By Mauricio Giraldo & Fernando Rey
Cartagena is a city surrounded by
water. More than a million people with water on almost all sides – the
Caribbean Sea in the north and west, Cartagena Bay in the south, and
the Cienaga de la Virgen lagoon in the northeast. The city itself is
traversed by interconnected channels and lakes.
Cartagena is Colombia’s
largest tourist area with an annual influx of 700,000 national and foreign
visitors drawn by its tropical climate, natural beauty, and historical
sites. In 1984 the United Nations declared the old city, fortresses,
and monuments a Cultural Heritage Site of Humanity.
The city is economically
dependent on the tourism industry, generating an estimated $315 million each
year. Cartagena also has petrochemical, beverage, and seafood processing industries,
mostly located in the Mamonal Industrial Zone. In addition, Cartagena is the
region’s most important
port city, moving more than 10 million tons of cargo per year.
The city
and surrounding district is a complex area, particularly from the socio-economic
and ecological perspective. Cartagena is a destination for rural Colombians displaced
by violence in the countryside and looking for better economic opportunities.
Cartagena’s population has doubled
in the past 20 years.
The city’s water resources contribute significantly
to the quality of life of its residents, who depend heavily on clean water
for swimming and water sports, commercial and recreational fishing, tourism,
and other commerce. Unfortunately, the water bodies surrounding Cartagena
are severely befouled by wastewater. Water and sanitation infrastructure
lag far behind the needs of this growing city. Where no sewage collection
system exists, raw sewage flows on the streets. Even where it is collected,
overflows from the overloaded sewage pipes are common.
In addition to the
organic contamination of the Cartagena Bay, the waterways receive all types
of untreated industrial waste from the Mamonal Industrial Zone. Agricultural
pollutants, including highly toxic herbicides and pesticides, are another
growing problem.
This pollution is killing Cartagena Bay – several
species of fish and crustacean are no longer present. The problems will
only get worse if no effective action is taken against polluters of the
bay and its surroundings.
Over the years, Colombian government’s Environmental
National Authority has studied the problem. But while unequivocal evidence
piles up, little real progress has been made to solve the problem. The
government has taken some steps. Since 1993, the Ministry of the Environment
has created new local, regional, and state-level environmental agencies.
But this huge new governmental bureaucracy has done nothing to stop polluters.
With no full-time watchdog on the water, there is no one holding polluters
to the existing environmental standards.
Cartagena Baykeeper formed to fill this void. We track down polluters ourselves,
raise public awareness of the problems that face our waterways, and sue
when necessary to stop pollution. One of our first actions was to create
a detailed map showing the major sources of water pollution – industrial
discharges and sewage outfalls affecting Cartagena Bay and the Cienaga
de La Virgen. The map was published in Cartagena’s newspaper "El
Universal," indicating the name and location of each business known
to discharge industrial effluents into the bay. Public scrutiny of these
companies’ wanton
pollution is a strong incentive for managers to reconsider their practices.
Using this we have raised awareness among local citizens and established
a large environmental coalition to support legal actions against polluters.
Cartagena
Baykeeper educates and motivates the public by bringing
current local issues on water pollution and environmental conservation
directly to the media, to the public, to public officials, and to polluters.
The Baykeeper program faces many challenges – we still require
a vessel with an outboard engine and funds to acquire evidence
before we can pursue litigation. But the fight to restore Cartagena Bay
has begun.
Mauricio Giraldo is the Cartagena Baykeeper & Fernando
Rey is a board member for Cartagena Baykeeper and for Waterkeeper Alliance.
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