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 de zona degradada en la Ciénaga de las Quintas Short description of the intervention The Ciénaga de las Quintas is a coastal wetland located alongside one of Cartagena’s main roads, adjacent to the public market square and situated between the Jiménez and Bazurto Bridges. It is home to two predominant mangrove species (Ref 1). The wetland currently faces pollution problems because it is used for the disposal of solid waste, such as plastics and construction materials, and it receives wastewater and household garbage from nearby residences. Las Quintas is also the main waste disposal area for the Bazurto market, which handles 43,430 tons of food products each month (ref 3). The recovery initiatives for the Ciénaga de las Quintas are led by the Environmental Public Establishment of Cartagena (EPA Cartagena) in collaboration with other public institutions, the private sector, and citizens, with the main goal of achieving the ecological restoration of the city's water bodies and to maintain and preserve our mangrove ecosystems (ref 2). Since 2020, key implementation activities have included the removal of solid waste, planting of native tree species, dismantling of informal structures within the mangrove zone, and the rehabilitation of areas previously occupied by debris (Refs 4, 5). Website of the intervention https://observatorio.epacartagena.gov.co/gestion-ambiental/ecosistemas/ Principal problems Environmental Degradation Poor water quality Other Please specify other principal problem Mangrove degradation Implementation area characterization Climate Tropical (Tropican rainforest, tropical monsoon, tropical savanna) Ecosystem Coastal wetlands Mangroves Address 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 google maps Total area 299999.00m² Area description Urban (main city) Type of area before implementation of the NBS Sea coast (e.g. dunes, beach) Timeline of intervention Start date of the intervention (planning process) 2010 Start date of intervention (implementation process) 2020 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 - Achieve the ecological restoration of the city's water bodies and maintain and preserve the mangrove ecosystems (ref 5). - Plant trees to restore mangrove ecosystems and improve biodiversity. (Ref 4) - Recover areas of the wetland that have been filled with debris or damaged by human activities. (Ref 4, 5), along the Ciénaga de Las Quintas shores, between the Jiménez Bridge and the Bazurto Market through solid waste removal (ref 5 and 6). - Improve navigability through solid waste removal (ref 7). - Minimize the disposal of solid waste, wastewater, and household garbage into the wetland. (Ref 1, 3) Key Priorities Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration) Sustainability challenge(s) addressed Environmental quality Waste management Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15) Green space creation and/or management Habitat and biodiversity restoration 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 species (native, endangered, or unspecified) Restore native species Restore ecological connectivity Public engagement Implementation activities and NBS focus Implementation activities - Tree planting sessions with plants donated by the EPA (ref 12, 13). - Collaboration with communities: The Municipal Ombudsman’s Office of Cartagena convened actors in a working group to find a solution to the contamination of the body of water of the Ciénaga de Las Quintas, where merchants and those who use this public space participated. They committed to keeping the sector this clean, and the Environmental Police also committed to generating greater controls to prevent this over time. ecosystem from continuing to be contaminated (ref 1, 10). - Implementation of the ecobloque initiative: The interinstitutional group Ecobloque, coordinated by the Environmental Public Establishment (EPA Cartagena), aims at recovering the shores of the Bazurto Canal and Ciénaga Las Quintas, near the Bazurto Market. Ecobloque is an interinstitutional strategy where entities come together with the goal of demonstrating government presence through control and surveillance of the territory to protect the environment and strategic ecosystems. (ref 4, 8, 9) - Waste removal: The General Secretariat, Public Markets Office, Public Space Management, and Veolia restored 20 sq. meters of public space at Ciénaga de Las Quintas, dismantling makeshift shelters used for storing recyclable waste, which polluted the area (ref 11). Type of NBS project Maintenance and management of urban nature Maintenance or upgrade of exisiting green spaces (e.g. parks) Urban reforestation, restoration of street trees Coastal landscape management or protection Coastal ecosystems restoration and maintenance (mangroves, dunes, saltplains, underwater meadows) Ecological restoration of ecosystems Restoration of wetlands (other types than peatlands and mangroves, e.g. seagrass) Restoration of mangroves 3. NBS domains, ES and scale NBS domain and