Overcoming Institutional Instability in Cartagena de Indias

The case study describes how Cartagena de Indias has insulated its climate change agenda from political instability through the creation of interinstitutional structures, the integration of adaptation guidelines into municipal planning, and the involvement of diverse public, private, and academic stakeholders.

• Frequent changes in mayoral leadership and institutional instability in Cartagena have historically hindered decision-making and the continuity of public policy implementation and institutional memory.
• To ensure climate priorities survive political turnover, Cartagena established an Interinstitutional Commission on Climate Change involving public, private, and academic sectors, and created a dedicated climate change office within the Secretary of Planning supported by the Institute of Marine and Coastal Investigations (INVEMAR).
• The city has developed a climate change vulnerability assessment and a participatory document called 'Guidelines for Adaptation', both supported by the Climate Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), which have been integrated into the Municipal Development Plan and Land Use Plan debates.
• Urgent climatic stressors, including sea level rise, intense rainfall, and drainage failures that cause flooding in vulnerable neighborhoods and the historic center, have driven the necessity for adaptation as a matter of city competitiveness and survival.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (n.d.). Overcoming Institutional Instability in Cartagena de Indias. https://cdkn.org/story/overcoming-institutional-instability-in-cartagena-de-indias

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. Overcoming Institutional Instability in Cartagena de Indias. n.d. https://cdkn.org/story/overcoming-institutional-instability-in-cartagena-de-indias.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=Overcoming Institutional Instability in Cartagena de Indias |url=https://cdkn.org/story/overcoming-institutional-instability-in-cartagena-de-indias |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetworkndovercoming, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{Overcoming Institutional Instability in Cartagena de Indias}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, url = {https://cdkn.org/story/overcoming-institutional-instability-in-cartagena-de-indias}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }