Evaluación del sistema de monitoreo y alerta temprana en la cuenca hidrográfica del Río las Ceibas

Abstract

In the Las Ceibas River Basin, there is the intersection of various physiographic, cultural and economic elements, which make this territory a strategic area for conservation, as the only source of supply to the aqueduct of the city Neiva. This basin presents from its beginning to its end flowing into the Magdalena River a difference in height of 2,720 meters above sea level in just 63 kilometres of travel, which indicates that the slopes that are part of the basin are very steep. Taking into account that the river is located in the eastern mountain range, which is geologically a mountain range in formation, with very well defined geographical features from high mountains to the flat area at the estuary of the Magdalena River, which facilitates mass removal phenomena and strong increases in the river's flows. Among the most evident characteristics are the constant exposure of the inhabitants of both rural and urban areas to possible hydroclimatic events (avalanches, flows, torrential avenues, floods), which have a high chance of appearance in winter times and forest fires in the summer season, causing material, agricultural and infrastructure losses. It is here where the Early Warning System, -SAT (due to its letters in Spanish) - is presented as a tool that proposes to be part of a series of measures that seek to prevent or mitigate problems that can generate floods, mass removal, torrential events, which are mainly triggered by intense rains and / or anthropic activities such as logging and burning of the basin cover. Therefore, the SAT does not represent a definitive solution to the problems of the basin but a first approximation, which will allow timely decision-making based on better supported criteria. Taking into account the preparation of this work and the importance of the system for risk management, it was carried out the analysis and evaluation of the development of the SAT design of the Las Ceibas river basin, according to the main elements and components of the system, established by national risk management institutions and organizations. The analysis included the diagnosis of the Early Warning System -SAT- for the Las Ceibas river basin; the identification of favourable and unfavourable internal and external factors in the formulation of SAT and the proposal of some general suggestions for improving the design of the system, which it is intended to enhance the positive aspects found in this work, as well as the minimization of the negative ones.