The caribbean coast of Colombia
Botero, L.; Alvarez-León, R. (2000). The caribbean coast of Colombia, in: Sheppard, C.R.C. (Ed.) Seas at the millennium: an environmental evaluation: 1. Regional chapters: Europe, The Americas and West Africa. pp. 663-675 In: Sheppard, C.R.C. (Ed.) (2000). Seas at the millennium: an environmental evaluation: 1. Regional chapters: Europe, The Americas and West Africa. Pergamon: Amsterdam. ISBN 0-08-043207-7. XXI, 934 pp., more |  |
| Available in | Authors | | Document type: Review
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| Authors | | Top | - Botero, L.
- Alvarez-León, R.
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| Abstract | The Colombian Caribbean contains several tropical marine ecosystems (coral reefs, sea grass and calcareous algal beds). In addition it supports others in the northern area which are subjected to upwelling, where seasonal anomalies in the water temperature create special structural and functional characteristics of the biotic communities. In oceanic areas, coralline and volcanic islands form the archipelago of San Andres and Providencia which contains very large and diverse coral reef formations. Major environmental problems in the Colombian Caribbean relate to urban development (sewage and solid wastes disposal), unplanned tourism, port development and road construction without proper studies and mitigating measures. Colombia has many environmental regulations which are hard to implement due to conflicting social, cultural and economic conditions. The national government and regional agencies are currently developing policies and plans for coastal management in which natural as well as socio-economic and socio-cultural factors are being integrated. |
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