Rio Bogotá Environmental Recuperation and Flood Control Project

The Environmental Authority for the Bogota River (CAR) has embarked in a comprehensive urban river recuperation project, which focuses on a 68-km stretch of the Bogota River. The project objective is to transform the Bogota River into an environmental asset for the Bogota metropolitan region by improving water quality, reducing flood risk, restoring riparian habitats, and creating multifunctional areas along the river. The main activities include (i) the expansion of a wastewater treatment plant to improve river water quality and supplement water supply for nearby agricultural areas, (ii) traditional flood control works such as river dredging and embankment construction, and (iii) environmental improvements, such as widening and protecting the riparian zone, restoring the river meanders and wetlands, and creation of multifunctional zones along the river that provide ecological habitat, public use, and enjoyment of an urban river.This paper provides a summary of the river basin existing conditions, project description and objectives, as well as experiences and lessons learned, including implementation barriers and synergies among many stakeholders, in the integration of a large infrastructure project with urban river restoration concepts in one of the most important cities in Latin America. The project is currently under design and is expected to begin construction in 2010.