Peru [is] widely considered to be one of the most vulnerable countries to severe water shortages in South America...there is a real and increasing threat of conflict over the distribution of water in Peru..Since the beginning of the 90's the Peruvian government started with a policy to reinvigorate extractive activities and promote foreign investment...In...Cajamarca (Region where the Alto Peru is located), in 2007, the Regional Government started to impulse the Government Ecological and Economic Zoning- ZEE...On February 28, 2007 the provincial municipality of San Pablo issued an ordinance declaring the area as an environmental conservation zone for protection and conservation...The Yanacocha Mining Company [joint venture Newmont & Compañía de Minas Buenaventura] filed a lawsuit (amparo) against the ordinance, considering that this violates their property rights. Yanacocha owns 157.6 hectares in the area. This lawsuit was declared inadmissible by the 34th Civil Court...Yanacocha appealed...In December 2010 the Constitutional Court with two votes to one of discord and an umpire decided to revoke this decision...From the lawsuit it’s clear that Yanacocha considerers that their activities can’t be developed in accordance with what is required by a protected area...