Author(s): Lina Claudia Giraldo

Linked Author(s):

Keywords: Hydrologic models; Surface water – groundwater interaction; Environmental management;

Abstract: The hydrographic basin of the Aburrá-Medellín River is located on the Central Mountain Range of the Andes of Colombia; it has an extension of 1,152 km2. In it, inhabits more than 4 million people. The main problems that generate an impact on the water resource are: inadequate use of the soil, exploitation of materials in stream beds, high slopes, degradation of soils by erosive processes, sedimentation processes, inadequate disposal of solid waste and human settlements in areas with high risk, deforestation of headwaters and springs, discharges of untreated wastewater treatment, unplanned use of groundwaters and lack of protection of recharge zones. These circumstances highlight the existence of a poor local water culture. More than 80% of the water supply for the population is taken from external basins.
Today, The Aburrá Medellín river basin has a monitoring program for surface water resources on the river and its main tributaries and the operation of a hydrogeological monitoring network. These networks generate enough information from which environmentally strategic areas have been identified and water resources management tools have been formulated: The Water Resources Management Plan-PORH and the Environmental Management Plan of the Aquifer-PMAA.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3850/38WC092019-1727

Year: 2019