Ciénaga de Aguablanca (Cali, Colombia), Scene of Socioecosystemic Transformations in the 20th Century

Abstract

Demographic and urban growth processes have driven the loss of lake areas and biodiversity at a global level. During the 20th century, the flat area of the geographic valley of the Cauca River (Valle del Cauca, Colombia), was the scene of profound socioecosystemic transformations through a series of irrigation and drainage system projects, extension of the agricultural frontier and urban land use over extensive riparian zones of the Cauca River. This article analyzes the socioecosystemic transformations that occurred in the swamp and forest complex of the eastern zone of the city of Cali, Valle del Cauca, of which the Ciénaga de Aguablanca was a part, between the late nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries. Under the theoretical guidelines of Environmental History, the use of primary and secondary sources and cartographic material. The analysis was based on the use of primary and secondary sources and cartographic material in order to identify the main changes in landscape, land use and ecosystem services that occurred after the Aguablanca Swamp draining project, associated with urban growth, demographic and migratory peasants occurred in the city of Cali since the mid-twentieth century, are shown.