In collaboration with the Universidad del Valle Foundation and the Valle del Cauca Regional Autonomous Corporation (CVC), the Tierra Posible Foundation carried out restoration and conservation efforts at six wetlands located in the department of Valle del Cauca. These efforts focused on removing weeds and vegetation that had proliferated within the wetlands and were hindering their natural development. In addition, environmental education initiatives were carried out with residents living near the wetlands to guide them on how to care for and preserve them.

The six wetlands of TIBER, Buga (San Pedro), CHIQUIQUE (Yotoco), MADRIGAL (Riofrío), VIDELES (Guacarí), ALFA (Dagua), and CARAMBOLA (Vijes) were targeted for restoration and conservation efforts. These efforts involved clearing patches of aquatic vegetation that had proliferated in the wetland’s water surface due to human-accelerated natural succession, with removal limited to a maximum depth of 1 meter. Additionally, an environmental education strategy was developed with the communities that impact these wetlands to raise awareness about the importance of caring for them.

The material removed from each of the wetlands was placed on adjacent properties, where the owner put it to sustainable use—either as feed for livestock or, in other cases, as fertilizer for their crops.