Last updated: May 2025
This initiative is a community-based urban greening effort targeting environmental and social co-benefits in Cartagena’s El Pozón neighbourhood. It involved the planting of 491 fruit and timber trees along a 1,500-meter linear stretch, covering nearly two hectares in the Terraplén sector of the neighbourhood. Led by the "Establecimiento Público Ambiental" (EPA), it was developed in collaboration with various stakeholders, including the Gerencia de Espacio Público, Guardia Ambiental, SENA students, the Police, and community members (ref 1, 2). The project's primary goal was to enhance the environmental quality and aesthetics of the El Pozón neighbourhood by planting trees that provide ecological benefits, such as improving air quality, reducing temperatures, and enhancing biodiversity. Additionally, the initiative aimed to foster community engagement in environmental conservation, particularly in raising awareness about the importance of protecting and maintaining nature. The community is also expected to take on the responsibility of maintaining the planted trees, promoting a sense of ownership and sustainable stewardship (ref 1).
planting activity
https://epacartagena.gov.co/web/epa-cartagena-y-aliados-inician-siembra-de-491-arboles-por-aniversario-de-cartagena/
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Environmental quality
- Air quality improvement
- Waste management
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Environmental education
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Climate-Related Hazards
- Heat stress & Extreme temperatures
- Environmental Degradation
- Biodiversity loss
- Air pollution
Key priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration)
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of any other green urban spaces, Maintenance and management of urban nature, Maintenance or upgrade of exisiting green spaces (e.g. parks), Knowledge creation and awareness raising, Educational and awareness raising programs
Project objectives
- Improve the environmental surroundings of the area (ref 1).
- Recover areas that have been turned into satellite dumps and public rubble sites to prevent further environmental degradation in these zones and foster a culture of care for green spaces (ref 2)
- Improve air quality, reduce heat islands, conserve ecosystems, and protect biodiversity (ref 2).
- Promote awareness of the protection and conservation of the trees within the local community. (ref 2)
- Promote recreational and educational activities around proper waste management and care for green areas as part of the broader celebration of Cartagena's anniversary to foster environmental education among children, youth, and adults (ref 3)
Implementation activities
The implementation began with the preparation of the planting area. First, the land has been prepared for the planting event in coordination with the District's Public Space Management (ref 2). Under the leadership of EPA Cartagena, forestry technicians from the organization, supported by the Public Space Management Office, Environmental Guard, SENA students, and the community, carried out the excavation of planting holes and the organization of designated planting zones to facilitate the large-scale afforestation effort. (ref 4) Planting activities began at 7 a.m., and by midday, 200 trees had already been planted, with operations continuing throughout the day (ref 1).
In parallel, EPA Cartagena participated in the city's anniversary celebration by conducting other environmental education activities. Children, youth, and adults participated in interactive and recreational sessions focused on proper waste management and the care of green spaces, among other environmental topics. (ref 1)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Increase urban vegetation cover to reduce urban heat island effect
Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts
Yes
Specification of climate or environmentally vulnerable communities
Low-income neighborhoods, Communities located in floodplains
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Government-led
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
- Co-management/Joint management
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The EPA Cartagena, the Public Space Management Office, the Environmental Guard, the Environmental Police, the National Training Service (SENA), students from local educational institutions, and the community began the planting task at 7 a.m. During the initial session, the director of EPA Cartagena invited the community to take ownership of this process and promote awareness of the protection and conservation of these trees. (ref 1)
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
Capacity-building projects, Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships)
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Achieved increased green space area
- Increased conversion of degraded land or soil
- Expected increased conversion of degraded land or soil
- 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
- Expected 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
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
Unknown
References
1.
EPA Cartagena (2024). EPA Cartagena y aliados inician siembra de 491 árboles por aniversario de Cartagena.. Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Cartagena Mayor's Office (2024). EPA celebra cumpleaños de Cartagena con la siembra de 491 nuevos árboles. Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Revista Metro ( 2024). La siembra de 491 árboles, entre los regalos que recibió ayer Cartagena con ocasión de su aniversario 491. Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link];
4.
El Universal (2024). Cumpleaños de Cartagena: Intensifican labores para la siembra de 491 árboles. Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Villamil-Mejía, A.; Blanco-Ramírez, D. M. (2022). Herramientas participativas para el inventario del patrimonio natural y cultural en asentamientos informales. Caso de estudio: barrio El Pozón, ucg6 de la ciudad de Cartagena. Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link];
planting activity
https://www.cartagena.gov.co/noticias/epa-celebra-cumpleanos-cartagena-siembra-491-nuevos-arboles
planting activity
https://epacartagena.gov.co/web/epa-cartagena-y-aliados-inician-siembra-de-491-arboles-por-aniversario-de-cartagena/
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.