Last updated: May 2025
The Recovery of Cienaga Juan Polo project is primarily aimed at reopening the natural mouth of the Manzanillos to restore water flow between the sea and the Juan Polo coastal wetland, which has been affected by human activities leading to high salinity and water stagnation issues (ref 2). The project is led by Fundacion Serena del Mar. Environmental and social sustainability are core components of the project design, which has included extensive community consultations since 2013. These consultations have resulted in agreements covering employment opportunities, education, and infrastructure development (ref 2). Key implementation activities include the reforestation of mangroves and targeted interventions to address ecological degradation, such as increased salinity, water stagnation, and biodiversity loss (ref 2). The project also seeks to enhance the quality of life for surrounding communities by restoring traditional economic activities, particularly fishing, and integrating sustainable urban planning elements such as canals, sluices, and navigable waterways. These features are designed to support the development of a "blue corridor" for aquatic mobility within Serena del Mar (ref 2, 3). In addition, it also contributes to local capacity building through environmental education programs that engage community members, researchers, and NGOs in biodiversity monitoring and sustainable practices (ref 1).
visit to the cienaga
https://fundacionserenadelmar.org/programa-ambiental-cardique-y-ematuecob/
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Blue infrastructure
- Coastal wetland, mangroves and salt marshes
- Mangroves
Key challenges
- Coastal resilience and marine protection (SDG 14)
- Marine and coastal biodiversity protection
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Improvements to water quality
- Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
- Inclusive governance
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social justice and equity
- Environmental education
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Economic development: agriculture
- Tourism support
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Environmental Degradation
- Biodiversity loss
- Deforestation and forest degradation
- Poor water quality
- Physical water retention and availability
Key priorities
Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration), Social Justice and community
Focus
Coastal landscape management or protection, Coastal ecosystems restoration and maintenance (mangroves, dunes, saltplains, underwater meadows), Ecological restoration of ecosystems, Restoration of mangroves, Restoration and protection of ecosystems (including water ecosystems), Protection of natural ecosystems, Habitat conservation, Knowledge creation and awareness raising, Educational and awareness raising programs, Scientific research of biodiversity or ecosystems, Improved governance of green or blue areas, Establishment of inclusive governance mechanisms involving local communities, Monitoring and maintenance of habitats and/or biodiversity, Citizen science and monitoring initiatives (e.g. species observations, habitat assessments, and data collection efforts)
Project objectives
- Reopen the natural mouth of the Manzanillos to restore water flow and improve water quality and oxygenation in the Ciénaga de Juan Polo (ref 2)
- Reforestation of mangroves and conservation of local biodiversity to stabilize ecosystems (ref 2)
- Enhance the quality of life for local communities by restoring traditional practices such as fishing and promoting ecotourism (ref 2)
- Create a "blue corridor" for aquatic mobility and connectivity (ref 2)
- Implementing environmental education programs and capacity-building activities to empower local communities and foster sustainable practices (ref 3)
- Foster community participation in planning and decision-making to ensure transparency and equitable development (ref 2).
Implementation activities
Since 2013, consultations have been carried out to guide the planning of the project (ref 2). These have evolved into ongoing consultations with local communities to negotiate agreements on employment, education, and infrastructure as part of the development process (ref 2). To date, 26,000 mangroves have been planted around the water bodies within Serena del Mar, as part of a planned total of 42,000 individuals from 32 native species. An additional 70,000 trees are scheduled for planting in 2024 (ref 2). Complementary activities include engagement with communities and stakeholders to discuss project stages; training for entrepreneurs on wildlife management; workshops on ecosystem services and sustainable resource use in the Ciénaga Juan Polo; a biocensus to monitor biodiversity; participatory wildlife monitoring sessions to assess species and habitat data; implementation of sustainable forest use practices with community involvement and community workshops on legal frameworks and participatory tools to strengthen local governance and conservation (ref 2).
As part of capacity-building efforts, 35 technicians and environmental engineers, together with youth and leading teachers as well as participants from ecotourism companies, received training on methods for observing the biodiversity of the mangrove ecosystems in the Juan Polo and La Virge wetlands (ref 1).
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity restoration:
- Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
- Coastal-dependent communities (e.g. small-scale fishers, coastal farmers, and indigenous peoples)
- Young people and children
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Non-government organisation/civil society
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Taskforce groups
- Dissemination of information and education
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
Since 2018, the Fundación Serena del Mar has been coordinating environmental activities in the Juan Polo and La Virgen lagoons (ref 4). The Foundation was established in the context of the Serena del Mar Mega Project, a large-scale urban development initiative, and in response to concerns raised by the local community about the risks such a project could pose to territorial integrity and the surrounding ecosystems (ref 5). Alongside the Foundation, various actors participate in the project, including government bodies, private entities, community organizations, educational institutions, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Local leaders and community organizations are actively engaged in environmental awareness activities and in decision-making processes to ensure that development is aligned with environmental and social priorities (refs 1, 2, 3).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Type of enablers
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Corporate investment
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Environmental quality
- Improved waste management
- Achieved improved waste management
- Green space and habitat
- Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
- Achieved increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
Economic impacts
- Generation of income from NBS
- Achieved generation of income from NBS
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Expected increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Education
- Increased support for education and scientific research
- Achieved increased support for education and scientific research
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Achieved increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Other
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
Yes
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Environmental quality and environmental hazards, Adverse effects on adjacent coastal ecosystems
References
1.
La Nota Económica (2022). 70 personas fueron capacitadas sobre biodiversidad de la Ciénaga Juan Polo. Accessed on September 11, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Revista Zetta (2024 ). Serena del Mar: Proyecto de reapertura de la boca de los Manzanillos y revitalización de la ciénaga de Juan Polo. Accessed on September 11, 2024, [Source link];
3.
FUNDACIÓN SERENA DEL MAR (n.d.). Programa ambiental Cardique y Ematuecob. Accessed on September 11, 2024, [Source link];
4.
NOTICIAS 625 (2023). Hoy inspección de Cardique a cuerpos de agua afectado posiblemente por Serena del Mar en la zona norte. Accessed on September 11, 2024, [Source link];
5.
La Corporación Cultural Cabildo, El Observatorio de Territorios Étnicos y Campesinos (OTEC) y la Clínica Jurídica sobre Derecho y Territorio de la Universidad Javeriana (2021). LA BOQUILLA CARACTERIZACIÓN SOCIOAMBIENTAL Y CARTOGRÁFICA. Accessed on September 11, 2024, [Source link];
planting session in the cienaga
https://fundacionserenadelmar.org/programa-ambiental-cardique-y-ematuecob/
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.