Nature Positive: Cities’ Efforts to Advance the Transition

Barranquilla is transitioning toward a nature-positive urban model by integrating nature-based solutions (NbS) into its territorial planning and infrastructure. The city has invested approximately $380 million in green space rehabilitation and waterbody restoration, achieving significant outcomes such as recovering 1.8 million square metres of green space and ensuring 93% of households are within an eight-minute walk of natural areas. Key initiatives include the Mallorquín Swamp Ecopark, the Todos al Parque programme, and the Barranquilla Limpia y Linda strategy. Despite these successes, the city faces challenges including fragmented data systems, limited access to direct international climate finance due to country-centred financial architectures, and a preference for traditional 'grey' infrastructure over NbS. The report recommends strengthening institutional capacity for natural capital valuation, harmonizing environmental management instruments, and developing standardized frameworks for measuring impacts.

• Barranquilla has invested COP 1.65 trillion (approximately $380 million) in renewable energy projects, waterbody restoration, and green space rehabilitation.
• The city has recovered over 1.8 million square metres of green spaces, resulting in 93% of households having access to natural areas within an eight-minute walk.
• The Mallorquín Swamp Ecopark project protects 298.4 hectares of mangrove cover, which are essential for carbon sequestration, biodiversity preservation, and water regulation.
• The Todos al Parque programme has intervened in more than 350 public spaces, contributing to a reduction in crime, including an average 20% decrease in thefts within a 100m radius of recovered parks between 2011 and 2020.
• Barranquilla's urban forest, assessed in 2019, consists of approximately 709,300 trees with a 34.5% canopy cover, storing 207,000 tonnes of carbon and removing 170.5 tonnes of air pollutants annually.
• The city faces a significant financing barrier because international financial architecture is primarily country-centred, which limits the direct access of sub-national governments to capital.
• Environmental governance is hindered by administrative fragmentation and a lack of consistent political support from national administrations that often prioritize rural conservation over urban nature agendas.
• Data management for nature-positive efforts is currently fragmented across various platforms, and a lack of impact measurement mechanisms makes it difficult to justify further investments in nature projects.
• Despite the benefits of nature-based solutions, traditional 'grey' infrastructure is often preferred by decision-makers due to perceived short-term reliability and profitability.
• Barranquilla is the only Latin American city to be an official member of the World Energy Cities Partnership (WECP), supporting its transition toward solar, wind, and offshore wind energy.

APA

World Economic Forum (2025). Nature Positive: Cities’ Efforts to Advance the Transition. https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Nature_Positive_Cities_Efforts_to_Advance_the_Tranistion_Barranquilla_2025.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Nature Positive: Cities’ Efforts to Advance the Transition. 2025. https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Nature_Positive_Cities_Efforts_to_Advance_the_Tranistion_Barranquilla_2025.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Nature Positive: Cities’ Efforts to Advance the Transition |date=November 2025 |url=https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Nature_Positive_Cities_Efforts_to_Advance_the_Tranistion_Barranquilla_2025.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2025nature, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Nature Positive: Cities’ Efforts to Advance the Transition}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2025}, month = nov, url = {https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Nature_Positive_Cities_Efforts_to_Advance_the_Tranistion_Barranquilla_2025.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }