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InsIde storIes on climate compatible development

February 2013

Key messages Embedding resilience city in to produce in coastal city planning: Early lessons its ‘Guidelines for Adaptation to Climate Change’, which assess the city’s vulnerabilities and identify from Cartagena de Indias, Colombia adaptation options that will support socioeconomic development. Cartagena’s fortunes and perils have long been tied to the sea. With for forthcoming municipal plans, the release of its adaptation guidelines, the Colombian coastal city is including a full climate change adaptation plan and zoning policies. resulting from a changing climate. this report’s vulnerability assessment, summarised in ‘Guidelines for Adaptation to Climate Change in Cartagena closely watching the progress of this municipal process, which will de Indias’, is the most comprehensive of its kind yet developed in Colombia, with adaptation actions paired to emerging challenges. the National Adaptation Plan and similar approaches in other coastal cities and towns in Colombia. planning within the context of Cartagena; a city that encompasses both wealthy and impoverished communities, together with a heavy reliance on Planning for climate resilience is several climate-sensitive industries, such as tourism and transportation. constant and sustained capacity this brief summarises the process that led to the guidelines’ creation, and building of local stakeholders. highlights how they lay the foundation for a full municipal adaptation plan. Despite several recent changes in the political leadership of Cartagena, key city leaders remain committed highlight the vulnerability of the coastal to adaptation planning. history, Cartagena attracted marauders and imperial armies who fought to of urban areas along the country’s an important opportunity to build seize the strategically located port city. coast are expected to suffer resilience, improve the life of its citizens and avoid long-term costs 1 from inaction. beach-bound tourists, and faces new threats: from sea level rise, powerful In response, Colombia has formulated Authors: symptoms of a rapidly changing climate. a national plan of action to Peter Adams, Acclimatise If left unaddressed, these events could vulnerability and enhance the adaptation Jose , Ithaca Environmental set back recent gains in economic capabilities of its coasts. Building upon Contributing authors: development, ecological resilience and initial studies from 20082 and responding Claudia Martinez, CDKN Colombia Paula Cristina Sierra-Correa, INVEMAR human . For instance, projections Colombia of sea level rise of one metre by 2100 and environmental complexities of

CDKN helps developing countries to design and deliver climate compatible development. When decision-makers in government, business and civil society speak to us about their aims and needs, they often ask about ‘best practice’ in other countries or, indeed, mistakes to avoid. What are the leading in integrating climate change planning with economic growth strategies and poverty reduction? Cartagena de Indias’ was released in Figure 1. of Cartagena (InVeMAr) major output. It presents the results of guidelines for adaptation.

Climate and weather-related risks to Cartagena

Indias encompasses everything from a necklace of seaside skyscrapers to a well-preserved colonial core (a UNESCO Heritage Site) and sprawling informal settlements, where hundreds of thousands live in poverty. Cartagena’s history and scenic harbours make it a popular tourist destination, while its commercial ports remain as busy as they have for centuries. However, high poverty rates and rapid rural-to-urban migration mean that economic development remains a pressing issue in Colombia’s likely to exacerbate problems already facing poor neighbourhoods, many of which are located in low-lying areas Addressing human risks along with threats to livelihoods and industries, notably tourism and shipping, are of critical importance to Cartagena and to Colombia.4

Cartagena, a revision of the city’s Land- Sustainable Development, and other Cartagena faces immediate and future use Plan was proposed as a method local authorities and sectors. threats from a changing climate. of dealing with climate challenges. Flooding is increasingly common in low-lying areas, even after normal Climate and Development Knowledge climate change adaptation into the rainfall, due to sea level rise and Network (CDKN) and is coordinated Land-use Plan of the city, as well as by the Institute of Marine and Coastal other planning instruments and policies, Large storms are also occurring with Research (INVEMAR) in partnership to increase resilience to the impacts of with Cartagena’s municipal government, climate change.3 Flood-related impacts threaten the Ministry of Environment and for Climate Change Adaptation for housing, transportation and key

