The Adaptación Fund Manager, Carmen Arevalo Correa, and the Director General of Geographic Institute Agustín Codazzi (IGAC), Juan Antonio Nieto Escalante, signed the agreement to perform for the first time in Colombia an official mapping (1:25,000 scale) of 135 river basins in the country, which is a key to develop the Environmental Management Plans in the areas affected by the la Niña phenomenon.
The studies will enable the Adaptación Fund and the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development working in the management of the 135 watersheds as the unit of analysis to determine what happened in the 26 million hectares affected by the natural phenomenon during 2010-2011 and the currently, to establish how all activities take place in these areas in order to prevent further risk conditions.
The IGAC will carry out the updating and structuring of the base mapping in 1:25,000 scale, as well as the generation of satellite optical and orthoimagery using SPOT, Rapideye and GEOSAR radar in the influenced areas of watershed. According to the authorities, the investment exceeds 9 billion pesos and is part of the endowment of knowledge and technology that will also serve for the Early Warning System which is implemented in the country.
Source: IGAC
