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In the coming days, when the quantification and geographic location of the damage progress, we will be able to verify the role that coral reefs and mangroves played in the face of the magnitude of a hurricane 5.
The damage caused by Hurricane Iota, the only Category 5 hurricane recorded in modern times in Colombia, is historical. It is estimated that 99% of the infrastructure of the island of Providencia has been destroyed and it is almost a miracle that to date there is only the report of two people who lost their lives and one missing person. The disaster relief priorities should be focused on meeting the needs of thousands of people affected by Iota, who in Providencia lost everything. According to DANE, the population of Providencia in 2018 was 5,989 people, of which around 20% had Unsatisfied Basic Needs. The Multidimensional Poverty Index was 40%, before Hurricane Iota.
Located in the northeastern area of Providencia, Old Providence McBean Lagoon National Natural Park was declared a protected area in 1995. It is the only National Natural Park (of the 59 that the country has) located in the insular Caribbean and is part of the Seaflower Man and Biosphere Reserve, established before UNESCO in 2000. McBean Lagoon is home to several marine-coastal ecosystems keys in the conservation of the country’s biodiversity, which are also essential in the fight against climate change.
One of the most valuable regulatory services of coral reefs and mangroves is their power to act as physical and protective barriers to littoral zones. These ecosystems reduce the energy of winds and waves, reducing their effect on physical infrastructure. The social, economic and ecological dynamics of the coastal zone are especially pronounced during extreme weather events such as Hurricane Iota. Additionally, in the terrestrial zone of the park, a portion of tropical dry forest is conserved, which protects the terrestrial areas of the mountain with its structure and density, preventing soil erosion and cushioning the effect of rains and winds. Coral reefs, seagrasses and mangroves are also central to two key economic activities for islanders: fishing and tourism; These ecosystems provide shelter for species of fishing importance and offer great scenic beauty, essential for tourism.
In the next few days, when the quantification and geographic location of the damages are advanced, we will be able to verify the role that these three ecosystems played in the face of the magnitude of a hurricane 5; We have a great opportunity to evaluate the ecosystem effects since a team of scientists from Invemar was in Providencia before the arrival of the hurricane, as well as a team of volunteer divers from the Corals of Peace initiative who are in charge of doing coral restoration.
Learning from the experience in managing the marine protected areas of the Caribbean islands that most frequently face the passage of hurricanes is essential at this time and in the recovery process for strengthening resilience. One of the areas with the highest incidence of hurricanes is the Bahamas, which consists of more than 700 islands and cays. According to Eleanor Phillips, director of external affairs for The Nature Conservancy in the Caribbean, “Hurricanes can cause significant damage within marine protected areas.” According to Phillips, the surge in storm surge caused by hurricanes can shred reefs and seagrasses while also leaving huge amounts of debris in marine protected areas. The director, who remembers Hurricane Betsy as her first hurricane in 1965, shares that one of the first actions that must be taken on marine protected areas that have been affected by hurricanes is to carry out rapid assessment after the events. to document the scale of the damage and organize and prioritize management activities.
The evaluation of the effects on ecosystems is essential to add them to the arguments that already exist about the need to strengthen the role of protected areas, the restoration of marine ecosystems for climate adaptation and the urgency of advancing solutions based on nature. In order to reduce the vulnerability of communities, we can redirect planning towards a territory that is resilient to climate change.
While we are writing this note, we have learned that the director of the Old Providence McBean Lagoon National Natural Park, Marcela Cano is doing well.
* National Parks Como Vamos is an initiative of ten organizations from the Colombian academy and civil society. It is a sister platform of the Colombian Network of Cities Como Vamos, it is created to generate reliable, impartial and comparable information about the National Parks of Colombia.
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