Feb 16, 2021
For Ecopetrol it is essential to recognize the vulnerability to variability and climate change to which people, infrastructure and potential impacts to operations and the environment are exposed. Taking into account that for each region the climatic dynamics is different, the vulnerability and risk analysis was carried out to define measures in order to increase resilience and compatibility with the climate.
The adaptation in Ecopetrol is based on the following components:
Ecopetrol defined a methodological model for the formulation of the Climate Variability and Change Adaptation Plan (PAVCC), which considers the different climate dynamics and particularities of the regions where the company has operations. For the analysis of physical risk due to climatic variables, the methodology of the Comprehensive Climate Change Management Plan of the Mines and Energy sector * was adopted.
The physical risk for Ecopetrol is relevant, especially due to climate variability phenomena (acute risks) such as the ENSO phenomenon (El Niño Southern Oscillation), taking into account the presence of the company in a large part of the national territory. The impacts identified by the materialization of these risks are the following:
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The risk levels of climate variability and change in Ecopetrol's licensed areas:
Climate variability
Level risk | Hazards | |||
Water shortages |
Fire forest | Flooding | Mass movements | |
Climate change
Level risk | Hazards | |||
Water Shortages |
Fire forest | Flooding | Mass movements | |
Risk = f (Threat (Exposure), Vulnerability)
Vulnerability = f (Sensitivity, Adaptive Capacity)
* Ecopetrol adopts the RCP 6.0 (Representative Concentration Pathways) scenario in accordance with the PIGCCMME and TCNCC, which implies a stabilization of Greenhouse Gas emissions after 2100.
To know the methodology of Physical risks of the climate, click here
The company has 6 plans for Adaptation to Variability and Climate Change that cover the six regions of the company (Central, Catatumbo, Oriente, Orinoquía, Cartagena Refinery and Sur), built based on climate variability scenarios (phenomenon of El Niño and La Niña) and the 2011-2040 Climate Change scenario of the Third National Communication on Climate Change, which made it possible to establish the vulnerability of operations and infrastructure considering operational indicators of sensitivity and adaptive capacity (See Table below).
Ecopetrol has identified adaptation measures based on the following approaches:
Actions for the management of the climate variability and climate change
Water resource management |
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Objective |
Reduce vulnerability to climate variability and change due to water shortages and flooding |
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Adaptation measures |
Type |
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Water use efficient programs |
Operational |
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Prevention plans for obtaining water from secondary sources |
Technology |
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Plan production considering the climatic variable (occurrence of climatic variability phenomena) to anticipate and take preventive actions for water shortages or floods. |
Operational |
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Develop a dynamic water management model that articulates supply needs and includes cost-effective alternatives in the occurrence of an extreme weather event (drought). |
Operational Technology |
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Have a portfolio of reuseand disposal alternatives that reduce pressure on water resources. |
Operational Technology |
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Alert monitoring associated with official IDEAM information, which allows permanent monitoring of climatic variables, especially in seasonal rainy or drought seasons that coincide with the occurrence of extreme phenomena. |
Operational |
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Maintenance and cleaning campaigns in the priority water bodies for operation, to reduce the materialization of suspensions for the discharge of discharges in rainy seasons. |
Operational |
Actions for the management of the climate variability and climate change
Restoration and conservation of natural capital |
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Objective |
Reduce vulnerability in strategic ecosystems for operations through conservation, restoration and recovery |
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Adaptation measures |
Type |
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Identify strategic ecosystems for the protection of supply sources, to implement recovery, protection and / or conservation projects. |
Ecosystem |
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Promote activities to restore vegetation cover that increase the retention and regulation capacity of water resources in flood events, in areas close to operations. |
Ecosystem |
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Promote the identification, structuring and implementation of Climate-Based Solutions. |
Ecosystem |
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Establish conservation agreements that contribute to the care of the ecosystems of strategic supply sources for the operation. |
Communities |
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Identify and implement alternatives based on nature that contribute to the regulation of water resources to reduce vulnerability in events of drought, flood and mainly fires. |
Ecosystem – Technology |
Actions for the management of the climate variability and climate change
Climate-resilient infrastructure |
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Objective |
Reduce the vulnerability of Ecopetrol facilities due to the impacts generated by extreme weather events |
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Adaptation measures |
Type |
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Identify the facilities where overflows and / or spills are caused due to an increase in the precipitation regime, to evaluate the adequacy of the storage and conduction systems. |
Infraestructure |
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Implement engineering works to reduce incidents due to overflows and / or overflows in operating areas, caused by rainfall. |
Infraestructure |
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Carry out maintenance to the infrastructure that may be compromised by landslides or mass removal events, affecting the stability of the operation. |
Operational |
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Optimize the risk and incident management tool, including events associated with climate variability that most affect the infrastructure (flood, mass removal, fires) in order to have reliable information for the development of physical security plans associated with climate. |
Technology |
Actions for the management of the climate variability and climate change
Weather compatible operation |
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Objective |
Expand and strengthen operational activities to address the effects of climate variability and change. |
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Adaptation measures |
Type |
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Generate spaces for education and training to strengthen the conceptual bases on issues of variability and climate change |
Operational |
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Increase the capacity to understand and assess climate information, for which the inclusion of monitoring is required in:
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Operational |
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Actively participate in the Municipal Councils for Risk Management and Climate Change |
Operational |
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Include in the Emergency and Contingency Plans (HSEQ), actions for events of variability and climate change |
Operational |
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Provision of equipment for the attention of events caused in the environment. |
Operational |
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Prepare and report action plans to respond to the controls of the probability of occurrence of extreme weather events (El Niño and La Niña phenomena) and business risk "Inadequate management of Climate Change and Water " |
Operational |