interventions Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented Blue infrastructure Coastal wetland, mangroves and salt marshes Mangroves 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 Coastal protection Water purification / filtration Scale Spatial scale Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level Beneficiaries Demographics in implementation area The Ciénaga de Las Quintas is an integral part of Cartagena’s wetland and lagoon system. Due to its location, it is negatively impacted by the operations of the Bazurto Market. Additionally, the Ciénaga de Las Quintas is used as the main disposal area for fish, meat, and poultry waste by vendors, who indiscriminately dump entrails and other products there. This contaminates the water and generates offensive odours. The volume of waste produced by the Bazurto Market amounts to about 60 m³ or 15 tons (ref 14). Socio-economic profile of the area Mixed income Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts Unknown Primary Beneficiaries Citizens or community groups Specify primary beneficiaries The beneficiaries of the activity are the local environment and ecosystem, specifically the mangrove areas and the Ciénaga de Las Quintas. The restoration efforts aim to improve the ecological health of these areas, which have been negatively impacted by solid waste and pollution (ref 2). Marginalized groups Unknown 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 project is being led by the Environmental Public Establishment of Cartagena (EPA Cartagena) in collaboration with other actors. Participants included the General Secretariat, Office of Public Services, Environmental Guard, Environmental Police, a delegate from the District Attorney’s Office, the Fundación Verde que te Quiero Verde, and the Veolia Waste Management Consortium (ref 2). The interinstitutional group Ecobloque, coordinated by the EPA Cartagena, organised the recovery process of the shores of the Bazurto Canal and Ciénaga Las Quintas, near the Bazurto Market (Port Authority, Police, and Coast Guard, among others (ref 4, 9). Key actors - initiating organization Local government/municipality Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors) Public sector institution Non-government organisation/civil society Private sector/corporate actor/company Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders) Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping) Taskforce groups Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting) Uncommon actors ("Missing actors") Infrastructure & Management Maintenance companies and workers Port authorities Utility companies: water, sewage, etc. Land owners Public space owned by the city 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" Since 2020, EPA Cartagena has been carrying out numerous operations in this sector under the Recovery of Degraded Areas program and the Environmental Education area (ref 5) Relevant strategy or plan Other Please specify other local relevant strategy Recovery of Degraded Areas program and the Environmental Education area (ref 5) Mandatory or voluntary intervention Mandatory (based on policy) Intervention is mandatory 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) Task forces or commissions (e.g. group of multi-disciplinary experts) Barriers Poor management: In 2020, the Administrative Court of Bolívar mandated that the District conduct a study to relocate the supply center to prevent further damage to water sources like the Ciénaga de las Quintas. In June 2023, the Administration signed a $2.1 billion Colombian Pesos agreement with Findeter for technical and resource support to develop the Public Market System project. However, minority associations of the Bazurto Market, who felt excluded from these studies, have expressed concerns and sought to establish communication with the District Council to ensure their inclusion. "13 years later the studies begin, but the relevant actors do not feel included. In development process". Lack of environmental awareness: Since 2020, EPA Cartagena has been conducting numerous operations in this area under the Degraded Areas Recovery program and Environmental Education initiatives. However, due to some citizens lacking a sense of ownership towards the city, the Ciénaga quickly fills up with debris and solid waste again shortly after being cleaned (ref 2). Financing Total cost €2,000,000 - €4,000,000 Please specify total cost (EUR) 34.66 million euros (760 million pesos )(ref 3) What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements? 