Project
Photo: Anna Laurie Miller / AIDAConserving the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta
Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, the largest and most productive coastal wetland in Colombia, covers 45,000 hectares. At the confluence of the Magdalena River and the Caribbean Sea, the site boasts an immense variety of flora and fauna, including mammals, birds and fish. Its southern tip is a beautiful sanctuary of mangroves, swamp and amphibious forest.
On the calm waters of the marsh stand the Ciénaga’s famous stilt villages, supported by pillars or simple wooden stakes and inhabited by local fishermen since 1800. In a place accessible only by water, many of the things we take for granted—being served a glass of water, quick access to a doctor—are considered luxuries. Residents depend on the natural world around them. Sadly, in recent years mass fish die-offs caused by the marsh’s degradation have threatened the livelihoods of 2,500 people who call the Ciénaga Grande home.
Illegal activities are destroying this vital ecosystem: intentionally set forest fires, deforestation of large tracks of land for agriculture and livestock, logging and burning of mangroves, and 27 kilometers of illegally built dikes.
This destruction not only devastates the local fishery; it also has global impact. Ciénaga Grande’s mangroves absorb large quantities of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, aiding in the global fight against climate change.
The importance of the Ciénaga Grande has been recognized both nationally – the Sanctuary of Flora and Fauna Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta is a national park – and internationally: UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere program declared the lagoon a biosphere reserve; and the Ciénaga Grande is listed as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention, an intergovernmental treaty for the protection of wetlands.
AIDA and our partners are advocating for the Colombian government to fulfill its national and international obligations to protect the Ciénaga Grande. After all, millions of animals, the local community, and our global climate depend on it.
Partners:
Related projects
Sea turtle populations show sign of a comeback
Before 2008, hawksbill turtles had virtually disappeared from the Eastern Pacific. But small-scale conservation efforts enabled their return to the shores of El Salvador and Nicaragua, where researchers found them again laying eggs and slowly beginning to rebuild their population. Sea turtles are migratory animals. They spend most of their lives at sea, nesting on the beaches of various countries along their route. Among the main threats to their health are unsustainable fishing practices (they often get trapped in fishing nets) and inadequately developed projects in marine and coastal areas. The appearance of these turtles on Central American beaches, among other such events, demonstrates the success of small-scale conservation efforts, and the need for them to continue. Signs of recovery According to the recent study, Global sea turtle conservation successes, over the last decade sea turtle hatcheries have helped some populations rebound after historic declines. That’s the case of olive ridley turtles in the northeast Indian Ocean and of green turtles in the South Central Atlantic. After years of implementation, the protection of beaches, the regulation of fishing, and the creation of marine protected areas have helped improve sea turtle populations in waters around the world, according to researchers. The study also shows that, with adequate protections, even small populations of sea turtles have a chance of survival. Researchers found, for example, that in the area of Hawaii called French Frigate Shoals, the population of nesting green sea turtles increased from around 200 in 1973 – when the Endangered Species Act was created – to upwards of 2,000 in 2012. Green turtles are now considered a species of “minor concern” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Our contribution Sea turtle conservation, like that of other animals and plants, requires that organizations, communities, and governments work together. Such collaboration is a main tenant of AIDA’s work. In 1998, we organized a campaign to get the signatures needed for the negotiation of an international treaty to promote the protection, conservation and recovery of sea turtle populations. We are currently working to ensure that governments who signed the treaty are operating in compliance with it. We also helped save green turtles in Costa Rica, and are currently working to protect the Veracruz Reef System in Mexico, in whose warm and shallow waters hundreds of hawksbill and Atlantic ridley turtles swim. Both species are at risk due to the expansion of the Port of Veracruz, a project that would cause serious damage to the expansive reef system. Much work remains Despite the impressive recovery of several species of turtle, there are others that remain in need of protection, as their numbers continue to decline worldwide. This is the case, according to the study, of both the leatherback turtle in the eastern and western Pacific and of the flatback turtle in Australia. A new beacon of hope for turtles can be found in the development, before the United Nations, of a treaty to protect the high seas, those international waters that belong to no country (but make up two-thirds of the world’s oceans). Sea turtles, sharks, whales and birds live in these waters or travel them as part of their migratory routes. Through our active role in the treaty’s development, we seek to create Marine Protected Areas to ensure the high seas remain a safe home for not just sea turtles, but for the many species of plants and animals that contribute to the health of the oceans and support the global food supply.
