Biggest environmental tragedies

Due to the failures presented by the Hidroituango project in 2019, the powerhouse had to be completely closed, which caused environmental damage and damage to downstream populations. The level of the river dropped, there were about 40,000 dead fish and the conditions of the usual life in this tributary were completely affected.

​In December 2018, a study conducted by the Amazonian Network of Geo-referenced Socio-environmental Information confirmed the existence of at least 2,312 points and 245 areas of unauthorized extraction of minerals such as gold, diamonds and coltan in the Amazon. In addition, 30 rivers were identified where mining activity takes place and which serve as a route for the entry or exit of machinery and supplies. Colombia has the largest number of dredges, with 30 cases out of the 65 investigated.

​On March 2, 2018, a failure was recorded in Ecopetrol's Lizama 158 well, in a rural area of the municipality of Barrancabermeja, Santander, which produced a 30-kilometer oil slick in the La Muerte stream and the Lizama stream. This resulted in the contamination of these streams and creeks and affected an area of agricultural and livestock wealth.

​On September 28, 1997, one of the worst environmental and sanitary tragedies to have occurred in the country took place. The Doña Juana landfill, located in Bogotá, exploded and between 600,000 and one million tons of garbage, which corresponded to what was produced in half a year in the entire city, ended up in the Tunjuelito river basin. For this fact, the District was sanctioned for more than 220 billion pesos by the Council of State, to compensate more than two thousand families.