The Event that Pushed Me into Water Resources

There are events that inspire you and others that open your curiosity or imagination. I was in my third year of engineering school (in a five-year program established in Colombia) when I discovered my inclination to water resources in the midst of a natural event that impacted an entire country.

Colombia, my home country, had been a place dependent on hydropower, using several key reservoirs for decades to produce about 80% of the power consumed nationwide. For years, hydropower turbines roared with the force of several meters of water pressure coming from mostly full reservoirs. This picture changed in 1992. In that year, El Ni?o was stronger than normal, a phenomenon that triggered a severe and widespread drought that decreased streamflows in rivers, resulting in water levels in hydropower reservoirs being so low to the point that the government had to start mandatory blackouts nationwide to save energy. (At the time, power companies in the country were mostly public agencies.) A desperate government copied North Americans in the day light savings time approach and the country's official time was moved ahead one hour. (If you know someone who lived in Colombia in 1992, asked him or her about "Gaviria's time"). When you rely on hydropower and you do not have contingency when reservoirs go low, you have a serious problem.

Looking at rainfall statistics, it may be found unbelievable that Colombia would ever go through that situation. One of the rainiest spots on the planet is in its Pacific Coast, a place that consistently receives nearly 400 inches of precipitation per year. If you live in Bogota, the capital, you cannot forget an umbrella when you go out; otherwise you are at risk of a miserable day. In a country with such rich water resources with plenty of mountains and canyons, hydropower made a lot of sense. Nonetheless, cycles in weather patterns resulted in consequences that no one anticipated and the unforeseen consequences caused a lot of economic damages and impacted the life of millions. Class schedule and dinner time changed, students had to plan for a place to do homework crowding the few spots available, police and fireman dealt with more safety concerns, diesel generators increased, and traffic jams due lack of signals were worse. These are just a few of the things that went on.

During and after the power blackouts, questions were raised about contingency planning, water resources management, and diversification on energy sources. It was a lesson for government agencies, planners, and engineers alike. After the event, the country increased thermal energy production and now uses more natural gas, which makes the system less dependent on hydropower. Agencies improved their understanding of hydrologic patterns and weather cycles which were incorporated in models and studies. Unfortunately, serious climate events had to happen to raise awareness of uncertainty and hydrologic variability and for actions to be taken.

My third year of engineering school included Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulics. In class, I learned energy principles in pipe flow, the flow in channels, and energy dissipation in spillways and, because I passed, I thought I could design the next hydropower station. But, what would a station be used for if there is no water flowing through? The events that affected everyone in the country during almost one year of programmed blackouts taught something else. That water systems require planning for uncertainties and consideration of social and economic elements.

The events of 1992 opened a new dimension that inspired me to dive deeper into water management. To some degree, I am practicing water resources because of these events. And I'm on a mission, along with many other professionals, to avoid the repeat of the consequences stemming from poor planning that I witnessed in 1992.