Read more
Celebrating 7 Advances to Close Out 2017
As the year comes to a close, we're happy to share with you several recent advances we've made in the name of environmental protection in Latin America. Each project we launch or case we win is a step toward a more just region, and a healthier planet for our children. Because of your support, we:1. Saved Colombia’s Largest Coastal WetlandWe successfully petitioned Colombia to list the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta among the world's most at-risk wetlands, opening up the resources needed for its recovery. Learn More2. Launched the Bolivian Environmental Justice NetworkWe founded a coalition of environmental and human rights organizations in Bolivia to support citizens’ efforts to defend the environment and those who depend on its health. 3. Campaigned to Protect Patagonia from Salmon FarmsWe petitioned Chile to investigate damage being done by salmon farm operations in Southern Patagonia, and launched a citizens’ campaign to raise awareness of the growing threat. Learn More4. Secured Healthcare for Victims of Toxic PollutionWe secured specialized medical care for residents of La Oroya, Peru, whose lives and health have long been affected by a heavy-polluting metal smelter that operates beside their homes.Learn More5. Protected Sea Turtles on the High SeasWe represented Latin American citizens and organizations in the development of a United Nations treaty to protect the shared parts of our ocean and the rich life within.Learn More6. Stimulated Divestment from Mining in a Protected WetlandWe convinced the World Bank to withdraw support from a gold mine in the Santurbán páramo, a protected ecosystem and water source for millions of Colombians. Learn More7. Advised Rural Town in the Lead-Up to a Mining BanWe provided legal advice and scientific analysis to the people of Cajamarca, Colombia, who then voted by a margin of 98% to ban all mining activities from their territory. Learn More
Read moreCelebrating 7 Advances to Close Out 2017
As the year comes to a close, we're happy to share with you several recent advances we've made in the name of environmental protection in Latin America. Each project we launch or case we win is a step toward a more just region, and a healthier planet for our children. Because of your support, we:1. Saved Colombia’s Largest Coastal WetlandWe successfully petitioned Colombia to list the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta among the world's most at-risk wetlands, opening up the resources needed for its recovery. Learn More2. Launched the Bolivian Environmental Justice NetworkWe founded a coalition of environmental and human rights organizations in Bolivia to support citizens’ efforts to defend the environment and those who depend on its health. 3. Campaigned to Protect Patagonia from Salmon FarmsWe petitioned Chile to investigate damage being done by salmon farm operations in Southern Patagonia, and launched a citizens’ campaign to raise awareness of the growing threat. Learn More4. Secured Healthcare for Victims of Toxic PollutionWe secured specialized medical care for residents of La Oroya, Peru, whose lives and health have long been affected by a heavy-polluting metal smelter that operates beside their homes.Learn More5. Protected Sea Turtles on the High SeasWe represented Latin American citizens and organizations in the development of a United Nations treaty to protect the shared parts of our ocean and the rich life within.Learn More6. Stimulated Divestment from Mining in a Protected WetlandWe convinced the World Bank to withdraw support from a gold mine in the Santurbán páramo, a protected ecosystem and water source for millions of Colombians. Learn More7. Advised Rural Town in the Lead-Up to a Mining BanWe provided legal advice and scientific analysis to the people of Cajamarca, Colombia, who then voted by a margin of 98% to ban all mining activities from their territory. Learn More
Read more