Case Study Colombian rainy season Presented by: Falco J. Aguilar Rubio Social, Political, Institutional, Economic and Environmental Aspects of Water Resources 2010

Colombian Rainy Season Definition of the problem Implications ▫ Social ▫ Political ▫ Economical ▫ Environmental Recommendations

Definition of the Problem Contextualization Colombia experiment heavy rainy seasons per year due to Inter-tropical convergence zone. In most populated part there is two rainy seasons: ▫ April – June ▫ September- November. La Niña (ENSO Cool phase) intensified precipitation Climate Change influence

Definition of the Problem The rainy season of 2010 has been the worst in 30 years 1.4 millions inhabitants affected 162 dead toll. 19 missing, 230 injured houses destroyed, damaged 28 of 32 departments in alert Landslides, sewer networks collapsed, blocked roads Destruction of large agricultural fields

Implications Social: ▫ People dead, injured or evacuated. ▫ Isolated zones. ▫ Propagations of diseases. ▫ Shortage of water supply or food Political ▫ Declaration of national disaster ▫ Government not able to attend affected ▫ Crisis in transportation ▫ Mitigation works

Implications Economical: ▫ Needed more than 240 M € ▫ Expected rise in food prices ▫ Goods and products unable to be transported ▫ Infrastructure damaged Environmental ▫ Forest and Vegetation destroyed in floodplains ▫ Landslides which changes local conditions in ecosystems

Recommendations Since the phenomenon is know, mitigation structures must be built Prevention campaigns to vulnerable population Land use according to historical flooding events Early warning system International cooperation, for funding projects Reforestation of river banks, as protection measures Buffering systems upstream, in identified hazardous currents

Questions – Comments?