Planning the Regional Water Assessment in Colombia through WEAP

Overview

The Regional Water Assessment – ERA – evaluates the state, dynamics and trends of water systems as a result of the interaction of natural processes for proper management and use of water in the regions of Colombia. The ERA characterizes the water resource in aspects such as supply, demand, availability, quality, threats and vulnerability, through indicators, becoming an input for the National Water Assessment (ENA), monitoring the national policy for the Integral Management of Water Water Resource (PNGIRH), in addition to being a support for the decision-making process at different levels.

In 2017, the ERA was developed in the jurisdiction of the Regional Autonomous Corporation of Boyacá (CORPOBOYOCÁ) where the indicators defined in the ERA were obtained, both in the current situation and in possible future scenarios, through a tool developed with WEAP.

This project expects to replicate the experience of the first ERA exercise, complemented by a transfer of technology and capabilities to Corpochivor officials.

Aim of the project

The ERA was required by a Colombian Decree, where a period of three years (from 2013) was given for the Regional Autonomous Corporations to implement it. Faced with this requirement, the objective of the project is to support the implementation of the ERA for the 4 sub-basins belonging to the jurisdiction of Corpochivor.

Methods and tools

This project will use WEAP, which will seize the information available in the Corporation, regarding the components of supply, demands, quality and vulnerability, in addition to simulating management scenarios, to assess the response of these components to uncertainties such as climate change population growth and increased demand for water resources.

Expected results

It is expected that the ERA incorporates a technology transfer component that supports the strengthening of its technical capacity and the decision making process of Corpochivor, regarding the planning and management of the water resource in the watersheds and streams of its jurisdiction. Similarly, the WEAP tool is intended to generate information that will feed the Water Resources Information System (SIRH) and the Environmental Information System (SIAC) aiming to support the management and transfer of local to national knowledge.