What is the conflict?
The Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta is the largest wetland in Colombia and one of the largest coastal wetlands in Latin America. The ecological and cultural importance of this lagoon system in the delta of the Magdalena River led to its designation as a national park, biosphere reserve, and wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. Yet for decades multiple stressors have caused severe impacts on the Cienaga’s people and ecosystems. Transport infrastructure projects and water abstraction for monocultures (banana and oil palm) in surrounding areas altered the water flows. Organic water pollution and increased salinity ensued, exacerbated by untreated sewage discharges and unmanaged solid waste. Fish fauna and the fragile mangrove forests were severely damaged. The livelihood and food security of fisherfolk communities settled in several palafito villages is highly dependent on environmental conditions and therefore are threatened by all these pressures. Palafito peoples were also target of direct of paramilitary violence during Colombia’s civil conflict in the early 2000s, and displacement is a major issue in the area. Today, local communities and other activists that support them demand a stop of the stressors and the restoration of the Ciénaga.
Palafitic communities settled in the Cienaga have suffered the impacts of both the civil conflict and the environmental degradation of the wetland.
Photo: BRL
Why is this a special conflict?
The environmental and social pressures on the Ciénaga are a good example of the complexity of wetland management in middle and lower income countries. The case is unique given the large extension of the wetland, and the history of direct violence linked to Colombia’s civil conflict. The effective articulation of local communities, activists, and academia in this case is worth exploring.
Video report by Alejandro Mazuela about the the palafitic communities of the Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta, and the impacts they suffer from its degradation (in Spanish).
What is the role of art in this case?
The Ciénaga is a aesthetically pleasing area of exceptional ecological value. At the same time, it has experienced episodes of fish mortality, the mass mortality of mangrove forests and a history of violence. Therefore, there has been a tendency to represent the Ciénaga in the media in a simplistic polarised way, either as a remote place of wonder or as a place of sadness. The use of arts allows communities and organisations working with them to deploy more sophisticated messages that are needed for their purposes.
“Dulce y Salada” (Sweet and salty) is a transmedia project by Jorge Panchoaga inviting to reflect on the human-water relationship.
Therefore, in this case art supported activism by:
Making visible the communities still living in the Cienega, their actual problems and their desired futures. The production of audio-visual projects has sought offering the perspective of silenced communities rather than just portraying the communities and the situations they suffered. With this, the message goes beyond the mere representation of violence or degradation, and voices people’s wish to promote mangrove restoration and the integrated management of the area. This does not only projects local views, but also gives communities a rare opportunity to listen to themselves, which constitutes a source of empowerment.
Creating and expanding networks of affection. While emotion is a common constituent of the use of arts in socio-environmental conflicts, the search for emotional connect (with the place, between people) has been a critical in this case. Artworks have sought promoting reflection and inner transformation rather than simply inform about facts. In this process, affection has been crucial.
Bridging different forms of knowledge, and ‘humanising’ scientific knowledge. The Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta has been long studied from an ecological perspective, but this has not triggered action towards preventing further degradation. Different artistic interventions in this case aim at situating, providing meaning or offering context to scientific knowledge about the place. This is a two way exercise, both from the academia in an effort to provide significant messages towards positive change, and from artists that want to engage in horizontal dialogues with scientists.
For more information
Check out the website of the audio-visual project “Dulce y Salada” (Sweet and salty), directed by Jorge Panchoaga, the campaign and publications of the project “Repensando la Ciénaga” (Reimagining the Cienaga), the video reports of the journalist Alejandro Mazuera, and the tweets of Prof. Sandra Vilardy.
Also follow updates on our social media.
Last updated: February 2021.