Participatory monitoring of biodiversity in the Ciénaga de San Silvestre, Barrancabermeja (Santander-Colombia)

Abstract

Between March 2021 and April 2022, researchers from the Humboldt Institute, together with the community of the Campo Gala village and three fishermen's associations from the municipality of Barrancabermeja (Santander-Colombia), within the framework of the Fibras Agreement, designed and implemented a participatory monitoring promoted under the local interest to know what is the quality status of the swamp and the San Silvestre stream? This interest arose considering that this swampy complex is one of the most important for the municipality of Barrancabermeja and its surroundings, since it is home to the greatest amount of biodiversity and species of economic and ecological importance such as the bocachico and the manatee, and from there supplies water for the aqueduct of the entire area.

For the methodological development of the participatory monitoring scheme, nine participatory meetings were held to strengthen capacities in the identification of environmental problems, formulation of research questions, registration, systematization and analysis of data, and information dissemination processes for decision-making. . In the monitoring exercise, simple observation and measurement techniques of different physicochemical parameters were used.

The results obtained from the registration events carried out during seven months, showed that of twelve sampling points at least eight are of great concern due to low environmental quality, especially due to the presence of heavy metals in fishing areas for consumption and sale, these results They may be associated with the effects of certain economic activities such as the exploitation of hydrocarbons, unsustainable tourism and agro-industry that to date is generating water quality problems and damage to public health.