Last updated: May 2025
The environmental and public space recovery project around the Bazurto Market in Cartagena is a comprehensive initiative aimed at addressing the severe environmental degradation and chaotic urban conditions in this vital area of the city. The Bazurto Market, one of Cartagena's most important economic hubs, had experienced increasing levels of disorganization, pollution, and public health risks due to the encroachment of informal vendors and improper waste management (ref 1,2,5). The primary goals of this project are to restore the ecological health of the Caño de Bazurto and the Ciénaga de las Quintas, enhance the quality of public spaces around the market, and improve the overall urban environment (ref 1). Project activities included removal of waste from the surrounding water bodies, installation of protective barriers along the Ciénaga de las Quintas, and the planting of trees to revitalize green spaces (ref 3,4). Emphasis was placed on planting of a variety of tree species, such as Guayacán Amarillo, Ceiba, and fruit trees like níspero and mango. These efforts were concentrated in areas around the Bazurto Market, where green spaces had been neglected or overtaken by informal commercial activities. The project also included the restructuring of vendor locations and public spaces to reduce congestion and improve the flow of both pedestrian and vehicular traffic (ref 5). Educational campaigns were conducted to encourage better waste disposal practices and enhance community involvement (ref 1).
planting around the Bazurto Market
https://www.eluniversal.com.co/cartagena/2020/01/05/cartageneros-se-unen-para-sembrar-arboles-en-bazurto/
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Blue infrastructure
- Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries
- In-land wetlands, peatlands, swamps, and moors
- Parks and urban forests
- Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
Key challenges
- Environmental quality
- Waste management
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Improvements to water quality
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Environmental education
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Environmental Degradation
- Deforestation and forest degradation
- Poor water quality
- Other
Key priorities
Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration)
Focus
Maintenance and management of urban nature, Maintenance or upgrade of exisiting green spaces (e.g. parks), Urban reforestation, restoration of street trees, Knowledge creation and awareness raising, Educational and awareness raising programs
Project objectives
- Restore green spaces in the Bazurto Market area, with the planting of native and fruit-bearing trees like Guayacán Amarillo, Ceiba, níspero, and mango (ref 1).
- Conduct Regular Cleanup Operations to Remove Accumulated Waste, including from the surrounding water bodies (ref 2,3).
- Educating the community about the importance of green spaces and sustainable waste management, fostering long-term environmental stewardship (ref 1).
Implementation activities
The Bazurto Market area has become a focal point of environmental recovery, emphasizing restoration and cleanup efforts. On January 5th, members of the Verde que te Quiero Verde Foundation and the Cartagena with 1 Million Trees collective organized a day of cleaning and planting fruit trees in the gardens of Bazurto, considered the "lungs" of the area. This initiative involved planting 10 trees, including species like loquat and mango, following a similar event in December where 27 trees, such as Guayacán Amarillo and Ceiba, were planted to promote environmental awareness (ref 1). In addition, the project addressed the severe pollution of the Caño de Bazurto and the Ciénaga de Las Quintas. Over 76,000 cubic meters of waste were removed from these water bodies, significantly improving their environmental conditions and allowing for future conservation projects (ref 2). Supporting these efforts, local organizations and the sanitation company Veolia conducted cleanup campaigns around the Ciénaga de Las Quintas, involving the community to raise awareness about the impact of poor waste management. Additionally, the District of Cartagena announced the recovery of two lanes of Pedro de Heredia Avenue, previously occupied by informal vendors, to improve urban mobility and public space around the market. (ref 3,4).
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Government-led
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
- Public sector institution
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The initiative led by the Verde que te Quiero Verde from the city (ref 1).
The director of Cardique approved the environmental recovery and navigability of the Caño de Bazurto and the Ciénaga de Las Quintas, from the Las Palmas bridge, passing through El Jiménez, to the Bazurto bridge (ref 2).
EPA Cartagena reaffirmed the signing of the pact among sector actors regarding actions for the environmental recovery of the Bazurto market and its surroundings. The signatories carried out a cleanup and waste collection, with the support of the Bazurto market management, the sanitation company Veolia, and efforts to persuade merchants, vendors, and market users to raise awareness about the environmental impact caused by poor waste management in that area of the city.
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(verde que te quiero verde campaign (ref 1.))
Type of enablers
Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships)
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
- Corporate investment
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
- 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 green space area
- Achieved increased green space area
- Increased number of species present
- Achieved increased number of species present
Economic impacts
Socio-cultural impacts
- Unknown
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
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
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
El Universal (2020). Cartageneros se unen para sembrar árboles en Bazurto. Accessed on September 20, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Caracol Radio (2023). Cardique recuperó ambientalmente el Caño de Bazurto y Ciénaga de Las Quintas. Accessed on September 20, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Caracol Radio (2021). Se recogieron 45 toneladas de residuos sólidos de Bazurto y sus alrededores. Accessed on September 20, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Veolia (2022). Comunicado Veolia. Accessed on September 20, 2024, [Source link];
5.
El Tiempo (2024). Atención Cartagena: este miércoles arrancan operativos para recuperar el espacio público que invaden vendedores en mercado de Bazurto. Accessed on September 20, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Museo Historico de Cartagena de Indias (n.d.). Mercado de Bazurto. Accessed on September 20, 2024, [Source link];
clean up around the Bazurto market
https://caracol.com.co/emisora/2021/06/05/cartagena/1622926355_181757.html
planting around the Bazurto Market
https://www.eluniversal.com.co/cartagena/2020/01/05/cartageneros-se-unen-para-sembrar-arboles-en-bazurto/
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.