2 industries, as roads that bring goods people even while the population grew,8 of the potential severity of such impacts: to ports are cut off and storms disrupt many impoverished neighbourhoods for instance, 13.3 km2 of port operations, leading to economic are located in marginal or low-lying losses that are felt beyond the city. areas highly susceptible to inundation, across 21.6 km2 of the city and a third Sections of the historic colonial city of the city’s population could be directly and popular tourist beaches are also has seen temporary camps in the city affected by these and other impacts by 6 swelling with people displaced by as early as 2019.11 weather disasters, yet development Major coastal and marine continues in low-lying areas at high are at risk, including coral reefs, which Cartagena’s vulnerability are susceptible to bleaching and challenge in ensuring that communities assessment and adaptation are protected and services and guidelines temperatures increase. Mangroves, infrastructure function effectively in the already threatened by the encroachment face of a changing climate. of development, will be further impacted change while also addressing by sea level rise.7 protection socioeconomic development, an is not only imperative for conserving considering the risks of climate change alliance was formed between CDKN, , but also for providing for over a decade. In particular, INVEMAR, the City of Cartagena, the important services to the city by reducing INVEMAR’s regional environmental municipal Chamber of Commerce, the impact of hurricanes and erosion expertise has been directed at building national ministries, universities and of beaches. Mangroves also facilitate a wide research foundation and other local stakeholders. Under the the development and maintenance of valuable baseline datasets since 2002. CDKN-funded project ‘Integrating In the Second National Communication adaptation to climate change into local livelihoods. Losing the mangroves may on Climate Change, completed in planning and sectoral management exacerbate many of the most damaging 2009, coastal regions, and Cartagena climate impacts for the city. in particular, were shown to be highly the vulnerability assessment and vulnerable to climate change.9 preparation of adaptation guidelines. report laid out several main areas of Phase I, on which this paper focuses, related risks to human health, with concern, including a rise in sea level at a ran from August 2011 to 2012 and covered mainland areas of the city; increasing -borne, sanitation- and in an accelerated scenario this could a second phase (2012–2013) covers heat-related illnesses, such as dengue increase to 100 mm annually by 2100.10 a greater geographic , including and diarrhoeal diseases, particularly A complementary report published by the city’s Islas del Rosario and San among the large population without INVEMAR in 2008 provides projections Bernardo. basic sanitary infrastructure and reliable waste collection.

In Cartagena, such impacts of climate change are occurring within the economic structure. Of the nearly one state assistance to cope with poverty. While the city has made progress in decreasing the percentage of poor

3 Along with highland agriculture, the An expert involved in the initiative addition was research into how different Ministry of Environment and Sustainable stressed that “the local priorities neighbourhoods and environments of stakeholders should guide the around the city, such as the historic early on as an important focal point for vulnerability assessment, as well as centre or mangroves, are vulnerable studying vulnerability and adaptation. to various impacts of climate change. directed much of the process that Another area of emphasis was poor their full support to the project and are led to the creation of the guidelines. communities. Many are located in relying on the partnership’s vulnerability Workshops began in late 2011, giving high-risk areas vulnerable to climate assessment to lay a foundation interested parties an opportunity to help for integrating climate compatible prioritise sectors and neighbourhoods, and increasing prevalence of health development into municipal policy. as well as discuss the local impacts of problems. Representatives from poor climate change. INVEMAR coordinated communities and at-risk livelihoods, Change in Cartagena de Indias’ was of internal and external personnel, and updated throughout the process. conceived as a planning support tool including experts in information systems, biology, geology and other Following the summary of the research, workshops, focus groups technical areas, most of whom were vulnerability assessment, the report and interviews with the involvement of based in Colombia.12 concludes with a short section on 64 different civil society stakeholder adaptation actions connected to groups in Cartagena. Its results will be published in different publications, for an extensive vulnerability assessment use by stakeholders groups including that updates and expands the results covered: urban and rural development; academic and political audiences. of INVEMAR’s 2008 report. A major infrastructure and investment;

