Identification and mapping of Colombian inland wetlands

Wetlands are considered strategic ecosystems in Colombia. They play an essential role in water regulation, especially in extreme rainfall events or drought as El Nino and La Nina. Despite that, Colombia did not have a national wetland map. The Humboldt Institute, with the Adaptation Fund support and in partnership with Ideam, built the Identification Wetlands Map of Colombia Inland Territory using official information available at 1:100.000 of soils, geomorphology and associated wetland vegetation coverage. Additionally, a flood frequency map obtained from radar satellite images was integrated; it provided information of the spatial and temporal ecosystem dynamics. We identified 30.781.149 hectares of wetlands (26.99% of the national inland area) distributed in the following categories: open or under canopy permanent wetlands, temporary wetlands, and medium and low potential wetlands. The largest category is temporary wetlands with 17.861.536 ha. The thematic map accuracy was performed through 19 windows and 3176 points with a score of 75.79% total accuracy. To deal such magnitude of national wetlands area, it is necessary to develop policies and actions that enable differentiated management and recognize the identity of each wetland category.