Protecting coastal zones in Colombia

The Colombian government is planning to expand and sustainably manage protected areas in marine and coastal zones. The project helped environmental institutions to identify, prioritise and designate marine and coastal zones as protected areas. To this end, it analysed the impacts of climate change scenarios on various marine and coastal areas in the Caribbean Sea and supported the country in the designation of new protected areas. The project also developed and implements a sustainable management strategy for these areas in cooperation with local communities and institutions. In this way, it helped to conserve biodiversity, to mitigate the impacts of climate change and to safeguard the traditional livelihoods of local communities. The capacities of state and civil society stakeholders were also strengthened, enabling them to better adapt to climate change and to preserve biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Project data

Countries: Colombia
IKI funding: 5,140,000.00 €
Duration: 01/2019 till 08/2023
Status: completed
Implementing organisation: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Political Partner: Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MADS) - Colombia
Implementing Partner: Leibniz-Zentrum für marine Tropenökologie (ZMT) - Deutschland

National Parks of Colombia (PNC) - Colombia

Research Institute for Marine and Coastal Areas (INVEMAR) - Colombia

Skip to Project data

State of implementation/results

Project completed.
A financial instrument for private sector compensation exists for the Corpoguajira Regional Environmental Authority and is being implemented through a pilot project.
A local financing fund for compensation of mangrove rehabilitation works has been developed with the Guardianes de Manglares group, composed of local communities, and the tourism agencies in Riohacha, and has been implemented since November 2022.
A report characterizing and establishing the status of the marine and coastal ecosystems (mangroves, corals and seagrass) in the Portete-Kaurrele Protected Area and the likely future Bahia Honda/Hondita Regional Protected Areas including recommendations for the management and a long-term monitoring program of these ecosystems in the protected area is available.
The fisheries management plan of the marine and coastal area in La Guajira declared as Exclusive Zone for Traditional Fishing (Zona Exclusiva de Pesca Artesana, ZEPA) is an essential part of the regional integrated spatial planning concept for 2023. A steering structure of participating communities and institutions has been developed and established. The groups have formed the alliance FEPACMUR (Federación indígena Wayúu de pescadores y acuicultores del municipio de Uribia).
A procedural guide for future consultative processes is available, which takes up the experiences of the consultative process in Bahia Honda and Hondita and is applied as an internal action template in the regional environmental authority.
In SF Flamenco, consensual management for the protected area has been agreed upon between the park administration and the local population.
Handicraft products of Wayuu women's groups from communities in Alta Guajira supported by the project were exhibited at the Buro Fair, Expoartenasia and Vassar handicraft fairs. The products are commercialized individually, but also distributed through the online trade of the NGO Hilo Sagrado (www:hilosagrado.org).
A concept for the creation and management of a biosphere reserve (3208.4 km) in Acandi was developed in a participatory manner.
A Subdirectorate for Marine Coasts and Marine Protected Areas (SMCAP Subdirección en Mares, Costas y Areas Protegidas) was created in the Environmental Agency of Codechocó and staffed as of 2023.
Participatively elaborated strategy for the payment of environmental services and formulation of the PSA proposal (Conceptual Design for the Codechoco Regional Environmental Administration) is submitted to the Regional Environmental Authority for implementation.