Sustainability of tropical river systems in Colombia, Integrating geomorphology, hydrology and vegetation analysis in the context of global change

Tropical rivers are fundamental elements of global hydrosphere, hydrological cycle, Earth natural systems and social system. Tropical rivers are one of the main sources of supply and availability of drinking water, generating multiple direct and indirect contributions to ecosystems and society. Anthropic pressures on tropical river systems, such as canalization, construction of lateral dams, dams, floodplain occupation, among others, generate alterations in the morphology of the channel, change sediment dynamics, and disturb ecosystems and interrelationships between them and the hydrological regimes and geomorphological units. These anthropogenic transformations can generate unpredictable changes, not linear in the medium and long term, and can become irreversible. In this light, this PhD research in Geography, analyze the relationships between geomorphology, hydrology and vegetation that occur in the middle basins of four main rivers in Colombia: Meta, Sinu, Magdalena and Cauca, assessing the vulnerability of tropical river systems in Colombia taking into account the historical relationship of human beings and rivers generating guidelines for management and sustainability of water resources in Colombia, in a context of global change, based on scientific knowledge, which allows criteria for decision-making for its management, use and conservation.