NAVIGABILITY OF THE MAGDALENA RIVER: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES BASED ON SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE

Abstract

The navigability of the Magdalena River plays an important role in the economic development of Colombia. The extractive industry, which contributes with 85% of the Colombian GDP, is mainly located in the Magdalena basin. The lower Magdalena (908 km) is navigable from which 660 km has favorable navigability conditions, but requires dredging and other training works to assure navigability conditions. The hydrology regime of the Magdalena River has shown some changes in the last 10 years, which may be associated with its watershed management, flood management infrastructure, and the construction and operation of hydro-electrical projects. This article analyses the current conditions of the Magdalena River and presents a perspective of the technical needs (i.e., hydrological, hydrodynamics, sedimentological, and morphological description of the river) to guarantee appropriate navigable conditions based on scientific evidence from historical events from the last 30 years. The analysis is also oriented to understand the river evolution triggered by both natural and anthropogenic controls. We believe that this study provides very valuable information for future decision making on the design, operation and maintenance of river training works, as well as future river management.