Adapted management of ecosystems to protect against coastal erosion in a changing climate

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a) Background and objectives Coastal erosion on the Colombian Caribbean coast has increased sharply due to the rise in sea levels caused by climate change. The effects, such as the washing away of fertile farmland and the threat to settlements, are felt primarily by poor sections of the population. The Colombian government has therefore drawn up a national coastal protection program and included the issue of coastal protection as a high priority in the national development plan. The aim of the planned project is to make a contribution to coastal protection through the rehabilitation and adapted management of coastal ecosystems and thus to mitigate the effects of climate change on particularly vulnerable groups. b) Approach On the basis of the national coastal protection program, coastal sections will be identified in which ecosystems (e.g. mangroves, dune vegetation) make an important contribution to coastal protection but have been so severely degraded that vulnerable groups are suffering from the effects caused. These ecosystems will be rehabilitated as part of the project and plans for their management will be drawn up. The focus is on restoring ecosystem services to reduce the vulnerability of poor population groups. c) Organization The partner is the Colombian Ministry of the Environment. The technical implementation is coordinated by the National Research Institute for Marine and Coastal Research (Invemar) and is carried out with significant participation from the affected districts and municipalities. A steering committee, which also includes internationally renowned NGOs with extensive experience in the field of ecosystem-based coastal protection, is supporting the project.