Ecosystem-Based Adaptation in the Magdalena River Basin
Publisher: USAID
Date: 2017
Topics: Climate Change, Governance, Renewable Resources
Countries: Colombia
As Colombia implements a peace agreement between the FARC and the Government of Colombia, protecting the country’s diverse ecosystems is critical to the peace accord’s long-term success. The Magdalena River Basin is Colombia’s principal watershed, covering 24 percent of the national territory (including 19 departments and 724 municipalities), and home to 77 percent of Colombia’s population. The watershed produces 80 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, 75 percent of its hydraulic energy, and 70 percent of the nation’s agriculture.
The Magdalena River Basin has historically been exploited to support economic development, resulting in significant environmental deterioration. In addition, the watershed is extremely vulnerable to climate events, as evidenced by the floods caused by La Niña in 2010-2011, which affected over 2.2 million people. Extreme climate events are expected to be stronger and more intense in the future due to climate change.
In this context, USAID and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) implemented the Ecosystem-Based Adaptation in the Magdalena River Basin activity from September 2013 - March 2017. In order to support the ecosystem’s ability to continue providing key services and benefits to Colombia, the activity was designed to improve the watershed’s resilience and adaptation capacity to climate variability and climate change.