Implementación del modelo WEAP para el estudio de la calidad del agua en la cuenca del río La Vieja

This fact sheet describes the implementation of the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) model, integrated with QUAL2K, to study water quality in the La Vieja river basin in Colombia. The study identifies primary pollutant sources, analyzes climate and demographic uncertainties, and simulates water quality scenarios to support decision-making and adaptation to climate change.

• The total pollutant load entering the basin is estimated at 15 tons per day, measured by Biochemical Oxygen Demand (DBO5). The domestic sector is the largest contributor at 55%, followed by the industrial sector at 30%, and the coffee and pig farming sectors combined at 15%.
• Six specific water bodies are responsible for the vast majority of the pollutant load discharged into the La Vieja river: the Barragán, Consota, Quindío, Espejo, and Pijao rivers, and the Cristales creek, which together contribute 95% to 96% of the total load.
• A participatory analysis using the XLRM method, conducted in March 2013 in Armenia and Pereira, identified 14 uncertainties and 10 management strategies for water in the basin. For water quality specifically, the study identified 3 types of uncertainties and 4 prevention and control strategies.
• The study integrated WEAP and QUAL2K modeling tools to perform a dendritic analysis of up to 12 tributary sources to the main river channel on a monthly scale. This integration allows for the modification of pollutant degradation kinetics by river section and provides a monthly time scale for QUAL2K.
• Water quality simulations indicate that DBO5 levels are most critical during humid periods (March to May), which coincides with the main coffee harvest season. Specifically, the water quality of the La Vieja river deteriorates after the contribution of the Consota river tributary, impacting the water supply for human consumption in the city of Cartago.
• The water quality modeling included 30 climate change scenarios over a 40-year horizon (2010 to 2050), developed with the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) of the United States.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2014). Implementación del modelo WEAP para el estudio de la calidad del agua en la cuenca del río La Vieja. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Water-sanitation/SEI-USAID-FS-2014-Modelo-WEAP-calidad-agua-rio-La-Vieja.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Implementación del modelo WEAP para el estudio de la calidad del agua en la cuenca del río La Vieja. 2014. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Water-sanitation/SEI-USAID-FS-2014-Modelo-WEAP-calidad-agua-rio-La-Vieja.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Implementación del modelo WEAP para el estudio de la calidad del agua en la cuenca del río La Vieja |date=2014 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Water-sanitation/SEI-USAID-FS-2014-Modelo-WEAP-calidad-agua-rio-La-Vieja.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2014implementacin, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Implementación del modelo WEAP para el estudio de la calidad del agua en la cuenca del río La Vieja}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2014}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Water-sanitation/SEI-USAID-FS-2014-Modelo-WEAP-calidad-agua-rio-La-Vieja.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }