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
Siembra de Arboles en el Mamonal
Short description of the intervention
The Establecimiento Público Ambiental (EPA) Cartagena has led multiple tree-planting initiatives in the Mamonal Sector as part of its ongoing efforts to promote environmental sustainability in Cartagena. The main goals of this initiative are to recover and enhance urban green spaces by planting trees, improve air quality and build a strong environmental culture within the community. In April 2024, EPA Cartagena led a tree-planting and public space recovery initiative in Nuevo Oriente, in collaboration with local authorities, community representatives, and the private sector, such as Veolia, as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen environmental education and promote urban sustainability (ref 1). In a related tree-planting campaign, 210 new trees in Mamonal and Membrillal to help mitigate climate change, reduce air pollution, and protect local biodiversity. The effort received support from local industries such as Etex and AM SAS Mamonal. This campaign also aimed to enhance the natural environment in industrial areas and to encourage other companies and community members to join in environmental restoration efforts (ref 3).
Please specify other principal problem
urban green spaces degradation
Implementation area characterization
Address

Colombia

Area boundary (map-based)
NBS area image
Source of NBS area image
google maps https://www.google.com/maps/place/Mamonal,+Provincia+de+Cartagena,+Bol%C3%ADvar,+Colombia/@10.3161501,-75.5065372,14136m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x8ef627be4e41470f:0xf5749952d9e7dc2a!8m2!3d10.315986!4d-75.4985521!16s%2Fg%2F1w8wc25q?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MDkxMC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
Area description
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
2022
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2022
End date of the intervention
ongoing
Present stage of the intervention
Objectives of the intervention
Goals of the intervention
- Plant trees to preserve the planet for future generations and contribute to a green and sustainable future and to mitigate the effects of climate change, reduce air pollution, conserve ecosystems, and protect biodiversity (ref 1, 3)
Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What types of conservation goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?
Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Implementation activities and NBS focus
Implementation activities
As part of its ongoing urban reforestation campaign, EPA Cartagena led the planting of 210 trees in the Mamonal and Membrillal sectors in November 2023, with support from local companies Etex and AM SAS Mamonal. Company representatives publicly called other businesses and residents to join the initiative to improve the area’s natural environment. In April 2024 EPA Cartagena also carried out a tree-planting and public space recovery activity near the return leading to the Mamonal road, in the Nuevo Oriente neighborhood. This intervention focused on preparing spaces for new trees and enhancing air circulation, and was implemented in collaboration with the Local Mayor’s Office of the Historic and Caribbean North Zone, the Environmental Guard, the Public Space and Mobility Management, Veolia, and community COMBAS representatives. Residents were also invited to identify additional planting sites and participate in future restoration activities.
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Grey infrastructure featuring greens
Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
Amenities offered by the NBS
Design elements for well-being
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Regulating services
Local climate regulation (temperature reduction)
Air quality regulation
Habitat and supporting services
Habitats for species
Scale
Spatial scale
Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Beneficiaries
Demographics in implementation area
Mamonal is the area of heavy industry established in Cartagena de Indias, and despite being over 35 years old, it continues to grow. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested in its factories since the Colombian Petroleum Company (Ecopetrol) began the city's large-scale industrialization process in 1957. Currently, 50 large companies operate in the Mamonal area, and more are being set up, such as the Zona Franca La Candelaria, with an investment of 27 million dollars, where around 500 industries will operate, generating 50,000 direct jobs. ref 4.
the neighborhoods around the industries claim that development has not reached their doors. They demand investment. Although large companies drive the economy and spur development, the contrast between the neighborhoods is evident from the access road to the community. The road, which has been pending repair since 2009 following a popular action ruling, has yet to be intervened, despite being a route used by heavy transport and residents of nearby communities. As vehicles pass by, they kick up dust that affects those who live or move through the area. The neighborhood, which began as an informal settlement, now has approximately 5,500 inhabitants in 1,200 homes distributed across its four sectors: Central, Las Flores, Trece, and Chino.
Many residents work informally as motorcycle taxi drivers, street vendors, and in other makeshift jobs. However, some have undergone training and found employment in companies within the industrial zone, which have also supported the sector through their corporate social responsibility initiatives.
