As part of the annual efforts to build the capacity of Colombia’s marine and coastal authorities, the José Benito Vives de Andréis Institute for Marine and Coastal Research (INVEMAR), in strategic partnership with UNESCO-IOCARIBE, the UNESCO-IOC MSPglobal program, and the UNESCO-IOC IODE OceanTeacher Global Academy strategy, conducted the course “Marine Spatial Planning and Marine-Coastal Management in Colombia: Strategies for Ocean Governance.”
The training took place from August 18 to 20, 2026, with the aim of strengthening conceptual and practical tools in Marine Spatial Planning (MSP), Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), and Blue Governance. This initiative is part of the efforts of the PROCARIBE+ project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented with the support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), of which Colombia is a beneficiary country.
To conclude the agenda, a practical participatory diagnostic workshop was held on August 21 with key stakeholders from the MSP pilot project in Cartagena Bay. The workshop focused on characterizing, analyzing, and coordinating the socioeconomic uses and activities currently taking place in this marine-coastal area.
Contextualizing MSP and Coastal Management in Colombia
During the first day, the 21 participants explored current international frameworks, as well as the conceptual foundations and tools of ICZM and MSP. They also reviewed Colombia’s regulatory and institutional progress in implementing public policies aimed at the sustainable management of its seas and coasts.
Similarly, the six methodological phases of the MSPglobal International Guide were addressed in detail; these are essential for laying the groundwork, designing the planning process, and conducting evaluations of a marine spatial plan, among other tasks. Each of these conceptual steps was complemented by sessions tailored to the Colombian context, allowing participants to gain insight into the territorial reality and understand the practical mechanisms for addressing marine-coastal planning objectively.
One of the highlights of the day was the session dedicated to engaging various stakeholders—both coastal and marine—whose knowledge and experience are essential for an inclusive and participatory approach. In addition, the first part of the MSP Challenge was conducted—a strategic board game that simulates the conflicts, synergies, negotiations, and mutual concessions inherent in an MSP process within a marine area shared by the fictional countries of Bayland, Peninsuland, and Island. To play, participants had to design their plan by establishing their vision, objectives, actions, the stakeholders involved, and their indicators based on the profile of their assigned country.
Understanding Governance, Data, and Context Regarding the Importance of Biodiversity and Climate in Planning
The second day focused on Colombia’s legal and governance framework for marine and coastal affairs, the data and assessments required for the MSP, and national and international experiences relevant to its implementation.
It was noted that Colombia does not have specific legislation on PEM, but there is a National Inter-institutional Roundtable on PEM, in which 18 national institutions participate, coordinated by the Directorate of Marine, Coastal, and Aquatic Resources of the Ministry of the Environment, where this issue is being addressed as a matter of national importance.
The meeting also analyzed the challenges of climate change for coastal planning, the contributions of the MSP to a sustainable blue economy, and the role of marine conservation and restoration as fundamental elements for promoting a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive use of marine and coastal areas.
Lessons Learned and Next Steps
On the third day of the training, participants emphasized the importance of having unified environmental criteria and up-to-date tools to strengthen land-use and marine-coastal planning, including the incorporation of new factors related to mangroves, marine pollution, and climate change. Similarly, the importance of knowing and understanding the roles of local authorities in coastal governance, as well as the approaches and tools of ecosystem-based management in land-use planning, was emphasized. It is worth noting that participants highlighted the need for effective community participation, recognizing that local knowledge is essential for the protection of strategic ecosystems and the legitimacy of planning processes.
The participants then proceeded to continue the planning process in the fictional countries of the simulation. Upon completing the exercise, they acknowledged the importance of understanding the behavior of industries and sectors other than those they engage with in their daily lives, as well as understanding the conflicts and synergies that may arise in their planning process and the challenges involved.
Communities Take Action
On August 21, the workshop “Mapping the Present to Plan for the Future: Uses of Marine Space in Cartagena Bay” was held with the other stakeholders in the Cartagena Bay pilot project. The involvement of local communities during the three-day training session not only provided them with new tools and knowledge but also sparked their motivation to continue the process.
As a result, the workshop became a space for collaboration and teamwork led by the community representatives themselves. Armed with their new knowledge, the communities, together with the organizations, sectors, and authorities, conducted an exercise to identify and coordinate existing PEM-related initiatives in the area and pinpointed the activities and spatial conflicts currently occurring in Cartagena Bay. As a result, a map of the current conditions in the study area was produced—created by and for the communities themselves and other stakeholders interested in better managing the bay.
Related Links
Marine Spatial Planning in Colombia
