ESTABLISHING A PRIVATE HYDROGEOLOGY-HEALTH MAP IN COLOMBIA: FAR FROM RHETORIC, CLOSER TO REALITY

Hydrogeological maps are necessary in Colombia. The country has hydrogeological areas but the composition of its aquifers and their effect on the health of communities is unknown. The armed conflict the country endured for over six decades affected hydrogeological development. Limited access to aquifer areas for data collection and life threatening events --such as kidnappings-- during field trips left lost works and a gap in knowledge that has not been possible to fill completely.

The purpose of this project is to suggest the start point of a private hydrogeology-health map. The idea started when UNESCO published hydrogeological information of a decade long transboundary shared aquifers in 2010. The hypothesis states that without knowing their own non-renewable natural resources individuals will never have social or economic benefits.

The study is based on literature reviews and field trips of the main author

The official Colombian geographic classification by zones can be used in the hydrogeology-health map, as follows:

The Andean Zone -extensive area, medium rain rate, economically wealthy populations and some groundwater studies-, the Caribbean Zone -a large extension of flat wasted land with low rain rate, deprived populations and fewer groundwater studies than the latter-, and the Orinoquía Zone -a vast extension of flat wasted land with low rain rate, economically and socially diverse populations where studies of aquifers have been scarcely reported. There groundwater presents low health risks.

The Amazon Zone -a rainforest with high rain rate, host several economically deprived indigenous groups with an unestablished number of aquifers- and the Pacific Zone -another rainforest with high rain rate, hosts native and Afro Colombians with unknown number of aquifers-. There groundwater presents medium to high health risks.

Aquifers data and the effect of water on the health of communities in these zones is still limited. To prepare a Hydrogeology-Health map data is required through the Far From Rhetoric Closer to Reality Charitable Organization crated recently by the authors.