Analyze and Describe an Environmental Problem in my City By Maria Lucia Ordoñez

Analyze and Describe an Environmental Problem in my City

An important environmental problem for my city is the implementation of the Master Plan for the Magdalena River. This is a project being planned by the Colombian government with a Chinese multinational company, Hydro-China. An important part of this plan is the construction of large dams along the Magdalena River to produce electricity. Two dams, El Quimbo and Betania, have already been built, with devastating consequences for local people and the environment.

These dams are problematic because they destroy the local ecology, and people lose their land. The worst thing is that these dams are not even necessary. They are being used to produce electricity to sell to other countries, and for large-scale mining projects. No local people are employed in the construction of these dams, as the workforce would come from China. Local people are not consulted about the plans, as they are only released in English and Chinese.

 These dams also produce a local heating effect, due to the reflection of the Sun on the water. The rotting trees underneath the water produce methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas. The dams interrupt the migration of fish, destroying local fishing economies and ecosystems. The worst thing is that these dams only have a useful life of 40 years, after which they have to be destroyed for safety reasons. They can cause earthquakes, and have been known to burst in many parts of the world.

Another part of the Master Plan is the implementation of ‘Fracking’ technology to extract natural gas from beneath the earth. This technique involves pumping water into the rocks at high pressure. The problem with this is that the water becomes contaminated, affecting the local area. Chemicals are also released into the air and water, and the technique can cause earthquakes. Again, local people have little say when it comes to deciding whether to implement these plans or not.

Another important aspect of the Master Plan for the Magdalena River is reforestation. This sounds like a good thing, but the objective is to harvest trees for timber. The most common species to be planted are Pine and Eucalyptus. These are not native species, and so they contribute little to the ecosystem. Also, these trees damage and acidify the land. This is part of a larger project which aims to make money from the Magdalena River, at the expense of the local environment and people.