Climate Partnership Cologne Corinto El Realejo Nicaragua Climate

Climate Partnership Cologne – Corinto/ El Realejo Nicaragua

Climate Partnership: Definition and Rational The basic idea of the "Municipal Climate Partnerships" project is to initiate or strengthen technical cooperation between German cities and municipalities in the global South in the fields of climate protection and adaptation. The topics are to be systematically integrated into the existing municipal partnership. The municipal partnerships develop concrete joint action programmes with objectives, measures and allocated resources. The target group of those projects are actors from local government as well as selected actors from civil society in the respective partner cities. Different areas such as international/partnership work and environment/ climate are addressed. 2

Municipality partnership Köln - Corinto/ El Reallejo • Twinning agreement signed in 1988 as support of the Nicaraguan revolution 1979, remaining active through all political changes and different governments • Corinto lays on a Peninsula, on average only 2. 5 meters above sea level with an annual temperature 30 - 36 degrees Celsius. 150 km away from the capital Managua, 20. 000 inhabitants, today Corinto is the most important port in Nicaragua. • El Realejo was the former main port in Nicaragua in the 18 th century. Due to the sedimentation and silting of the coastal area, the town is today a rural community with approx. 10, 000 inhabitants. • Main economic activities: Port and fishing industry, agriculture in El Realejo

Action programme Objective 1: Disaster control (Protection against further sealevel rise and flooding) Objective 2: Protection of ecosystems (Mangroves) Objective 3: Climate friendly waste management (Separation and recycling of garbage) Objective 4: Reduction of CO² (Awareness campaigns in Cologne and Corinto) Objective 5: Improvement of safe water supply 4

1. Disaster control: Costal Protection through Geotubes

1. Disaster control: Costal Protection through Geotubes

1. Disaster control: Costal Protection through Geotubes are textile tubes 80 meters long and 2 meters high filled with sand acting like a protective wall and prevent further erosion of the coast. In addition, sand is wrested from the sea instead of being washed away. This allows the coast to grow over time. The project was launched in December 2014 and successfully completed in April 2016 (funds from Engagement Global and Nicaraguan government) Quantity of coastal protection executed: 1200 meters (funds Engagement Global), 740 meters (government funds) 500 meters of rocky spur dike (Government Funds) Pending 1910 meters (50 more geotubes) => will be constructed with funding from Taiwan)

1. Disaster control: Costal Protection through Geotubes After recent flooding

2. Protection of ecosystems: Mangrove forest

2. Protection of ecosystems: Mangrove forest

2. Protection of ecosystems: Mangrove forest Corinto and El Realejo are surrounded by mangrove forests. The total area occupied by mangroves is approximately 68, 700 hectares, along a length of 58 kilometers. Mangroves perform important functions in the ecosystem: • Conversion of carbon dioxide into oxygen • Protection from costal erosion • Provision of habitats and breeding grounds for fish and crustaceans Problem: Exploitation of mangrove forest construction Ø Reforestation and awarness rising Ø Promotion of more efficient cooking ovens for firewood and wood for

2. Protection of ecosystems: Mangrove forest Reforestation Cooperation with students from Cologne and Kerpen

2. Protection of ecosystems: Mangrove forest „Proteje tu mangle“ Festival • National festival since 2015 => annual reforestation and awarness rising campaign • Collaboration with „Centro de Menores de Corinto”, Circo COLORINTO (Circus Asociation), Municipality of Corinto, the environmentalist movement “Guardabarranco” and the exchange program for students from „Europaschule Kerpen“ with schools in Corinto • Promotion of environmental education in schools, women groups and the general public; making posters, brochures and videos. • From 2015 – 2019 plantation of more than 38. 000 mangrove seedlings; reforestation of 15 manzanas = 10 ha

Circus project (exchange visits/ capacitation) supported by the partnership association https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=NT 23 Ba. Ty. Wzc&feature=youtu. be

Implementation of a community-based coastal zone concept in Corinto/El Realejo, Nicaragua (Case study by ITT students) Corinto has adopted two approaches for coastal protection against erosion and disaster. An infrastructure-based solution (dyke, breakwater and geotubes) and nature-based solution (mangrove restoration). Findings: The coastal protection solutions in Corinto (the sand dyke, breakwater, and geotubes) had a positive impact in controlling the erosion and sedimentation process. They also worked as a barrier to protect the coast from disasters up to a certain extent. The tidal variations and wave power could cause failure of the geotubes. While mangroves can mitigate erosion and disasters, they cannot always be a standalone solution for coastal protection. To achieve better protection levels and erosion reduction, the preservation of mangroves must be consolidated into wider coastal zone administration.

3. Climate friendly waste management

3. Climate friendly waste management Start: December 2016; End: August 2019 Funding from Engagement Global/ BMZ and municipality Corinto Main Goals: • Contribute to climate, environmental and resource protection • Strengthen labour income of waste pickers • Reduce risk of water poisoning and protect mangroves and their ecosystems • Promote separation and recycling of garbage • Raise awareness in Cologne and Corinto/El Realejo on climate change

3. Climate friendly waste management Activities: • • • Delivery of machines and equipment Foundation of waste picker cooperative Construction of waste separation area Installation of machines and instructions on utilization Awareness campaigns on separation of garbage Results: • Higher income and better labour conditions of waste pickers • Increased public awareness of garbage separation

3. Climate friendly waste management

3. Climate friendly waste management

Thanks a lot for your attention For more information: https: //koeln-corinto. de/ https: //skew. engagement-global. de/hintergrundinformationen-zum-projekt. html