Evaluation of the contraction and expansion of lentic water systems under the influence of the ENSO phenomenon (case study. Department of Córdoba, Colombia)

Abstract

The sustainability of ecosystems and economic activities depend significantly on the availability of water, which can be affected by its temporal variability. Colombia is one of the countries that suffers high temporal variability of the water resource because of global, regional, and local phenomena. One of the macro-climatic events that alter the water regime is ENSO. Its impact on lotic water bodies is well known, while the effects on lentic systems are unknown. In this study, a methodology, which integrates climatic analyses with remote sensing studies, was designed to evaluate the relationship between the expansion and contraction of lotic bodies under the ENSO event, verified in four welt lands (ciénagas) in the department of Córdoba. The results showed that the dynamics depend up to 60 % on this macro-climatic event. The methodology developed can be considered as a tool for environmental planning of the territory around the lagoon systems, since it allows estimating buffer zones.