environment
March 19, 2026
Without Mangroves, There Is No City
In Cartagena, while talking about sustainability and urban development, mangrove ecosystems are being felled and intervened by the district administration without public clarity on the scope, technical justification, or environmental consequences of these actions. In recent months, felling has been reported in strategic points of the city, including the Juan Angola channel, particularly in the sections from La Unión to the parallel canal; also in areas near the Espíritu del Manglar park, including the sector where the Plaza de las Variedades was inaugurated; as well as in areas of the Manga neighborhood and sectors of the Ciénaga de la Virgen. These are not isolated incidents, but a series of interventions that put one of the city's most important ecological systems at risk.
TL;DR
- Mangrove ecosystems in Cartagena are being felled and intervened by the district administration.
- There is a lack of public clarity regarding the scope, technical justification, and environmental consequences of these actions.
- Reported felling has occurred in strategic points like the Juan Angola channel, near Espíritu del Manglar park, in Manga, and in the Ciénaga de la Virgen.
- Mangroves are vital natural infrastructures that protect against floods, regulate climate, capture carbon, and support biodiversity.
- Destroying mangroves is an environmental and social problem, especially for vulnerable communities reliant on these ecosystems.
- The opacity surrounding interventions, technical studies, compensation, and contracts weakens public trust and questions the District's environmental management.
- Cartagena needs serious, transparent, and evidence-based environmental management, prioritizing mangrove protection as a real public policy priority.