In Colombia, hydropower share was 70 % of the total installed capacity and more than 50 % of the monthly generation share in 2015, which coincided with the strongest El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon reported in the region. ENSO has been recognized as an influential climate pattern on meteorological variables. The generation via hydropower implies the construction of dams and water reservoirs; these flooded areas generate an important amount of Green House Gases (GHG). In this regard, the main aim of this research was to quantify the diffusing emissions of CO2 and CH4 in the flooded areas of the main hydroelectric power generation facilities in Colombia. GHG emissions were calculated by the implementation of an IPCC methodology. The obtained results show that more than 1,042,500 t CO2-Eq (i.e. CO2 and CH4) are emitted in Colombia per year from this source, representing 4.4 % of the total GHG emissions in the country. As the second aim, the vulnerability of Colombia’s energy independence, in terms of power supply to ENSO and climate change was analyzed using the MERRA-2 dataset from NASA, for the years between 2010 and 2017.

Las funciones del suelo dependen de una serie de propiedades físicas químicas y biológicas, que combinadas determinan las cualidades esenciales del suelo. Estas cualidades a su vez garantizan que el suelo pueda cumplir sus roles ecológicos y productivos, y en consecuencia beneficiar la preservación de la vida en el planeta (Brammer & Nachtergaele, 2015); por lo tanto, el uso y manejo sustentable del suelo permite convivir en conexión con sus atributos y disfrutar de forma armónica de sus vitales servicios. Contrario a lo deseable, el suelo ha sufrido una alteración antrópica desmedida sin considerar las consecuencias. Estudios a nivel global han identificado que los cambios en el uso de la tierra durante los últimos 50 años por áreas para la agricultura y la ganadería, han generado alteraciones en la abundancia, composición y actividad de las comunidades microbianas, afectando la disponibilidad de nutrientes del suelo y la productividad de las plantas, además de deteriorar el ambiente y disminuir la calidad de vida de las personas (Soka & Ritchie, 2014; Ruiz et al., 2015). De acuerdo a Bringezu & colaboradores

Environmental Impact Assessment – EIA, makes a preventive and corrective study possible to avoid damages resulting from anthropogenic activities. Different methodologies are used taking into account criteria at the discretion of the professional, and the application of qualitative and quantitative parameters, particularly for water resources, the proposed methodologies and tools that allow a deep analysis to be carried out are limited. In this sense, the goal of this study is to design a tool for Environmental Impact Assessment applied to the Vado-Castro sector by means of Transparency Overlay Methods, Leopold, and Battelle-Columbus. The development of these methods was performed based on a diagnosis and monitoring of the water resource, articulating the characterization and quantification of the environmental impacts generated by economic, mining, agricultural and livestock activities. Finally, a unified standard methodological tool was formulated, which is applicable to the water resource sector and considers all the necessary criteria and attributes when carrying out a comprehensive EIA, as it is possible to demonstrate its applicability to the case of the Chicamocha River tributary area. The results obtained will allow this research to be used as a source of consultation for academic and technical studies that need to assess the effects of the water resource, in addition to being a tool with projection of application to any other body of water.

No abstract