The Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies is a government agency

Government agency

A government or state agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of agency types...

 of the Colombia

Colombia

Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...

n Ministry of the Environment, Housing and Regional Development. It is in charge of producing and managing the scientific and technical information on the environment of Colombia, and its territorial composition. The IDEAM also serves as the Colombian institute of meteorology

Meteorology

Meteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere. Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw breakthroughs occur after observing networks developed across several countries...

 and studies the climate of Colombia

Climate of Colombia

The Climate of Colombia is characterized for being tropical and isothermal as a result of its geographical location near the Equator presenting variations within five natural regions and depending on the altitude, temperature, humidity, winds and rainfall...

.

The IDEAM is charged with obtaining, analyzing, processing and divulging information pertaining to hydrology

Hydrology

Hydrology is the study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water on Earth and other planets, including the hydrologic cycle, water resources and environmental watershed sustainability...

, hydrogeology

Hydrogeology

Hydrogeology is the area of geology that deals with the distribution and movement of groundwater in the soil and rocks of the Earth's crust, . The term geohydrology is often used interchangeably...

, meteorology, and geography

Geography

Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...

 of biophysical, geomorphological aspects, and the vegetation and land area to improve the use and care of the biophysical resources or the country.

It was created on December 22, 1993, when Congress

Congress of Colombia

The Congress of the Republic of Colombia is the name given to Colombia's bicameral national legislature.The Congress of Colombia consists of the 102-seat Senate , and the 166-seat Chamber of Representatives ...

 passed Law 99 of 1993, replacing the Colombian Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology, and Land Management (Instituto Colombiano de Hidrología, Meteorología y Adecuación de Tierras - HIMAT), and it officially started functioning on March 1, 1995.

See also

• Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute
  Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute
  The Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute , sometimes referred to simply as the Humbold Institute, is an independent non-regulatory research institute of the Executive Branch of the Government of Colombia charged with conducting scientific research on the biodiversity of...
  
  
• Geographic Institute Agustín Codazzi
  Geographic Institute Agustín Codazzi
  The Geographic Institute Agustín Codazzi , is the entity of the Government of Colombia responsible for producing the official maps and basic cartography of Colombia, and managing the national cadastral infrastructure and the national soil survey...