feature is available, you can navigate virtually and get a realistic view of the surroundings.

  • The 'Location' tool allows users to filter and view data according to geographical level, such as department or municipality. Its usefulness lies in the fact that it facilitates the exploration of information in a specific way, allowing users to analyze a specific area of interest in the Wayúu territory and see only the data relevant to that area.

  • This tool allows users to explore data on Wayúu territory organized into key thematic areas such as Water, Food, General, Mobility, and Health. Its usefulness lies in the fact that it facilitates the search for specific information, allowing for faster and more focused analysis in different dimensions, without having to navigate through all the data in a disorganized manner.

  • They are a method of coloring a map that helps to quickly understand the data. It is like painting a map by region, where the intensity of the color represents the intensity of a piece of data. For example, on a map showing the prevalence of a disease, a light color could mean a low number of cases, while a dark or intense color would indicate a high number of cases.

  • They are another type of symbolism that uses the size of a symbol (such as a circle) to represent a value. If the circle is large, it indicates a high value (for example, a large number of cases of malnutrition); if the circle is small, the value is low.

Rights

  • It is a disease that occurs in the respiratory system and is caused by different microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria. ARIs begin suddenly and last less than two weeks. It is also the most common infection in the world and represents a significant public health issue in our country. Most of these infections, such as the common cold, are mild, but depending on the person's general health, they can become complicated and even life-threatening, as in the case of pneumonia.

  • The MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine booster at 18 months of age is crucial to ensure lasting immunization. The first dose, given at 12 months, provides initial protection. The booster ensures a stronger and longer-lasting immune response, reducing the risk of outbreaks of these diseases.

  • It is a public health event characterized by the presence of three or more liquid or semi-liquid bowel movements in a 24-hour period, lasting less than 14 days, and may be accompanied by vomiting or fever. ADI is mainly caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, or parasites that affect the digestive tract.

  • The percentage of children aged 6 to 12 who have at least one type 4 disability, understood as the inability to perform at least one basic activity of daily living on their own, highlights the child population that faces greater barriers to the full exercise of their right to health, comprehensive development, and education. It allows for the targeting of priority care policies and programs, as well as the strengthening of community actions for inclusion and care.

  • The BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin) vaccine is vitally important, as it is given to newborns to protect them against tuberculosis, a serious disease that affects the lungs and other organs. Early vaccination is key to preventing severe forms of the disease in childhood. The indicator “Number of Indigenous People Vaccinated with BCG” shows how many newborns have received this protection in each municipality.

  • The percentage of the registered population that is affiliated with the health system, broken down by district, allows us to measure the degree of formal access to health services by the Wayúu population. Identifying gaps in affiliation between townships is essential to guaranteeing the right to health and guiding actions to provide differential coverage in areas with less access.

  • A Food Production Unit for Self-Consumption (UPAA) is a space in participating households set aside for the production of agricultural and/or livestock food, which will be used to feed the members of the household. n The UPAA seeks to contribute to food access and consumption through the production of food for self-consumption and the promotion of healthy eating habits and lifestyles. The specific objectives of the project are to “establish food production units for self-consumption through the delivery of inputs, technical support, technical visits, and community strengthening activities” and to “promote healthy eating habits and lifestyles within the framework of self-care, environmental, and healthy eating practices.”

  • It is based on the idea that the first 1,000 days of life—from conception (pregnancy) to the first two years of a child's life—are a critical and unique window of opportunity to ensure growth, physical and cognitive development, and long-term health. Its goal is to prevent chronic malnutrition, improve maternal and child health, and ensure that children have the necessary conditions for full development.

  • To access the project, households must: reside in the areas selected in the territorial targeting process developed by Prosperidad Social for the corresponding intervention, be selected by the ethnic authorities of their communities, in accordance with the consultation process carried out with Prosperidad Social, be households from indigenous communities whose council/authority must be registered with the Ministry of the Interior in the Directorate of Indigenous, Roma, and Minority Affairs and its Traditional Authority, at the time of the socialization and consultation processes, have a Colombian citizenship card or identity card for those over 14 years of age or an indigenous IPS code or certificate of survival signed by the ethnic authority registered with the Ministry of the Interior, have the use of the land under any modality, and have access to water resources for the development of the project.

  • The ICBF's “1000 Days to Change the World” strategy is an intervention that is accessed through the identification and prioritization of the most vulnerable population. The ICBF, in coordination with health authorities and community leaders, identifies children under the age of 5, as well as pregnant women, who are at risk or show signs of malnutrition. Once identified, beneficiaries receive a care package aimed at their nutritional recovery and well-being.

  • To become a beneficiary, Wayúu communities and families must participate in the public calls for proposals issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Access is generally granted through projects submitted by community organizations, producer associations, or traditional authorities, who register their members. These initiatives prioritize ethnic and rural communities seeking to strengthen their food security and local production.

  • You can access a CRN mainly through a referral from the health system, the ICBF, or the community itself, with priority given to children under 5 years of age who are at nutritional risk.

  • You can become a beneficiary by participating in the calls for proposals opened by AUNAP to support artisanal fishing and aquaculture projects. Generally, fishermen's associations or organized communities apply, and then register their members. AUNAP prioritizes rural and ethnic communities, providing supplies, training, and technical support to strengthen fishing production and the care of aquatic resources.

  • ICBF Nutritional Supplements can be accessed by enrolling in its early childhood programs, through referral from the health sector, or through special projects in prioritized communities.

  • Because the Constitutional Court found a serious and widespread violation of the fundamental rights of Wayúu children and adolescents, access to water being an indispensable condition for guaranteeing life, health, and nutrition.

  • The water indicators reported by entities to the SIW relate to distance to water sources, rehabilitable water sources, liters of water delivered by tanker trucks, and the rural and urban Water Quality Risk Index (IRCA).

  • For the Wayúu indigenous people, water is not just a resource, it is an essential part of their worldview, community organization, and life in the Guajiro desert. Access to water defines their permanence in the territory and cultural survival.

  • Safe water is necessary to prevent disease, ensure adequate nutrition, and sustain life. Lack of water directly affects children's health and food sovereignty.

  • The distribution of liters of water by tanker truck is an indicator that communities depend on emergency solutions.

  • The WQRI (Water Quality Risk Index) reveals the risk of water causing disease. A high WQRI, especially in rural areas, indicates that the water is not safe for consumption, highlighting the need for interventions to ensure a safe water supply.

  • The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management aims to lead the implementation of disaster risk management, in line with sustainable development policies, and to coordinate the operation and ongoing development of the National System for Disaster Prevention and Response (SNPAD).

  • By carrying out the activities necessary to respond to emergencies, understood as situations triggered by one or more unintentional natural or anthropogenic events, or intense and serious disruption or interruption of the normal functioning or operation of a community, caused by an adverse event or the imminence thereof, requiring an immediate response.