About us

Science, management and building from Cauca

We are an environmental and landscape innovation agency based in Popayán. We bring together research, consulting and construction so that environmental decisions work in reality.

Who we are

We make environmental science reach the territory, and stay there.

ELIA, Environmental and Landscape Innovation Agency, was born in Popayán to support companies, public entities, cooperation and communities in decisions that affect water, biodiversity and people's lives. We work in the Andes, the Amazon and the Orinoco plains.

Our team combines doctoral-level research with field and construction experience. That is why we can assess, design, manage and build without losing the thread between one stage and the next.

ELIA professional wearing the agency vest — ELIA team

What guides us

Four principles in every project

Scientific rigorEvery recommendation rests on field data, recognized methods and technical review.

Rooted in the territoryWe work from Popayán, with teams who know the communities, institutions and ecosystems.

Solutions that lastWe design so that results keep working when the project ends.

Dialogue of knowledgeLocal and scientific knowledge are heard equally in every decision.

How we work

From the territory to the report

01Listen to the territoryWe map stakeholders, interests and conflicts before proposing.

02Diagnose with scienceField data, geospatial information and foresight.

03Design and buildPlans, systems and works made to last and to operate.

04Measure and reportIndicators, reports and lessons that stay with the organization.

Interdisciplinary team

Knowledge that adds up

We bring together disciplines that rarely work together, and proven methods to decide with information.

Disciplines

Political science and governance
Environmental science
Engineering
Environmental and waste management
GIS and drone mapping
Project management (PMBOK and GPM P5)

Methods and standards

MACTOR and stakeholder analysis
MICMAC structural analysis
NAIADE multi-criteria evaluation
Social network analysis
GRI Standards
ISO 9001, 14001 and 15189

Knowledge

We research what we apply

We publish in scientific journals on water governance, political ecology and hydrosocial territories, in partnership with universities in Colombia and Europe. That knowledge goes into every assessment, plan and report.

Third World Quarterly2026

Water Alternatives2024

Frontiers in Water2023

Partners and clients