Home / Environment / Afro-Colombian Community Fights Coastal Erosion with Resilience and Tourism
Afro-Colombian Community Fights Coastal Erosion with Resilience and Tourism
11 Sep
Summary
- Over 3,000 families affected by coastal erosion in Juanchaco, La Barra, and Ladrilleros
- Community tourism generates income to reinforce coastal defenses and support relocation
- Residents choose to "stay in a different way" rather than abandon their territory
As of September 11, 2025, the coastal region around Juanchaco in Colombia's Valle del Cauca department is experiencing accelerated erosion, with over 3,000 families affected in Juanchaco, La Barra, and Ladrilleros. The phenomenon of intense high tides, known locally as "puja," has destroyed 22 homes and damaged another 39 in Juanchaco alone.
Despite the devastation, the Afro-Colombian community is choosing to "stay in a different way" rather than abandon their territory. They are leveraging community tourism, which has been developing for decades around the nearby Uramba Bahía Málaga national natural park, to generate alternative income. This tourism revenue helps finance community efforts to reinforce embankments and coastal defenses, as well as support those who choose to relocate to slightly higher elevations within the region.
The community's resilience and adaptation are evident as they build wooden hostels, cook traditional dishes for travelers, and guide tourists to mangroves and waterfalls. While the sea continues to erode the streets and homes, the people of Juanchaco are determined to preserve their knowledge, traditions, and ancestral ties to the land.
