Biodiversidad, ecosistemas de humedal y riesgo de inundación: Implicaciones de la expansión hidroeléctrica en la cuenca del río Magdalena

The document evaluates the impact of planned hydroelectric expansion in Colombia's Magdalena River basin on the Mompox Depression, one of the world's largest wetland systems. Using an enhanced Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) model, the study finds that while new dams may not prevent extreme floods, they could significantly alter seasonal and low flows, threatening biodiversity and ecosystem services. It also warns that reducing connectivity through flood-control structures like dikes could increase peak flow magnitudes downstream, potentially raising flood risks for urban areas like Barranquilla.

• The Magdalena River basin is central to Colombia's energy production, providing 70% of its hydroelectric power. The basin currently has 26 large and medium-scale dams with a capacity of 6.36 GW, with two more under construction (2.80 GW) and 30 additional large projects planned that could add 7.64 GW of capacity.
• The implementation of 30 planned hydroelectric projects could increase the Degree of Regulation (GDR) in the Magdalena basin by 30%, leading to a more constant hydrograph in the main tributaries of the Mompox Depression.
• Hydroelectric dams will not protect communities from extreme periodic floods, such as those caused by La Niña, because dams must release water during maximum flow conditions to ensure dam safety. Consequently, increased flow regulation may actually increase the risk for downstream communities.
• Increased regulation (GDR of 30%) is expected to substantially reduce the magnitude of seasonal flows and nearly eliminate low and extremely low flows during dry months, which could severely impact the functioning of wetland ecosystems, fish and bird reproduction, and nutrient storage.
• Loss of connectivity caused by flood-control structures such as dikes and roads could increase maximum downstream flow in the Mompox Depression by approximately 900 m³/s (+7.2%) during extremely wet conditions, adding 9.4 trillion m³ of water to downstream areas, including Barranquilla.
• The enhanced WEAP model is the first platform capable of successfully modeling the water balance of floodplains at a medium to large scale (approximately 10,000 km²), allowing for the integration of water management practices and climate change impacts.

APA

Angarita, H., Delgado, J., Wickel, B., & Escobar, M. (2016). Biodiversidad, ecosistemas de humedal y riesgo de inundación: Implicaciones de la expansión hidroeléctrica en la cuenca del río Magdalena. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-TNC-USAID-FS-2016-Hidroelectrica-Depresion-Momposina-HR.pdf

Chicago

Angarita, Hector, Juliana Delgado, Bart Wickel, and Marisa Escobar. Biodiversidad, ecosistemas de humedal y riesgo de inundación: Implicaciones de la expansión hidroeléctrica en la cuenca del río Magdalena. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2016. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-TNC-USAID-FS-2016-Hidroelectrica-Depresion-Momposina-HR.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Angarita |first1=Hector |last2=Delgado |first2=Juliana |last3=Wickel |first3=Bart |last4=Escobar |first4=Marisa |title=Biodiversidad, ecosistemas de humedal y riesgo de inundación: Implicaciones de la expansión hidroeléctrica en la cuenca del río Magdalena |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2016 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-TNC-USAID-FS-2016-Hidroelectrica-Depresion-Momposina-HR.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{angarita2016biodiversidad, author = {Angarita, Hector and Delgado, Juliana and Wickel, Bart and Escobar, Marisa}, title = {{Biodiversidad, ecosistemas de humedal y riesgo de inundación: Implicaciones de la expansión hidroeléctrica en la cuenca del río Magdalena}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2016}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-TNC-USAID-FS-2016-Hidroelectrica-Depresion-Momposina-HR.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }