Climate change is likely to affect water availability and therefore hydropower generation in many regions of the world. In drying regions, hydropower generation may be impaired, creating a need for new power investments that would otherwise have been unnecessary. In this study we apply two partial equilibrium models (GCAM and TIAM-ECN) and two general equilibrium models (MEG4C and Phoenix) to identify possible pathways of power sector adaptation for Colombia under climate change. We adopt two GCM projections that deteriorate hydropower generation over the next three decades, and simulate each for two radiative forcing scenarios (RCP8.5 and RCP4.5). Relative to Colombia's projected power demand growth over the coming decades, losses in hydropower generation are marginal. Nonetheless, climate-driven losses in hydropower must be compensated by alternative technologies´expansion, which vary significantly across models. When climate policy is implemented (RCP4.5), three distinct expansion pathways emerge: increased solar and wind energy (TIAM-ECN); significant power demand reductions (Phoenix and MEG4C); and increased fossil resources with carbon dioxide capture and storage (GCAM). We show the need to explore the tradeoffs/synergies among alternative expansion pathways and their potential impacts on other sectors (e.g. water and land), and for effective policies to incentivize their adoption in Colombia.

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Impactos distributivos de un impuesto al carbono en Colombia: vínculo entre modelos de microsimulaciones y equilibrio general Resumen: Este trabajo evalúa las implicaciones distributivas de un impuesto a las emisiones de dióxido de carbono sobre el bienestar de los hogares, a través de cambios en los precios de la canasta consumida. Para ello, se integran secuencialmente los resultados de un modelo de equilibrio general computable con un análisis a nivel de hogares a partir de modelos de microsimulaciones (MSM). Además, el análisis realizado compara los efectos de utilizar MSM aritméticas y comportamentales. Los resultados permiten concluir que el impuesto al carbono tiene efectos negativos en el bienestar de toda la población, siendo los hogares de mayores ingresos los más afectados y los de clase media los menos afectados. Finalmente, se presenta una serie de recomendaciones de política para lograr los efectos deseados, tanto en reducción de emisiones como en la incorporación de criterios de bienestar en las medidas de mitigación.

Most community-specific serological surveys for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies have been done in healthcare workers and institutions. In this study, IgG antibodies specific for the virus were evaluated in individuals working at one university in Bogota-Colombia. The aim of this work was to determine previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in those attending the campus during city lockdown. A total of 237 individuals including 93 women and 144 men were evaluated using chemiluminescent detection of IgG anti N-viral protein. There were 32 positives giving a seroprevalence of 13.5% (10 women and 22 men) and mostly asymptomatic (68.75%). Only 13 of the seropositive individuals had previous positive detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA by RT-qPCR done in average 91 days before serological test. Seropositive individuals did not come from localities having higher percentages of SARS-CoV-2 cases in the city. Three cluster of seropositive individuals were identified. This survey was carried out after the first peak of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the city, and before the preparedness to reopening the campus for students in 2021. These results will help to develop some of the strategies stablished to control virus spread in the campus.