34.66 million euros (760 million pesos )(ref 3) Source(s) of funding Public local authority budget 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) Private sector (businesses, financial institution) 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 Green densification model Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model? Public actor (e.g. municipality) 5. Evaluation and learning Impacts, benefits Environmental impacts Water management and blue areas Improved water quality Achieved improved water quality Enhanced protection and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems Achieved enhanced protection and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems Green space and habitat Increased green space area Achieved increased green space area Description of environmental benefits -Achieved improved water quality: over 76,000 m³ of various types of waste were removed from the bottom and shores of the Caño de Bazurto and Ciénaga de Las Quintas. Items such as tyres, mattresses, refrigerators, and others were extracted from the mud. These not only polluted the Caño de Bazurto and the Ciénaga de Las Quintas but also blocked the passage of any vessels (ref 7). Approximately 20 tons of solid waste were removed in January 2023 (ref 2). In March 2022, around 500 kilograms of solid waste were removed, and the collection of trash and filled materials continues, turning this area into an environmentally degraded zone (ref 4). -Achieved increased green space area & enhanced protection and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems: The activity enabled the planting of 110 new trees for the city, donated and planted by the Establecimiento Público Ambiental, EPA Cartagena. They also provided technical assistance to ensure the sustainability of the tree-planting initiative (ref 13). To commemorate Arbor Day and honour the participating children, the EPA Cartagena planted approximately 100 new trees in degraded areas of the Ciénaga de Las Quintas. This initiative has brought the total to over 70,000 trees planted during this district administration. (ref 12) Environmental impact indicators Total number of vascular plant species protected or introduced 70,000 trees Green space area created (in ha) 0,002 Economic impacts Unknown Description of economic benefits Unknown Social and cultural impacts Social justice and cohesion Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces Achieved increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces Education Increased knowledge of locals about local nature Achieved increased knowledge of locals about local nature Please specify other socio-cultural impact - Increased mobility: The Director of Cardique emphasized that thanks to this project, there is now a permanent water exchange between the so-called Laguna de San Lázaro and the Ciénaga de las Quintas, allowing for the passage of boats. (ref 7) - increased mobility for tourism: Today, we can consider promoting green ecotourism businesses so that people can learn about these ecosystems and understand the importance of taking care of them, rather than using them as a dumping ground for trash (ref 7). Social and cultural impact indicators Surface area of accessible green spaces (in ha) 0,002 Number of participants in outdoor activities or exercise programs in green spaces 5000 Other indicators 60 guardians trained Description of social and cultural benefits -Achieved increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces: A second phase involved training 15 informal recyclers to improve their waste management practices, integrating their services into the public waste management system, fostering a culture of recycling and community participation (ref 1). -Achieved increased knowledge of locals about local nature: The "Multiplier Environmental Guardians" initiative trained 60 young people from nine educational institutions, covering more than 5,000 people in seven neighborhoods surrounding the Caño Bazurto and the cienaga. The focus was on good management of solid waste. This initiative not only aimed at environmental conservation but also at enhancing socio-cultural awareness among residents. (ref 1). Evidence for use of assessment Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process Unknown Presence of indicators used in reporting Yes Type of indicators Progress indicators Outcome indicators Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports Yes Link to monitoring/evaluation reports https://observatorio.epacartagena.gov.co/gestion-ambiental/ecosistemas/caracter… Availability of a web-based monitoring tool No evidence in public records Use of GIS in mapping impacts No evidence in public records Cost-benefit analysis Unknown Transparency Unknown 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 Discomfort on the part of minority associations of the Bazurto Market because of lack of inclusion in studies about the cienaga. "For this reason, they developed communication channels with the District Council so that socialisation spaces could be established between Findeter and the associations of small and independent merchants" (ref 1). Roberto Carlos Martínez, a fisherman from Barrio Chino and a member of the Barrio Chino Fishermen’s Association (Asopechi), praised Cardique's work, highlighting that it not only restored navigability to Caño de Bazurto but also increased fish populations. He noted, “Before, it was very difficult to navigate, having to row and avoid obstacles. Now, we can use the boat's motor, and the best part is there are