Latin American Cities: New Allies for Biodiversity Protection

One of the most innovative proposals that is raising greater interest regionally in terms of adaptation to climate change is the so-called Biodivercities Network, a concept that integrates “city” with “biodiversity,” and that promotes the incorporation of biodiversity into urban planning and as a driver of socioeconomic development.

During the COP15 on Biodiversity, held in Montreal, Canada, a group of international experts discussed the necessary measures to expand and improve the Biodivercities Network, to have municipal governments implement a new model of urban management based on inclusive, productive and sustainable local policy.

The event was attended online by Ángel Cárdenas, CAF’s Manager of Urban Development, Water and Creative Economies, and Mauricio Velásquez, CAF’s biodiversity expert, who highlighted the need to continue supporting cities interested in joining the network with knowledge and capacity building.

For Timon McPhearson, director of the Urban Systems Lab at The New School, it is scientifically proven that nature-based solutions are efficient in adapting to global warming, and that initiatives such as Biodivercities, with the environmental services it facilitates, are essential both to preserve the rich biodiversity of the continent and to adapt to global warming.

Humboldt Institute’s Diego Ochoa explained how the alliance with the WEF and a group of Colombian cities was forged, which CAF joined to promote an exponential growth of cities in the Biodivercities network.

Barranquilla Mayor Jaime Pumarejo explained the actions that his city is carrying out to protect water bodies and natural ecosystems, creating economies based on natural resources, such as birdwatching tourism and payments for environmental services, among others. In addition, Campinas Mayor Dario Saadi noted how his city promotes the incorporation of biodiversity in its works, which reduces its vulnerability to climate change. 

Akansksha Khatri, leader of the WEF’s Nature Action Agenda, described how this model has been exposed to the world and highlighted the role of the Biodivercities Network, which brings together not only the public and private sector, but also civil society, academia and many other stakeholders that value and benefit from biodiversity. AFD’s Climate Change expert Jean-Noel Roulleau explained how his institution has funded the biodivercities initiative all the way from theory to practice in Colombia and other Latin American cities.

According to the World Economic Forum and the Humboldt Institute, BiodiverCities can restore the balance between urban management and nature, by expanding green infrastructure, improving governance schemes that promote nature-based solutions, creating positive links between rural and urban areas for better biodiversity conservation, prioritizing circular economy models and innovative actions for economic competitiveness, while promoting well-being and health values among citizens.