San Juan Olintepeque is a rural municipality located in the Department of Quetzaltenango in the Western Highlands of Guatemala. 44% of its territory is covered by an oak-pine forest (136.15 km2), which is managed by the municipality’s Forest Office. The water supply in the municipality is mainly through mechanical wells. Deforestation has impacts not only on energy availability but on water availability and the hydrological cycle.
Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is a process which promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources in order to maximise economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems and the environment.