more fish because the canal is clean. Just yesterday, we caught a 6-kilo snook, and we catch bass and other species daily.” (ref 7) Trade-offs & Negative impacts Unknown Emphasis of existing social inequalities or injustices No information reported related to negative social justice-related impacts of the NBS project Measures to prevent gentrification or displacement Unknown High-quality & Transformative NBS Multiple impacts delivery (climate, biodiversity, just community) No Goal setting and impacts delivery No, project goals were not set, and benefits were not delivered in all 3 key areas. Reaching original project goals Most of the project goals were achieved Long-term perspective Unknown: No information about the project's long-term sustainability. Cost-effective solutions Unknown 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 Reformist: by focusing on addressing underlying drivers of change but failing to address the problem structurally or systemically Application of lessons learned Unknown Perception of Environmental Change Yes NBS Supports ecological or environmental anxiety Unknown 6. Sources References 1. The Regional Center for Responsible Business and Entrepreneurship (CREER) (2024). Impacts on Mangroves and Swamps in Cartagena and Exploration of Alternatives for their Restoration and Protection. Accessed on August 25, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 2. Cartagena Mayor's Office (2023). Inicia recuperación de zona degradada en la Ciénaga de las Quintas. Accessed on August 25, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 3. El Universal (2020). Ciénaga de Las Quintas y caño Bazurto, en la mira. Accessed on August 25, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 4. EPA Cartagena (2022). Ecobloque continúa recuperación de orillas de Ciénaga Las Quintas y Caño de Bazurto. Accessed on August 25, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 5. Caracol Radio (2023). 20 toneladas de residuos sólidos fueron recolectadas en la Ciénaga de Las Quintas. Accessed on August 25, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 6. Caracol Radio (2022 ). Realizaron intervención a orillas de la Ciénaga de las Quintas. Accessed on August 25, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 7. CartagenaEnLinea.com (2023). Cardique recuperó ambientalmente el Caño de Bazurto y Ciénaga de Las Quintas. Accessed on August 25, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 8. Caracol Radio (2022). Inicia recuperación en Ciénaga Las Quintas y Caño de Gracia. Accessed on August 25, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 9. Cartagena Mayor's Office (2024). Alcaldía de Cartagena instaló la primera mesa de trabajo y planificación para la reactivación del Ecobloque. Accessed on August 25, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 10. Caracol Radio (2021). Responsables del deterioro de Ciénaga de las Quintas asumen responsabilidad. Accessed on August 25, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 11. El Universal (2024 ). Desmontan dos cambuches a la orilla de la Ciénaga de Las Quintas. Accessed on August 25, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 12. EPA Cartagena (2023). Continúa jornada de recuperación de orillas en Ciénaga de Las Quintas. Accessed on August 25, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 13. Caracol Radio (2023). 110 nuevos árboles fueron sembrados en zona degradada de la Ciénaga de las Quintas. Accessed on August 25, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 14. Tirado, O.; Manjarrez, G.; Díaz, C. (2011). CARACTERIZACIÓN AMBIENTAL DE LA CIÉNAGA DE LA QUINTA LOCALIZADA EN CARTAGENA DE INDIAS, COLOMBIA, 2009 - 2010. Accessed on August 25, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; Comments and notes Public Images Image planting session perfomed by EPA Cartagena https://epacartagena.gov.co/web/continua-jornada-de-recuperacion-de-orillas-en-cienaga-de-las-quintas/ Image planting session perfomed by EPA Cartagena https://epacartagena.gov.co/web/ecobloque-continua-recuperacion-de-orillas-de-cienaga-las-quintas-y-cano-de-bazurto/ Image planting session perfomed by EPA Cartagena https://epacartagena.gov.co/web/ecobloque-continua-recuperacion-de-orillas-de-cienaga-las-quintas-y-cano-de-bazurto/ Image waste collection activity https://caracol.com.co/2023/01/22/20-toneladas-de-residuos-solidos-fueron-recolectadas-en-la-cienaga-de-las-quintas/
Image planting session perfomed by EPA Cartagena https://epacartagena.gov.co/web/continua-jornada-de-recuperacion-de-orillas-en-cienaga-de-las-quintas/
Image planting session perfomed by EPA Cartagena https://epacartagena.gov.co/web/ecobloque-continua-recuperacion-de-orillas-de-cienaga-las-quintas-y-cano-de-bazurto/
Image planting session perfomed by EPA Cartagena https://epacartagena.gov.co/web/ecobloque-continua-recuperacion-de-orillas-de-cienaga-las-quintas-y-cano-de-bazurto/
Image waste collection activity https://caracol.com.co/2023/01/22/20-toneladas-de-residuos-solidos-fueron-recolectadas-en-la-cienaga-de-las-quintas/