Socio-economic profile of the area
Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts
Unknown
Primary Beneficiaries
Specify primary beneficiaries
On April 3rd, the Establecimiento Público Ambiental led a tree planting and recovery event in the area located at the return leading to the Mamonal road. ref 1
This week, 210 new trees were planted in the Mamonal and Membrillal sectors, supported by companies Etex and AM SAS Mamonal. ref 2
The Establecimiento Público Ambiental, EPA Cartagena, decided to establish a permanent technical committee to address and provide solutions to the requests of communities in the Mamonal sector in response to the threats they face due to pollution generated by some industrial establishments, especially in the Policarpa sector. ref 3
Marginalized groups
Governance
Governance arrangements
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
The EPA Cartagena decided to establish a permanent technical committee to address and provide solutions to the requests of communities in the Mamonal sector. EPA Cartagena and the Risk Management Office, Environmental Guard, Public Space Management, Environmental Police, and community leaders inspect much of the Policarpa sector ref 2.
The event was the result of joint efforts with the Mayor's Office of the Historic and Caribbean North Locality, Environmental Guard, Public Space and Mobility Management, Veolia, and representatives of the COMBAS of the neighborhood. ref 1
This week, 210 new trees were planted in the Mamonal and Membrillal sectors with the support of companies Etex and AM SAS Mamonal. Executives of these companies are calling on their clients and other industries and commercial entities in the sector to join the EPA Cartagena's tree planting campaign to improve the natural environment of that area of the city. PA Cartagena calls on communities to collaborate ref 3
Key actors - initiating organization
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Local government/municipality
Public sector institution
Citizens or community group
Private sector/corporate actor/company
Stages of citizen and community engagement
Level of citizen and community engagement
Community empowerment or capacity-building initiatives
Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders)
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to a Regional Directive/Strategy
Unknown
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
Unknown
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Unknown
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Voluntary (spontaneous)
Enablers & Barriers
Please provide details (e.g, name of the plan or strategy) for the selected policies or initiatives.
This week, 210 new trees were planted in the Mamonal and Membrillal sectors with the support of companies Etex and AM SAS Mamonal. Executives of these companies are calling on their clients and other industries and commercial entities in the sector to join the EPA Cartagena's tree planting campaign ref 3
Arrangements for governance cooperation
Barriers
the residents demand is a greater presence from the District authorities. While they acknowledge the support from the private sector, they believe that government involvement is essential. Trinidad Ramírez, a representative of the Fundación Planeta y Vida in Policarpa, who arrived in the neighborhood 37 years ago while fleeing violence, asserts that the community faces many problems that require deep, long-term solutions. (ref 5).
Financing
Total cost
Please specify total cost (EUR)
unknown
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Co-finance for NBS
Unknown
Entrepreneurship opportunities
Unknown
Business models
Impacts, benefits
Description of environmental benefits
-Achieved increased green space area: This week, 210 new trees were planted in the Mamonal and Membrillal sectors with the support of companies Etex and AM SAS Mamonal. Executives of these companies are calling on their clients and other industries and commercial entities in the sector to join the EPA Cartagena's tree planting campaign to improve the natural environment of that area of the city. ref 3
Description of economic benefits
unknown
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 evidence in public records
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
unknown
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Cost-benefit analysis
Unknown
Transparency
Justice
Community satisfaction
Description of locals satisfaction with the project
unknown
Trade-offs & Negative impacts
Measures to prevent gentrification or displacement
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.
Long-term perspective
Unknown: No information about the project's long-term sustainability.
Cost-effective solutions
Unknown
Equitable impacts
Application of lessons learned
Perception of Environmental Change
Unknown
References
1.
El Universal (2024). EPA lidera siembra de árboles en barrio Nuevo Oriente. Accessed on September 13, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
2.
EPA Cartagena (2022). EN MAMONAL. EPA INSTALA MESA TÉCNICA POR CONTAMINACIÓN EN BARRIO POLICARPA . Accessed on September 13, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
3.
EPA Cartagena (2023). Empresas de Mamonal se unen a campaña de arborización del EPA Cartagena.. Accessed on September 13, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
4.
El Tiempo (1993). MAMONAL, A LA VANGUARDIA. Accessed on September 13, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
5.
El Universal (2021). Policarpa, el barrio de Cartagena que no quiere ser olvidado. Accessed on September 13, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
Comments and notes
Public Images
Image
planting session in Mamonal
planting session in Mamonal
https://epacartagena.gov.co/web/empresas-de-mamonal-se-unen-a-campana-de-arborizacion-del-epa-cartagena/#:~:text=Empresas%20de%20Mamonal%20se%20unen%20a%20campa%C3%B1a%20de%20arborizaci%C3%B3n%20del%20EPA%20Cartagena
Image
Visit to mamonal
Visit to mamonal
https://epacartagena.gov.co/web/en-mamonal-epa-instala-mesa-tecnica-por-contaminacion-en-barrio-policarpa/
Image
Visit to mamonal
Visit to mamonal
https://epacartagena.gov.co/web/en-mamonal-epa-instala-mesa-tecnica-por-contaminacion-en-barrio-policarpa/