sei-tnc-usaid-db-2015-mompos-depression-weap-cff18617b60f2c20.pdf

This fact sheet describes the development and application of an enhanced Water Evaluation And Planning (WEAP) model to assess the impacts of hydropower expansion on the Mompos Depression and the broader Magdalena River Basin in Colombia. The modelling indicates that while hydropower development may regularize seasonal and low flows, it is unlikely to protect downstream communities from extreme floods and may disrupt critical ecosystem services provided by wetland inundation.

• The Mompos Depression is a tectonic basin covering approximately 32,198 km², representing 11.8% of the total Magdalena basin area. It is characterized by high ecological complexity and species diversity, including over 200 indigenous fish species, roughly half of which are endemic, and serves as a critical stopover for migratory birds.
• The Magdalena River Basin is central to Colombia's energy production, providing 70% of the country's hydropower. Currently, the basin contains 26 medium and large reservoirs with a total installed capacity of 6.36 GW and an average annual production of about 33,400 GWh.
• Planned hydropower expansion in the basin is significant, with two major dams (2.80 GW total capacity) under construction and 30 additional large projects planned over the next decade that could add 7.64 GW of installed capacity. This expansion would increase the Degree of Regulation (DOR) from an estimated 5% to approximately 30% for the Magdalena River.
• Modelling suggests that high levels of hydropower regulation (30% DOR) would substantially reduce seasonal flows and virtually eliminate low flows during dry months, but would have almost no impact on extremely high flows or floods. Consequently, dams would not protect communities from extreme events like the 2010–2011 La Niña floods because reservoirs must release water for dam safety during peak flows.
• Alterations to the flow regime pose severe risks to biodiversity and ecosystem functions. Reduced seasonal flows threaten the delivery of water, nutrients, and sediment essential for fish and bird reproduction, while altered low flows may impact reptile reproduction and the propagation of riparian vegetation.
• Loss of lateral connectivity between the river and wetlands—caused by infrastructure such as roads and longitudinal levees—could increase peak flows downstream of the Mompos Depression by up to 900 m³/s (+7.2%) during extreme wet conditions. This represents an additional 9.4 billion m³ of floodwaters affecting areas such as Barranquilla.
• The project developed enhancements for the WEAP system to capture large-scale floodplain and wetland flooding processes, making it the first platform capable of resolving floodplain water balances at medium-to-large scales (approximately 10,000 km²).

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (n.d.). sei-tnc-usaid-db-2015-mompos-depression-weap-cff18617b60f2c20.pdf. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-TNC-USAID-DB-2015-Mompos-Depression-WEAP.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. sei-tnc-usaid-db-2015-mompos-depression-weap-cff18617b60f2c20.pdf. n.d. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-TNC-USAID-DB-2015-Mompos-Depression-WEAP.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=sei-tnc-usaid-db-2015-mompos-depression-weap-cff18617b60f2c20.pdf |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-TNC-USAID-DB-2015-Mompos-Depression-WEAP.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitutendseitncusaiddb2015momposdepressionweapcff18617b60f2c20pdf, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{sei-tnc-usaid-db-2015-mompos-depression-weap-cff18617b60f2c20.pdf}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-TNC-USAID-DB-2015-Mompos-Depression-WEAP.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }