1. General information Location and description of the intervention City or FUA Cartagena (FUA) Region Latin America and the Caribbean Native title of the NBS intervention Recuperación Integral Del Cerro De La Popa Short description of the intervention Reforestation project for the "Cerro de la Popa", which is Cartagena's highest point and one of the main tourist attractions because of the view and its colonial convent (Ref 6). The hill currently faces illegal occupation and environmental deterioration caused by deforestation, poor solid waste management, burning, logging, and the loss of vegetation cover (Ref 4, 5). The intervention in La Popa consists of reforestation activities, environmental education activities with children, and awareness-raising activities with adults about caring for fauna, flora, and water bodies (ref 2, 3). SSince 2020, the Establecimiento Público Ambiental (EPA Cartagena) has led the recovery initiative, prompted by the urgent need to counter the increasing encroachment by migrants and vulnerable populations (Ref 4). The project comprises reforestation efforts, environmental education sessions with children, and community outreach to raise awareness among adults regarding the protection of local fauna, flora, and water bodies (Refs 2, 3). As part of a broader municipal agenda, the initiative remains active, with the most recent intervention conducted on July 11, 2024 (Ref 2). Website of the intervention https://observatorio.epacartagena.gov.co/gestion-ambiental/ecosistemas/la-popa/… Principal problems Environmental Degradation Biodiversity loss Deforestation and forest degradation Soil degradation and loss Poor water quality Physical water retention and availability Land use and Socio-economic change Limited economic opportunities and local livelihoods Resource Scarcity and Competition Land rights conflicts Other Please specify other principal problem illegal occupation and extreme poverty. Implementation area characterization Climate Tropical (Tropican rainforest, tropical monsoon, tropical savanna) Ecosystem Tropical dry-forests Address Convento de la Popa, Cartagena, Bolívar Cartagena Colombia Location The NBS is situated in an area, with clear delineation of boundaries and a specific shape (polygon). The NBS project can also have more than one area location (more than one polygon, situated close by). Area boundary (map-based) NBS area image Source of NBS area image EPA Cartagena: https://observatorio.epacartagena.gov.co/gestion-ambiental/ecosistemas/la-popa/acciones-prioritarias-para-el-cerro-de-la-popa-cartagena/ Total area 1970000.00m² NBS area 789999.00m² Area description Urban (main city) Type of area before implementation of the NBS Previous derelict area Timeline of intervention Start date of the intervention (planning process) 2005 Start date of intervention (implementation process) 2010 End date of the intervention ongoing Present stage of the intervention Ongoing 2. Objectives of the intervention Objectives of the intervention Goals of the intervention Recover the ecological and scenic value of Cerro de la Popa by enhancing biodiversity, increasing carbon dioxide capture, promoting recreational and educational uses, and preserving its visual landscape (Ref. 5). Implement restoration activities in degraded areas of the hill and undertake construction and slope stabilization in zones affected by erosion (Ref. 11). Promote recreational and tourism development by leveraging the cultural significance of the Colonial Convent of La Popa and the hill’s strategic role as a panoramic viewpoint of the city (Ref. 5). Fulfill legal mandates for the protection of Cerro de la Popa by halting deforestation, preventing the degradation of tropical dry forest vegetation and erosion, and preserving the natural habitat of local wildlife (Ref. 2). Involve multiple neighborhoods surrounding La Popa to safeguard the natural heritage of Cartagena’s most iconic hill (Ref. 2). Key Priorities Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation) Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration) Social Justice and community Sustainability challenge(s) addressed Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13) Climate change mitigation Environmental quality Waste management Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15) Green space creation and/or management Habitat and biodiversity restoration Regeneration, land-use and urban development Regulation of built environment Cultural heritage and cultural diversity Preservation of natural heritage Health and well-being (SDG 3) Creation of opportunities for recreation Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16) Inclusive governance Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10) Environmental education Climate change mitigation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets? Increase the availability of green urban space for carbon storage (street tree cover) Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What types of conservation goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention? Ecosystem-focused Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets? Protect and enhance urban habitats Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems Means for conservation governance Raise public awareness What types of restoration goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention? Ecosystem-focused What activities are implemented to realize the restoration goals and targets? Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems Restore ecological connectivity Public engagement Implementation activities and NBS focus Implementation activities Conduct detailed risk assessments to map areas with high susceptibility to environmental or structural hazards, and implement tailored risk management and mitigation measures accordingly. Identify and prioritize areas suitable for interventions or for the consolidation of residential functions, based on current land-use characteristics and community needs. Carry out ecological restoration activities and implement long-term protection and management plans for the Cerro de la Popa ecosystem to counteract ongoing degradation processes. Develop and construct a network of public facilities and shared community spaces at multiple scales to address service gaps and reduce spatial and social inequities. Design and install the necessary urban and functional infrastructure to integrate Cerro de la Popa with its surrounding area. Creation of public spaces that support quality urban environments conducive to economic activities and cultural practices. Implement an integrated mobility framework on the hill's slopes, including pathways, transit links, and access roads, to enhance connectivity with the city's broader transportation system and improve access for both residents and tourists. Type of NBS project Maintenance and management of urban nature Urban reforestation, restoration of street trees Ecological restoration of ecosystems Remediation activities of sites with very poor environmental quality Restoration and protection of ecosystems (including water ecosystems) Protection of natural ecosystems Habitat restoration n.a.2 Knowledge creation and awareness raising Educational and awareness raising programs 3. NBS domains, ES and scale NBS domain and interventions Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented Parks and urban forests Large urban parks or forests Amenities offered by the NBS Unknown Design elements for well-being None of the above Services Expected ecosystem services delivered Provisioning services Water (surface and ground water for drinking and non-drinking purposes) Regulating services Carbon storage/sequestration Habitat and supporting services Habitats for species Cultural services Tourism Recreation Scale Spatial scale Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level Beneficiaries Demographics in implementation area By 2000 a project detected 645 scattered constructions, corresponding to about 3,500 inhabitants. A relevant fact regarding the imminence of launching a resettlement program would involve the relocation of 1,043 constructions and 5,621 people (ref 5.). The District of Cartagena de Indias has a population of 1,013,389 inhabitants and covers an area of 623 km², of which 76 km² are urban land and 547 km² are rural land. (ref 7). 52% of the population are women, 48% of the population are men (ref 8) Socio-economic profile of the area Low-income Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts Yes Specification of climate or environmentally vulnerable communities Low-income neighborhoods Informal settlements or slums Other Primary Beneficiaries Citizens or community groups Young people and children Marginalized groups Specify primary beneficiaries local communities and tourists Marginalized groups Homeless people & people living in informal settlements Disadvantaged ethnic or racial groups Vulnerable populations in disaster-prone areas Measures for inclusion of marginalised groups Not mentioned. Specify measures taken for vulnerable or marginalized communities Unknown Please specify other vulnerable community The community from the illegal ocupated neighborhoods. Other beneficiaries Natural habitats (e.g. wetland, forests, coastal areas) 4. Governance and financing Governance Governance arrangements Government-led Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative The EPA coordinates the reforestation plan with the support of several institutional partners. The District Administrative Health Department (DADIS) and the Municipal Unit of Agricultural Technical Assistance (UMATA) contribute to technical and sectoral alignment. The areas of Environmental Affairs, International Cooperation, and Logistical Support assist with organizational coordination. The Public Space and Mobility Management Directorate provides field staff and supports tree planting activities. The Office of Risk and Disaster Management of Cartagena leads community engagement initiatives focused on mitigating potential mass movement risks. Additionally, the National Police and a Cartagena-based company, Distribolivar support the project by donating trees as part of their environmental compensation obligations (Ref. 2). Key actors - initiating organization Local government/municipality Public sector institution Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors) Public sector institution Private sector/corporate actor/company Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders) Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls) Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting) Uncommon actors ("Missing actors") Infrastructure & Management Maintenance companies and workers Private Sector Local businesses (e.g. stores, restaurants) Unknown Land owners No information found Policy drivers NBS intervention implemented in response to a Regional Directive/Strategy No NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan No NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan Yes Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan" In 2005, EPA-Cartagena formulated a project aimed at comprehensively restoring an area of 19 hectares of Cerro de La Popa, involving the implementation of bioengineering works, revegetation, and erosion control. In 2010, the Technical Proposal Study of the Macroproject under Consultancy Contract No. 1521 of 2009 was presented. Its objective was to "Formulate the Urban Macroproject for the Comprehensive Recovery of Cerro de La Popa in the city of Cartagena de Indias, and provide technical support to the respective Administrations in public outreach and in presenting the project to the competent authorities." (ref 12). In 2016, the Ombudsman's Office filed a popular action against the District of Cartagena (admitted on May 26, 2016, by the Eighth Administrative Court) to protect Cerro de La Popa, considered an ecological reserve of the city. It also requested that an alternative housing solution be provided to the people living on the hill, as well as the activation of an emergency plan for potential landslides due to the arrival of ENSO (ref 5). Relevant strategy or plan City specific green space strategy or plan Biodiversity strategy or plan Municipal / city level environmental plan or programme Please specify other local relevant strategy The Environmental Master Plan and Territorial Ordinance Plan Mandatory or voluntary intervention Mandatory (based on policy) Intervention is mandatory Spatial planning law Environmental regulation Enablers & Barriers Type of enablers Unknown Governace and decison-making instruments Legislative and regulatory instruments (e.g. laws, strategies, regulations or restrictions) Arrangements for governance cooperation Formal coordination mechanisms to oversee project implementation and decision-making (e.g., multi-stakeholder steering committees, working groups) Barriers Social conflicts associated with eviction (ref 4 and 5) Slow execution from the government (ref 9 and 10) Financing Total cost €10,000 - €50,000 Please specify total cost (EUR) 45,000 approx. Source(s) of funding Public local authority budget Other funding sources are unclear Type of fund(s) used Earmarked public budget Non-financial contribution Yes Who provided the non-financial contribution? Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services) Citizens (e.g. volunteering) Type of non-financial contribution Provision of goods Provision of labour Co-finance for NBS Unknown Entrepreneurship opportunities Unknown Business models Business models Risk reduction model Local stewardship model Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model? Public actor (e.g. municipality) Citizens / local communities 5. Evaluation and learning Impacts, benefits Environmental impacts Environmental quality Improved waste management Expected improved waste management Improved protection against strong wind Expected improved protection against strong wind Green space and habitat Increased green space area Expected increased green space area Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems Expected increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems Restoration of derelict areas Expected restoration of derelict areas Description of environmental benefits -Improved protection against strong wind: This intervention aims to prevent the deterioration of the existing tropical dry forest vegetation and erosion, while also ensuring the natural habitat for many species of fauna that frequent the area (ref 2) -Green space and habitat: This is the first intervention within the strategy aimed at complying with the popular action that seeks to protect Cerro de La Popa and halt deforestation caused by the indiscriminate cutting of trees. (ref 2). For the growth of this green barrier on Cerro de La Popa, around 930 trees of the tropical dry forest have already been planted, including species such as almond trees, oak, and some fruit trees like guava, matarratón, and others that are part of this tropical dry forest classification. These plantings were carried out in the La Bendición de Dios sectors by a private entity in partnership with the Environmental Public Establishment. (ref 4) - Improved waste management: Another measure being carried out is public space restitution operations, "to gradually recover those areas that are occupied and dismantle those constructions, while also reclaiming the invaded area through cleaning efforts in collaboration with sanitation companies." (ref 4) Economic impacts Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions) Achieved increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions) Expected increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions) Description of economic benefits - Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions): This private entity is also responsible for ensuring the care and maintenance of these trees for no less than five years. It is also important to highlight that the community plays a significant role here, as many of its members have had the opportunity to be hired to provide their labor. This is a clear invitation to also be part of the greening of the hill, thus causing not only an environmental change but also a social change.(ref 4) Social and cultural impacts Education Increased knowledge of locals about local nature Achieved increased knowledge of locals about local nature Expected increased knowledge of locals about local nature Description of social and cultural benefits - Increased knowledge of locals about local nature: This also aims to recover as many areas of the hill as possible and conduct public space restitution operations and cleaning campaigns. It is worth noting that through these actions, around five hectares, or fifty thousand square meters, have already been recovered, thus having a positive impact on approximately three hundred families. This impact includes raising environmental awareness, caring for the environment, and, of course, the proper disposal of solid waste. (ref 4) Evidence for use of assessment Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process Unknown Presence of indicators used in reporting No evidence in public records Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports No evidence in public records Availability of a web-based monitoring tool No Use of GIS in mapping impacts No evidence in public records Cost-benefit analysis Unknown Transparency Meetings with stakeholders’ representatives Justice Community