Draft environmental resolution puts major Bogotá infra projects on the line

A draft environmental resolution aimed at designating the Sabana de Bogotá high-altitude plateau as an area of ecological interest could affect several planned or ongoing infrastructure projects.

According to the draft, the regulation will apply in Bogotá and 39 municipalities in the Sabana, which surrounds the Colombian capital.

The environment ministry has opened a public consultation until March 14 on the guidelines for the environmental planning of the Sabana. These guidelines establish mandatory criteria for territorial planning in the municipalities in the region.

The projects that could be affected by being located in areas regulated by the new resolution include the Canoas and Salitre wastewater treatment plants; the workshop yard for line No. 1 of the Bogotá metro, which is currently under construction; part of line No. 2 of the metro, which is being tendered, and its workshop yard; part of the route of line No. 3 of the metro, presently in prefeasibility studies; and the El Dorado EdMax PPP for the expansion of Bogotá's El Dorado airport, the city's mayor, Carlos Fernando Galán, said in a press conference broadcast on Facebook.

Other projects that could be impacted include the Regiotram de Occidente light rail system; the north, center and south sections of the Aló highway, which would not be able to go ahead; the upgrade of Avenida Suba-Cota; the La Calera cable car; the Calle 13 trunk line; and the Carrera Séptima corridor.

The mayor has requested that the environment ministry withdraw the draft resolution so a dialogue process can be opened, considering the views of regional entities and the public. 

He said that if the resolution is not suspended, even judicial rulings, such as one issued by the state council ordering the construction of the Canoas wastewater treatment plant, could be affected.

"We will take the necessary steps to protect the rights of Bogotá's residents, regional autonomy and the institutional integrity of Bogotá," said Galán.

Meanwhile, Jorge Emilio Rey, governor of Cundinamarca department, which surrounds the district of Bogotá, requested an extension of the observation period to better assess the potential impacts of the measure. 

"It is necessary to eliminate ambiguities regarding the new powers assigned to environmental authorities to avoid delays in approving strategic infrastructure projects and to define how municipalities can have a say and propose alternative land-use schemes. Currently, the guidelines are so universal and restrictive that municipalities could only adopt them without any autonomy," Rey said on his X account.

The Sabana de Bogotá features a system of natural lagoons and wetlands that function as water regulators. According to the environment ministry, the Sabana covers 580,000ha and has over 3,000 species of fauna and more than 5,000 species of plants. It also has approximately 41,000ha of wetlands, of which 1,700ha are natural.

The regulation

The draft resolution was issued by former environment minister Susana Muhamad. In a radio interview, she explained that the project is based on existing legislation and aims to protect the Sabana, which was declared a zone of national ecological interest 30 years ago.

"The resolution doesn't stop any projects. It establishes guidelines and protects key ecosystems, working to restore them while safeguarding agricultural soils," said Muhamad.

The application of the guidelines considers four types of areas: areas of special environmental importance, rural areas, urban areas and areas compatible with mining.

The results of the consultation launched by the ministry are not binding, leading various sectors to believe that the regulation will eventually be implemented, as has happened in previous cases.

Councilman Daniel Briceño said on social media network X, "With this regulation, the outgoing environment minister decided to sink any progress in infrastructure, energy and economic issues, since, among other things, it prohibits construction in current rural zones, forbids construction or industrialization near wetlands, aquifers and forests, bans mining in certain areas, restricts the construction of new electrical networks, and, above all, halts many projects in Bogotá and Cundinamarca."