Mesa para la Conservación del Sur del Valle de Aburrá (Southern Aburrá Valley Conservation Roundtable)

The Mesa para la Conservación del Sur del Valle de Aburrá is a cooperation instrument based on an inter-institutional articulation effort to implement ecosystem and biodiversity conservation strategies, based on the principle that biodiversity has no political or administrative limits. It is made up of five municipalities (Envigado, Itagüí, La Estrella, Caldas and Sabaneta), through the Municipal Environment and Planning Secretariats, National Natural Parks, the Metropolitan Area of the Aburrá Area, and the Alexander von Humboldt Institute, among other institutions. Its objectives include the collection of information, analysis and development of regional products; exchange of experiences and strengthening of institutional capacities in the implementation of conservation strategies (joint wildlife monitoring); formulation of conservation projects and management of resources for funding by other institutions. This instrument began in 2019 and is currently active and in the development of implementation actions.

Overview

Type of instrument:

Agreement-based or cooperative instrument›Joint regional planning between municipalities

Challenges addressed

Ecologic connectivity
Soil quality
Watershed restoration/water quality
Social cohesion
Nature appropriation / stewardship
Reconnection to the biosphere / environmental education

Consideration of nature-based solutions:

The goal is to identify key areas for the conservation of continuous habitat of optimum quality and implement protection and conservation areas. Likewise, within its management strategies, it is intended to restore intervened ecosystems of high environmental importance. From the identification and implementation of these areas, environmental education strategies and reconnection of the inhabitants with their environment are generated.

Targeted (peri-)urban areas:

Parks and (semi)natural urban green areas

Other

Good practice characteristics:

Sustainable in the long-term

Locally appropriate

Potential to be replicated / upscaled

Innovative

Governance

Government body/bodies

Initiating body:

Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)

Instrument design:

Details about how the instrument was designed:

The design of the roundtable was led by the Municipal Environment and Planning Secretariats of the five municipalities mentioned (Envigado, Itagüí, La Estrella, Caldas and Sabaneta), with the Envigado Secretariat for the Environment and Agricultural Development, through the Ecosystems and Biodiversity Department, as the delegate in charge of managing the roundtable. This initiative arose as a response to a problem of urban expansion in ecosystems of great importance for the south of the Aburrá Valley. For this reason, under the leadership of the Directorate of Ecosystems, dialogues and articulation of efforts are established with the other municipalities in the south of the Aburra Valley. This instrument was formalized through an agreement of wills.

Involvement of non-governmental actors:

Citizens or community groups / NGOs

Type of actor involvement:

Co-planning or co-design of instrument (e.g. boards, advisory role)

Instrument implementation:

Type of non-governmental actors involved:

Co-design of NBS, implemented by government

ICLEI was initially involved in the design and initial implementation phase.

Targeted actors:

Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)

Citizens or community groups (CBOs), NGOs, NGOs, etc.

Financing

Sources of funding:

Corporate investment

Budget:

Unknown

Details about instrument financing:

Some projects financed with public resources have been implemented, including the resources corresponding to the professionals registered in each of the Secretariats. However, in the review made for the case study, no information was found on the total amount to date. However, it is known that actions will continue to be implemented without a defined budget to date.

Monitoring, evaluation and impacts

Is a monitoring framework in place?:

Did an evaluation take place?:

Achieved outcomes and impacts:

The results obtained to date include the collection of information, analysis and mapping of regional biological corridors, wildlife monitoring, formulation of conservation projects and management of resources for financing by other institutions. All these actions have been possible thanks to the strengthening of the articulation of public environmental agencies in each municipality, which has made it possible to advance in conservation issues of strategic ecosystems beyond the administrative, political or social limits present in the territory. The focus on biological corridors for species of interest such as felines is made possible through the coordination of joint actions and collaboration between municipalities to ensure the connectivity of the habitat of these species, which transcends municipal boundaries.

Success factors and lessons learned:

Success factors: - Articulation of different public institutions from different municipalities such as environmental secretariats, regional environmental authorities such as Corantioquia and AMVA, mayors of the five municipalities, with significant political will and citizen participation. - Frequent meetings to exchange experiences of each municipality, which strengthen the actions developed within the framework of the Mesa. For example, particular experiences in wildlife monitoring and the formulation of projects with regional scope. - Institutional strengthening has been achieved in the region, since through the exchange of experiences the participating municipalities have acquired new knowledge and have become aware of the importance of connectivity on a regional scale. Lessons learned: - This type of instrument requires continuous participation and motivation on the part of the actors involved. - A continuous search for funding sources is required to ensure sustainability over time.

Sources and further information

References

Interview(s):

Jonnathan Burbano Salazar, Envigado Secretary of Environment and Agricultural Development, Yohana Tabares Baena, Envigado Secretary of Environment and Agricultural Development, Agustín Gutiérrez Henao, Envigado Secretary of Environment and Agricultural Development.

Further documents

Documents:

ICLEI-Guia para la preparacion e implementacion de un ciclo de cooperaci....pdf

Photos

@MedioAmbienteSabaneta