Celebrating world wetlands day

In the face of the challenges that governments undertake due to climate change, all efforts made to mitigate the risks that any natural phenomenon may entail are a responsibility that must be taken on by leaders and transferred to other actors, including society and communities. Small actions add up.

One crucial area where collective action can make a significant difference is in the protection of wetlands. Wetlands are protected areas that provide habitat for an immense diversity of fauna and flora species, regulate the water cycle, and mitigate flooding and the effects of climate change.

La Guajira has 38 wetlands, occupying the third place in the coastal zone of Colombia. Despite being desert, the largest wetland complex occupies 24,370 hectares from the southwest of the Ranchería River and borders the coastal zone through 130 km to Cabo de la Vela.

The Corporación Autónoma Regional de La Guajira has delimited 17 wetlands in different municipalities of La Guajira, with the objective of formulating environmental measures necessary for the conservation of these bodies of water. These delimitations also include preservation and protection zones, endangered zones, and zones for property analysis purposes.

The director of the Corporation states that the actions were developed taking into account that these ecosystem services provide services and benefits that are indispensable for human life: water supply, food, areas of great biodiversity, flood control, groundwater replenishment and climate change mitigation.

Having these delimitations is fundamental to determine what type of interventions are required, and also to define the role of the actors who wish and have an interest in contributing to the objectives of preserving ecosystems, caring for water, preserving the environment and mitigating risks in the face of climate change.

At Waya Hotel, we applaud and join this type of initiatives, we have clarity on the sustainability matters that are part of our DNA, the bodies of water and water sources have been and will continue to be a priority intervention and contribution topic. We have raised awareness through specific actions, such as educating visitors and promoting the care and conservation of ecosystems and the great biodiversity of La Guajira.