Experience of 50 years water resources development in Colombia

The development of a major series of water supply and hydroelectric projects over the past 50 years in Colombia, especially in the area around the capital Bogota, has not only met the rapidly increasing needs of the population, but also led to valuable lessons being learned in challenging conditions. Colombia now has the two highest dams in South America, and a number of very high-head plants which have involved major tunnelling projects in challenging underground conditions. The Bogota hydro projects include five very high head plants, the two highest dams in South America, five reservoirs for water storage, and some of the most difficult tunnelling in Latin America.