Environmental zoning for erosion risk in the village El Hato of the Choachí municipality associated with sunflower cultivation

Abstract

According to the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (Ideam) and the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MADS), by 2014, 40?% of Colombia’s continental surface area was degraded, with environmental, social and economic consequences at the national, regional and local levels. Therefore, the present study aimed to carry out the environmental zoning of erosion risk in the sunflower crops of the El Hato district in the municipality of Choachí, Cundinamarca. Two methodologies were implemented for data processing: the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE), to identify the threat, and the weighted overlay, to assess physical vulnerability. Through the development of the work, it became evident that the study zone comprises an area of 355,98 hectares, of which 217,7 are at a very low risk of water erosion. In addition, of the approximately 8,8 hectares of sunflower cultivation, 7,3 of these present a very low risk of erosion. This behavior depends on climatic and geographical characteristics and the location of the region’s own infrastructure. Finally, the risk assessment led recommendations focused on the mitigation and control of water erosion, which will be provided to the City Hall and its farmers.