cartagena, Cartagena (FUA), Colombia
City population: 1138298
Duration: 2022 – ongoing
Implementation status: Ongoing
Scale: Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Project area: unknown
Type of area: Roads / Roadsides, Public Greenspace Area
Last updated: May 2025

The Recovery of Green Area on Avenida del Lago is a group of activities aimed at restoring and preserving the ecological integrity of green space within an urban setting. This project involves multiple stakeholders, including the "Establecimiento Público Ambiental" (EPA) Cartagena, "Fundación Verde Que Te Quiero Verde", Asopopa, and local businesses such as Crepes and Wafles and Centro Comercial Caribe Plaza. The primary focus is environmental restoration, sustainable urban mobility, and public space recovery (ref 1). The project aims to rehabilitate the degraded green spaces along Lago Avenue by enhancing urban greenery, restoring mangrove ecosystems, and improving public access and mobility. It also focuses on reducing pollution, preventing informal waste disposal, and raising environmental awareness among local communities and businesses. These activities align with broader efforts to promote ecological sustainability and enhance urban resilience (ref 1, 3). Since 2020, activities have included the planting of trees, mangroves, and other native vegetation in the green spaces of the avenue. Regular clean-up campaigns have been organized to remove solid waste, and community education programs have been conducted to promote environmental stewardship (ref 2). Previously, Lago Avenue was an area plagued by pollution and homelessness, and with the project, the intention is to gradually transform the area into a wooded area or productive park (ref 2).

photo of a section of the green areas of the avenue
photo of a section of the green areas of the avenue
https://www.eluniversal.com.co/cartagena/2022/07/25/proyecto-ambiental-en-zona-de-mangles-de-la-avenida-de-el-lago/

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Blue infrastructure
  • Coastlines
  • Coastal wetland, mangroves and salt marshes
  • Parks and urban forests
  • Green corridors and green belts

Key challenges

  • Environmental quality
  • Soil quality improvement
  • Waste management
  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Habitat and biodiversity restoration
  • Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
  • Environmental education

Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)

  • Environmental Degradation
  • Air pollution
  • Land use and Socio-economic change
  • Unequal availability and access to public green spaces

Key priorities

Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration)

Focus

Maintenance and management of urban nature, Maintenance or upgrade of exisiting green spaces (e.g. parks), Ecological restoration of ecosystems, Ecological restoration of existing green spaces, Restoration of mangroves

Project objectives

- Restore the green areas along Avenida del Lago by planting trees and other native vegetation to enhance urban greenery and improve ecological health (ref 1,3) - Restore mangroves alongside the avenue (ref 1,3) - Reducing soil pollution and preventing informal waste disposal (ref 1,3) - Enhance public access to green space and mobility (ref 1,3) - Implement clean-up campaigns and install barriers to prevent illegal waste disposal in the green spaces along Avenida del Lago (ref 1, 5) - Conduct environmental education and awareness programs for local residents and businesses to encourage participation in sustainable practices and support the project's initiatives​ (ref 1, 2).

Implementation activities

The project included the following activities: - Collection of 25 cubic meters of solid waste, installing a fence to prevent the area from continuing to be used as an illegal dumpsite, and planting 50 new fruit trees and 50 Zaragoza mangrove saplings. - Organisation of tree planting and waste collection activities, environmental education and awareness sessions with employees of participating companies. Furthermore, an invitation was extended to neighbouring commercial entities to participate in the tree planting program in this green area of Avenida del Lago (ref 1). - Organize meetings with different stakeholders: Rodríguez stated that a meeting will be held tomorrow, which is expected to be attended by representatives from Asopopa, the foundation, Caribe Plaza shopping center, Veolia, the Environmental Public Establishment (EPA), the Environmental Sustainability Unit, the Public Services Office, the Citizen Participation Office, and other territorial entities of the District. The purpose of the meeting was to sign an agreement to approve the project and establish a work schedule to initiate it. (ref 2)

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity restoration:

  • Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
  • Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
  • Restore native species
  • Public engagement

Main beneficiaries

  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Government-led

Type of initiating organisation

  • Local government/municipality

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
  • Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

The Establecimiento Público Ambiental EPA Cartagena played a significant role in leading the ecological restoration activities, along with collaborative efforts from entities such as the Fundación Verde Que Te Quiero Verde and local businesses (ref 1). Also, the public institution of Public Space and Mobility Management is responsible for coordinating the recovery operation on Avenida del Lago, including clean-up efforts, reclaiming public spaces, and involving various stakeholders to achieve the project's goals​ (ref 5) - a meeting is scheduled involving various stakeholders such as Asopopa (Civic Association of the neighborhood), foundation verde, representatives from Caribe Plaza shopping center, Veolia, the Environmental Public Establishment (EPA), and other district entities. (ref 2)

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

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
  • Water management and blue areas
  • Enhanced protection and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems
  • Expected enhanced protection and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems
  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased green space area
  • Achieved increased green space area
  • Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
  • Expected increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
  • Increased number of species present
  • Achieved increased number of species present

Economic impacts

  • Unknown

Socio-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 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

Type of reported impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Unknown

Presence of indicators used in reporting

Yes

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

Social justice and conflicts, Displacement of vulnerable or marginalized communities, Economic impacts, Temporary or permanent closure of local markets or businesses

References

1.
EPA Cartagena (2024). CONTINÚA RECUPERACIÓN DE ZONA VERDE EN AVENIDA DEL LAGO. Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link];
2.
El Universal (2022). Proyecto ambiental en zona de mangles de la avenida de El Lago. Accessed on September 12, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Cartagena Mayor's Office (2024). Continúa recuperación de zona verde en Avenida del Lago. Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Revista Metro (2024). Una Idea por Cartagena: Movilidad en la Localidad Uno, Parte 1. Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link];
5.
LaRegional.net (2019). Recuperan espacio público en Avenida del Lago en Cartagena. Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Cartagena Inmuebles (n.d.). Pie de la Popa, Zona Residencial. Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link];
planting activities in the green areas of the avenue
planting activities in the green areas of the avenue
https://epacartagena.gov.co/web/continua-recuperacion-de-zona-verde-en-avenida-del-lago/
planting activities in the green areas of the avenue
planting activities in the green areas of the avenue
https://epacartagena.gov.co/web/continua-recuperacion-de-zona-verde-en-avenida-del-lago/
naturescapes bannerInformation about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.