disaster risk management department<\/a> (DAGRD), the housing and habitat committee for Comuna 8, and Heriot-Watt University in the UK.<\/p>\nNow a model for Medell\u00edn\u2019s 4 million residents, the plan comprises eight measures to address climate risks, including managing rainwater, reforestation to control erosion and sedimentation on hillsides and in ravines, and establishing eco-gardens and agroforestry systems.<\/p>\n
While the city aims to implement similar plans across all 21 comunas, challenges remain in securing government support and funding for grassroots initiatives.<\/p>\n
double quotation markIn the plan, there are nature-based solutions, with several that are not that expensive or hard to makeR\u00f3binson Vel\u00e1squez Cartagena<\/p>\n
\u201cI started the rainwater harvesting system because I wanted to prove that it can reduce the risk of disasters by reducing the water that runs on to the streets, which can flood when it rains,\u201d says Vel\u00e1squez Cartagena, a community leader who is studying a master\u2019s in environmental engineering at the University of Antioquia.<\/p>\n
His system collects water from the rooftop drainage and stores it in containers; he then uses the water for his washing machine and toilet.<\/p>\n
Vel\u00e1squez Cartagena with rainwater storage containers, which hold water used for washing clothes and flushing toilets. Photograph: Suzanne Bearne<\/p>\n
Originally a disaster-management scheme, the plan was expanded by the community to include climate adaptation. As well as the eight community measures, it outlines climate risks and vulnerabilities, a heat map, past floods and landslides, responsible stakeholders and action points.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the plan, there are nature-based solutions, with several that are not that expensive or hard to make,\u201d says Vel\u00e1squez Cartagena. \u201cWe need solutions like that because the level of risk is very high.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the El Pacifico neighbourhood, Nancy Elena Quiros Correa oversees a small 9 metre by 3 metre (30ft by 10ft) plot that was set up as a community tree nursery last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe nursery will prevent rocks from falling, soak up water when it rains, and increase biodiversity,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Nancy Elena Quiros Correa, who says the climate in the city has become hotter and wetter. Photograph: Suzanne Bearne<\/p>\n
Quiros Correa knows first-hand the impact of weather-related disasters. \u201cAround 2011, rocks struck this wall [which was originally made of wood] twice, causing it to collapse,\u201d she says, pointing to the yellow-painted wall in front of her home. She says the climate in Medell\u00edn is changing. \u201cIt used to be much cooler. Now we have high temperatures, but also more rain.\u201d<\/p>\n
She recalls a severe flood that happened nearby in 2020. \u201cIt affected many buildings and houses,\u201d she says. \u201cWe want the tree nursery on the mountain so it can prevent that from happening again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other projects include a rainwater-harvesting system installed at a local community centre last year and an ecological restoration garden.<\/p>\n
Quiros Correa has helped to set up a small tree nursery in Comuna 8. Photograph: Suzanne Bearne<\/p>\n
\u201cThe garden will restore nature and stabilise the land,\u201d says Harry Smith, a professor in global urbanism at Heriot-Watt University, who has worked with Comuna 8 on environmental projects for the past 10 years. \u201cBut it also stops one of the problems they have there, which is land invasion as people continue to build new homes on land that has been sold illegally by armed groups.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the plan was being approved, the community \u201chit the ground running\u201d, says Smith. \u201cThey wanted to do some pilot projects to show that they don\u2019t need to wait for the municipality to come along and do things.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vel\u00e1squez Cartagena is working with community leaders to produce a user-friendly guide to the plan, with engaging graphics, that can be printed and shared on social media.<\/p>\n
With support from a strong community, the work in Comuna 8 has led to a disaster risk and climate adaptation plan for all 21 comunas in Medell\u00edn.<\/p>\n
Juan David Moreno, the head of the technical team at DAGRD, says: \u201cThe work in Comuna 8 was a pilot, and we developed it for the rest of the communities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yet, each one is different. \u201cIn some communities, you have different needs,\u201d says Moreno. \u201cWe assessed the terrain, the community needs and the different hazards.\u201d<\/p>\n
A critical lesson was learned during the process, he says. \u201cThe main lesson from Comuna 8 was that we needed to work closely with the people, as they live in the territories and know the local hazards.\u201d<\/p>\n
The densely packed houses are at high risk of flooding as rainfall increases with climate breakdown. Photograph: Handout<\/p>\n
He says another challenge is yet to come. \u201cEvery actor, including every department of the local government, as well as the community, needs to implement the proposals. This is the biggest challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite all of their work, Quiros Correa still has reservations about what the plan will achieve. \u201cI now have a more realistic view of the local government actions. Everything that we have achieved here has involved fighting and negotiating with the local government.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vel\u00e1squez Cartagena says he wants the plan to be promoted across the country and Latin America as a strong example of communities and organisations working together to create effective climate adaptation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe plan reflects the views of the community and the organisations\u2019 proposals that we have made for years,\u201d he says. \u201cWe want the municipality to acknowledge it financially. We hope they put effort into implementing it, as these small actions make a real difference.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In his home on a steep hillside in the neighbourhood of Golondrinas in Medell\u00edn, R\u00f3binson Vel\u00e1squez Cartagena stands…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":384114,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[273,111,139,69,147],"class_list":{"0":"post-384113","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environment","8":"tag-environment","9":"tag-new-zealand","10":"tag-newzealand","11":"tag-nz","12":"tag-science"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384113","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=384113"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384113\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/384114"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=384113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=384113"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=384113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}