The Seaflower biosphere reserve, a listed UNESCO world heritage site as part of the Man and Biosphere Programme, is a small marine territory situated at the heart of the San Andrés archipelago in the Caribbean. The region is one of the largest biosphere reserves in the world and home to a coral reef of inestimable value.
However, the coral reef and its inhabitants are in danger. As a result of mass tourism in the area, the industries that have established there, overexploitation of the ocean, overpopulation on the neighbouring islands, pollution and climate change, the reserve is under unsustainable pressure and the entire ecosystem is dying. Add to this the ongoing international conflict regarding sovereignty of the area: there is a long-standing dispute between Colombia and Nicaragua over the territory, which has weakened protection of the reserve.
The territorial fragmentation within the region is preventing it from being protected effectively. This is why an international cooperation between the six coastal countries (Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua and Panama) is vital.
Our project – Gran Seaflower – is aimed at facilitating this cooperation and its objective is to expand the reserve area with a view to achieving effective protection of the entire ecosystem, which is indispensable for the health of all the other the oceans on the planet. This project is only possible by taking into account political and social aspects and through close dialogue with the local communities – the Seaflower inhabitants – as well as the scientific community and NGOs working in the area.
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