Cartagena. Aerial view of the walled colonial city

4 citizens; ecosystems; storm water climate policy is more likely to be hat Cartagena can and sewers; and institutional effectively mainstreamed at the local organisations. A range of ‘priority level and shared between regions. share is experience, actions’ or ‘possible considerations’ Wnot lessons. There may not be models that can be the recommendations, gleaned from watching this municipal process, shared, but frameworks that workshops and expert knowledge, and may assimilate insights into are transferable. the implementation of its National only guidelines to lay a foundation for Adaptation Plan and in other coastal a range of stakeholders with possible future measures. different backgrounds and priorities. organisers have also shared their hope However, one project leader noted that other coastal cities around the that it took a long time to get all of entry points for climate vulnerability world will look to the processes piloted stakeholders on the same page in and adaptation knowledge to be in Cartagena.14 However, stakeholders terms of expectations. For example, assimilated into municipal planning several groups narrowly interpreted policy, particularly in land-use and ‘adaptation’ to mean only large look forward to more detailed advice. engineering projects and not a wider assist the broader effort to harmonise set of hard and soft measures. development imperatives with full adaptation plan, which is expected “Adaptation is evolving in terms of adaptation, and could offer a useful to be released in 2014. Other supporting practice and what it means on the model to other governments interested outputs include an interactive tool that ground to [different stakeholders]” in ways of codifying climate research aids decision-making by assembling according to one expert. into existing policy. results from the study in an easy-to-use Recognising and harmonising such as well differences takes time and effort, and as a published summary booklet for should be anticipated as much as steps sharing adaptation guidelines.16 possible. Conducting a vulnerability assessment and preparing an Dialogue among stakeholders is adaptation plan takes time and ongoing, with the aim of continuing to Lessons and implications receive insights and suggestions for all stakeholders. Experts interviewed the next phases as Cartagena pushes for this report agreed that it was a key element of adaptation policy. necessary to get everyone on the in Colombia to integrate vulnerability and adaptation into municipal policy.13 took an extended amount of time, strategies are often not directly effort and occasional reboots. Despite the city’s having recently passed through an unstable political period with can provide the best information Balance the opportunity costs successive , it has nonetheless available and help decision-makers of adaptation. Integrating climate managed to create a governmental take into account the uncertainties change into land-use policy means action plan with climate action at the of these time horizons, establishing accepting that almost all kinds of baselines and assessing options. development will face new hurdles of Cartagena intends to have its own or costs associated with newly group dedicated to managing climate Manage expectations and cross- change risks. By nurturing participatory cutting interactions. Considering have diminished the enthusiasm processes and coordinating climate broad impacts and integrating of some key stakeholders. For change with development issues, diverse sectors inherently involves example, real estate developers may

Cartagena’s communities try to mitigate the impacts of a rising ocean

be forced to deal with new restrictions A key ingredient of Colombia and their coastal expertise or lengthened approval processes. success has been ongoing and active made them obvious leaders for support from municipal and national that “it’s really hard to make people from their long-term involvement in and investors understand the risk involved throughout the process, the region. INVEMAR’s extensive of climate change projections. If with the Ministry of Environment research experience enabled rapid they don’t see the seas rising, they results in this initiative and helped don’t believe it will ever happen.” area of focus for a CDKN initiative. stakeholders accept adaptation Overcoming such hesitations was imperatives, according to experts supervisory role with four successive incumbents, keeping the involvement of their administrations high. action sooner rather than later, and nevertheless took time and effort Meanwhile, ongoing attention from points to the fact that the ‘rapid’ gains to manage. Convincing sceptics the government in Bogota, as well made so far are the result of the has also been effectively aided by as effective two-way communication painstaking years of work that came connecting recent weather disasters before. and signs of sea level rise with has helped keep the process on climate projections, supplemented track and provided valuable mid-term Involve experts. Despite the obvious by an ongoing emphasis in many feedback. of the workshops on assessing the contacted for this brief agreed that potential costs of inaction against Build local capacity. INVEMAR’s the relatively smaller costs of status as a preeminent climate from bringing in more experts, proactive adaptation. change research institute in particularly those with experience

6 on comparable projects. Balancing share results. INVEMAR staff and Communicate and share knowl - the imperative to harness and edge. A variety of communication develop local talent and engage local repeatedly stated that they want tools are allowing knowledge to be stakeholders, while also recognising the adaptation work in Cartagena shared to a number of key stakeholder the advantages that international to be an example for Colombia groups, empowering them with the experts practised in these processes (and coastal cities beyond) of how necessary information in a relevant can offer, is a common challenge stakeholders are addressing climate format to tackle adaptation in their among such large and pioneering change and development. However, projects. A process of this scope and the challenge of transferring insights are vital to the short- and long-term from Cartagena to other cities success of the project. expanded, deepened interaction with practiced experts to complement adaptations are always local in local knowledge and expertise. . In the words of an expert Interviewees Nevertheless, a clear strength of the involved in the process, “what study is the breadth and diversity of Cartagena can share is experience, Francisco Arias, Director General, the national team, and the extent of INVEMAR models that can be shared, but Fabián navarrete Le Bas, Ecoversa many hurdles and contributed to the frameworks offering relevant sarah opitz-stapleton, Research Scientist, Staplets Consulting Ximena rojas Giraldo, Researcher, entry points into local policy. their own assessments. Much work INVEMAR Land-use and zoning policy offer remains before this goal can be met, sandra Lorena santamaria innovative and cost-effective entry however, particularly in connecting r ojas, Climate Change Group points for introducing results into this new research with existing Advisor, Ministry of Environment and planning processes. Nevertheless, Sustainable Development, Housing on the initiative stated that it was the this in-progress initiative is already “best instrument we have to insert offering valuable insights into climate adaptation into the development compatible planning, especially in and planning of cities”. However, terms of stakeholder mobilisation references and organisation. 1. Vives De Andreis, J.B. (2003) Dutch as to why a land-use approach Assistance Programme for Climate was emphasised over others, such of Vulnerability to Sea Level Rise as looking at livelihoods, or at in Biophysical and Socioeconomic least why more dimensions were Systems in the Colombian Coast not incorporated simultaneously. (continental Caribbean, Insular However, adaptation through land- Measures. use planning may prove to be cost Volumes. Annexes. Digital CD Atlas. effective through the implementation : INVEMAR - the Institute of soft adaptation measures that take of Marine and Coastal Research advantage of coastal (Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras) services. A typical example is the 2. Vives De Andreis, J.B. (2008) Building rehabilitation and maintenance of Capacity to Improve the Adaptive mangrove habitats, a soft barrier that Capacity to Sea Level Rise in Two Vulnerable Coastal Areas of Colombia protects the coast from erosion and destructive storm surges, and acts as natural infrastructure.17 sea front

