IDEAM Geoportal Ambiental Institucional (Instituto de Hidrología, Meteorología y Estudios Ambientales)

Overview

The IDEAM Geoportal Ambiental Institucional is the geographic information portal of the Instituto de Hidrología, Meteorología y Estudios Ambientales (IDEAM), Colombia's national institute responsible for hydrology, meteorology, and environmental studies. The geoportal provides public access to open spatial and environmental data, maps, and geographic information related to Colombia's natural resources, climate, and ecosystems.

History and Background

IDEAM was created on 22 December 1993 under Colombia's Law 99 of 1993, which established the National Environmental System (SINA) and the Ministry of Environment. IDEAM formally began operations on 1 March 1995, replacing the earlier Instituto Colombiano de Hidrología, Meteorología y Adecuación de Tierras (HIMAT). It is organized under Decree 1277 of 1994 with statutes formalized through Decree 2241 of 1995. Since its founding, IDEAM has been central to Colombia's environmental monitoring infrastructure, expanding from core meteorological and hydrological observation to include climate change studies, glacier monitoring, deforestation tracking, and biodiversity assessment. The Geoportal Ambiental Institucional was developed as part of IDEAM's open data mandate and provides georeferenced environmental datasets to the public. Since January 2023, the institute has been directed by chemist Ghisliane Echeverry Prieto, the second woman to lead the organization.

Collections and Data Offerings

The Geoportal provides access to geographic and environmental open data including hydrological and meteorological station data, land cover maps, deforestation monitoring data, glacier extent records, flood risk zones, water availability assessments, and atmospheric monitoring information. IDEAM collects, processes, and publishes hydrometeorological, hydrogeological, meteorological, and geographic data on biophysical aspects, geomorphology, soils, and vegetation cover. The National Water Study (Estudio Nacional del Agua, ENA), published approximately every four to five years, is a key product. Historical hydrometeorological records from the DHIME system (Sistema de Información para la gestión de datos Hidrológicos y Meteorológicos) are also accessible by request.

Access and Usage

The Geoportal is freely accessible online. Open datasets are also published on Colombia's national open data portal (datos.gov.co). IDEAM's data is widely used in government policy, disaster risk management, climate adaptation planning, and academic research. The institute coordinates with the National Disaster Risk Management System and the National System of Protected Areas.