satisfaction Mixed: Feedback and reports show a combination of positive and negative sentiments regarding satisfaction with the NBS project within the community. Description of locals satisfaction with the project A city councillor states that in August 2020, he reported the illegal proliferation of settlements on the slopes of La Popa. “At that time, we requested action from the EPA, the city hall, the Environmental Police, the Attorney General’s Office, and the Secretariat of the Interior, even drawing the attention of the media. This led to the deployment of operations that resulted in the dismantling of several makeshift shelters and settlements, including an improvised soccer field, achieving a considerably positive outcome,” added the councilor. Mendoza Castro added that the Environmental Public Establishment, since 2018, should have implemented a Comprehensive Environmental Protection Plan for Cerro de La Popa, in accordance with a ruling issued in the first instance by the Seventh Administrative Court of Cartagena (ref 9) The Technological University of bolivar reports that For the growth of this green barrier on Cerro de La Popa, around 930 trees of the tropical dry forest have already been planted, including species such as almond trees, oak, and some fruit trees like guava, matarratón, and others that are part of this tropical dry forest classification. These plantings were carried out in the La Bendición de Dios sectors by a private entity in partnership with the Environmental Public Establishment (ref 4). This is the first intervention within the strategy aimed at complying with the popular action that seeks to protect Cerro de La Popa and halt deforestation caused by the indiscriminate cutting of trees. This intervention aims to prevent the deterioration of the existing tropical dry forest vegetation and erosion, while also ensuring the natural habitat for many species of fauna that frequent the area (ref 2). Trade-offs & Negative impacts Social justice and conflicts Lack of social acceptance Displacement of vulnerable or marginalized communities Emphasis of existing social inequalities or injustices Displacement of vulnerable or marginalized communities Increased social inequalities Measures to prevent gentrification or displacement Unknown High-quality & Transformative NBS Multiple impacts delivery (climate, biodiversity, just community) No Goal setting and impacts delivery In the planning phase, the project aimed to address issues in all 3 key priority areas, but impacts were not delivered in all three key areas. Reaching original project goals Some of the project goals were achieved Long-term perspective Yes Cost-effective solutions No Equitable impacts C. Unknown Transformative capacity Social change (e.g. social relationships, networks and dynamics within them) Ecological change (e.g. ecosystem functions and their distribution) Magnitude of change Unknown Application of lessons learned Unknown Perception of Environmental Change Yes NBS Supports ecological or environmental anxiety Unknown 6. Sources References 1. cities4forest (n.d.). Cartagena Urban Tree Project. Accessed on August 1, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 2. Mayor's Office of Cartagena de Indias (11/07/2024). EPA Cartagena lideró jornada de recuperación ambiental en el Cerro de La Popa. Accessed on August 1, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 3. Caracol Radio ( 10/07/2024 ). Recuperación ambiental en cerro de La Popa liderada por EPA Cartagena. Accessed on August 1, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 4. Technological University of Bolivar (10/08/2022). El Cerro de La Popa, entre el deterioro y la restauración ambiental. Cartagena: Accessed on August 1, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 5. Cartagena Environmental Public Establishment (n.d.). ACCIONES PRIORITARIAS PARA EL CERRO DE LA POPA – CARTAGENA. Cartagena: Accessed on August 1, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 6. Mayor's Office of Cartagena de Indias (2021). ECOPARQUE CERRO DE LA POPA . Cartagena: Accessed on August 1, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 7. Cartagena Environmental Public Establishment (n.d.). Cartagena's population. Cartagena: Accessed on August 2, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 8. National Administrative Department of Statistics (2020). LA INFORMACIÓN DEL DANE EN LA TOMA DE DECISIONES DE LAS CIUDADES CAPITALES. Accessed on August 2, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 9. Montaño, John (2021). S.O.S por Cerro de La Popa en Cartagena: es urgente un CAI Ambiental. El Tiempo , Accessed on August 5, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 10. Environment Ministry (2024). Reporte final de Proyectos de Control Social Ambiental Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo Marzo-202. Accessed on August 5, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 11. EPA Cartagena (2020). EPA continúa plan de reforestación en La Popa. Accessed on August 9, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 12. EPA Cartagena (2010). MACROPROYECTO URBANO PARA LA RECUPERACIÓN INTEGRAL DEL CERRO DE LA POPA EN LA CIUDAD DE CARTAGENA DE INDIAS. Accessed on August 10, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; Comments and notes Public Images Image picture from a planting session in 2020 EPA Cartagena (https://epacartagena.gov.co/web/epa-continua-plan-de-reforestacion-en-la-popa/) Image planting session in 2021 Caracol Radio https://caracol.com.co/emisora/2021/05/27/cartagena/1622118475_986546.html
Image picture from a planting session in 2020 EPA Cartagena (https://epacartagena.gov.co/web/epa-continua-plan-de-reforestacion-en-la-popa/)
Image planting session in 2021 Caracol Radio https://caracol.com.co/emisora/2021/05/27/cartagena/1622118475_986546.html
