Nature Positive Cities Efforts to Advance the Tranistion Barranquilla 2025

2 Assessment of the enabling environment 2.5 Data and analytics Overview The district administration of Barranquilla maintains a digital record of all environmental programmes and management indicators, and it publishes progress reports online. Departments also publish their activities and progress through social media channels and microsites. Documents are available in digital format for public consultation. They detail progress on key indicators such as recovered green areas and the status of protected ecosystems and ongoing conservation programmes. In addition, public hearings and outreach events are held during which citizens can learn firsthand about the investments, achievements and challenges of the city’s environmental management. Monitoring of local species In 2019, Barranquilla Verde – the city’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), responsible for promoting, guiding and regulating the protection of natural resources and environmental sustainability – conducted an urban forest assessment using the i-Tree method. i-Tree is a suite of tools developed by the US Forest Service to quantify the structure and environmental services of urban forests. It combines ground-based data collection with satellite imagery and models, using either bottom-up (field plot sampling) or top-down (remote sensing) approaches. This method enables cities to estimate tree canopy coverage, assess planting potential and evaluate key ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, air pollution removal, stormwater mitigation and oxygen production. It also serves as a monitoring tool to track changes in urban forest cover and inform strategic planning. The findings were published in May 2022 under the report titled Barranquilla Ecosystem Analysis 2019. Based on data collected from 322 sample plots, the study estimated a total of 709,300 trees city-wide, with a canopy cover of 34.5%. Dominant species included Mangifera indica, Tabebuia rosea and Terminalia kaernbachii. The urban forest was found to play a critical environmental role, removing 170.5  tonnes of air pollutants, storing 207,000 tonnes of carbon and producing 20,040 tonnes of oxygen per year. In addition, Barranquilla Verde is advancing the Urban Tree Canopy Improvement Project, aimed at enhancing the quality of the city’s urban forest through coordinated restoration and management actions. The project addresses key challenges such as the degradation of existing tree cover, the lack of an updated inventory and the absence of a comprehensive urban forestry plan. Its goals include improving air quality, reducing urban heat islands and cultivating greener urban environments. Activities include tree characterization, the development of a detailed georeferenced inventory and continuous monitoring and treatment to address phytosanitary needs.In terms of wildlife and species protection, Barranquilla Verde has faced challenges due to illegal trade and a long-standing Colombian tradition of keeping wild animals as pets. Since its inception, the authority has focused on rescuing and rehabilitating wildlife. Over the past three years, it has received and assessed 2,406 animals, which break down as follows: 2021 537 animals (180 reptiles, 86 mammals, 271 birds) 2022 990 animals (418 reptiles, 132 mammals, 437 birds, 1 malacostracan crustacean, 1 arachnid, 1 centipede) 2023 879 animals (384 reptiles, 113 mammals, 382 birds) Of the 879 received in 2023, 589 were rescued following citizen requests, 194 were recovered from illegal wildlife trade operations and 97 were voluntarily surrendered by citizens. The inventory and records of wildlife species attended to by Barranquilla Verde remain confidential and are not publicly available. Nature Positive: Cities’ Efforts to Advance the Transition – Barranquilla 28