7 sectoral management in Cartagena de cartagena/actualidad/cartagena-piloto- INVEMAR. Indias.’ Special INVEMAR document en-plan-de-adaptacion-cambio-climatico- 3. Arias-Isaza, F., Rojas, X. and Sierra- 36711 Correa, P.C. (2012) Integration of the 7. Stenek et al. (2011) op.cit. 14. INVEMAR (2011) Pilot Climate Change adaptation to climate change in the 8. Development Programme. Adaptation Project in Cartagena. Santa complex scenario of territorial planning The Colombian Caribbean and the Millen- Marca: INVEMAR. www.invemar.org.co/ and economic development of a coastal nium Development Goals. New York: world heritage site: Cartagena de Indias, UNDP. www.pnud.org.co/img_upload/ Colombia. 33323133323161646164616461646164/ 4. Stenek et al. (2011) Climate Risk and lineamientos-de-adaptacion-al-cambio- Business: Ports. Terminal Marítimo pdf climatico-para-cartagena-de-indias/ Muelles el Bosque, Cartagena, Colombia. 9. Stenek et al. (2011) op.cit. 17. Using mangrove systems as natural Washington, DC: International Finance 10. Sutherland, M. et al. (2008) ‘Monitoring Corporation. sea level change in the Caribbean’, implemented as an ecosystem-based Geomatica 62(4): 428–436. adaptation in the INAP (2006-2011) by CDKN. February 2012’. http://cdkn.org/ 11. Futuro LatinoAmericano (2012) the International Union for Conservation wp-content/uploads/2012/02/CDKN- ‘Cartagena: towards the creation of an of Nature (IUCN) in San Andrés and Providencia, showing how this can be 6. INVEMAR/MADS/Alcaldía de item/cartagena-hacia-la-construccion-de- a successful initiative in other parts of Cartagena de Indias/CDKN (2012) un-plan-de-adaptacion.html ‘Guidelines for climate change 12. CDKN (2012) op.cit. found at: http://data.iucn.org/dbtw-wpd/ adaptation in Cartagena de Indias. 13. El Universal (2011) Cartagena: Climate Project mainstreaming of climate change Change Adaptation Pilot. Cartagena: adaptation in land use planning and El Universal. www.eluniversal.com.co/

About CdKn countries design and deliver climate compatible development. We do this by providing demand-led research and technical assistance, and channelling the best available knowledge on climate change and development to support policy processes at the country level.

About Acclimatise Acclimatise is a specialist advisory and digital application company providing world-class expertise in climate change adaptation and risk management (www.acclimatise.uk.com).

About Ithaca environmental Front cover photo: Ithaca Environmental is an independent consulting group on climate change providing advice to private Luiz Rocha/Shutterstock.com; companies, governments, NGOs and multilateral organisations (www.ithacaenvironmental.com). page 3: Mathieu Lacoste/CDKN page 4: Jeremy Horner/Panos Pictures; About InVeMAr page 6: Pippa Heylings/CDKN; page 7: Claudia Martinez/CDKN Editing, design and layout: Green Ink Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and other public and private entities. (www.greenink.co.uk)

www.cdkn.org e: [email protected] t: +44 (0) 207 212 4111

This document is an output from a project funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the Netherlands Directorate-General for International Cooperation