International auditors were in the Gulf of Morrosquillo to validate the results obtained in the II Monitoring Report of the protected area of Cispatá Bay.
May 15, 2025. Vida Manglar, the first Blue Carbon program certified by Verra, received between May 6 and 9 an international audit visit for the verification of the II Monitoring Report 2019–2023. This process, led by the U.S. firm Aster Global, constitutes a key milestone in validating the achievements obtained by this collective initiative during the aforementioned period.
The visit also allows the program to take a significant step toward compliance with and maintenance of the VCS (Verified Carbon Standard) and CCB (Climate, Community & Biodiversity) quality standards, which were granted by Verra in 2021; and, with this, to manage new carbon credits, which are essential for the financial sustainability of the program.
“We had been waiting for more than three months for the field visit from the auditing company Aster Global, which is carrying out the verification of the II Monitoring Report of our Vida Manglar program. This visit is very important for us because it marks the beginning of a long process that we will have in 2025, to ensure that Verra verifies new carbon credit units, so that they can be commercialized in the international voluntary carbon market, and we can have resources to maintain the strategic lines of Vida Manglar,” stated María Claudia Díazgranados, Senior Director of the Blue Carbon Program at Conservation International.
Development of the audit visit agenda
The agenda, which was successfully carried out, began on Tuesday, May 6 in the city of Montería, at the facilities of the Regional Autonomous Corporation of the Sinú and San Jorge River Valleys (CVS). On its first day, the itinerary included a meeting between the auditors from Aster Global and the director of the environmental authority, Orlando Medina Marsiglia, who had the opportunity to present some of the impacts that the program has had on the conservation of the mangrove ecosystems that make up the Regional Integrated Management District of Cispatá, La Balsa, and Tinajones, in the department of Córdoba.
“We want to continue conserving the mangrove ecosystem, its canals, and its biodiversity, but additionally, communities will continue to benefit from the sustainable use of this ecosystem,” said engineer Orlando Medina.
On that same day, the auditors traveled to the CVS Fish Farming Station in the municipality of Lorica, where a presentation was made on the components and scope of Vida Manglar by representatives of the program’s partner institutions, as well as a demonstration of the “Vida Manglar Theater,” which was the strategy used by Fundación Omacha to share, in a didactic way, the results of the II Monitoring Report 2019–2023 with local communities. After this demonstration, the auditors had the opportunity to learn about the rehabilitation process of a manatee, one of the species prioritized by this initiative for its conservation.
“This program is a symbol, and it is a global icon, because it is born from the communities we have here in the Colombian Caribbean, in the department of Córdoba, and it has proven to be an example in the conservation of the planet, and in the conservation of mangroves, of the ecosystem itself, and of the species that inhabit it,” added Díazgranados.
For this first day, the delegates from the auditing firm also learned about the work of Asocaiman, an association made up of former hunters from the municipality of San Antero who are now recognized for their leadership in implementing practices aimed at protecting the American crocodile. In addition to speaking with members of this group, the auditors observed newly hatched offspring in incubators installed by the now conservationists as part of their species management and care protocol. The first day concluded with the release of two specimens and the development of nighttime monitoring activities, which allowed the identification of 30 individuals in their natural habitat.
“One of the surprises the auditors have had is that we went out to conduct monitoring, where we ‘spotlighted’ (a nighttime observation technique that consists of illuminating different areas of the ecosystem with a flashlight or spotlight to detect animals through the reflection of their eyes) several sites in Cispatá Bay, and they saw a large number of crocodiles. That is something that makes us proud, because there they realize that Vida Manglar and Asocaiman are fulfilling their duty,” expressed Betsabeth López, a member of this association.
The second day focused on climate and community components, as a visit was made to one of the permanent monitoring plots, where auditors observed the technical work carried out to measure carbon estimates in biomass and necromass. With the support of the team from the Marine and Coastal Research Institute José Benito Vives de Andréis (Invemar), and members of the mangrove associations, the protocol followed in the Vida Manglar program for this type of sampling was replicated.
At the same time, interviews were conducted with local communities focused on the sustainable use of mangrove forests and beekeeping. For this purpose, the auditors met with several of the associations participating in the program to understand their involvement through strategic lines related to mangrove restoration and rehabilitation, and the implementation of non-forest productive projects.
According to Aníbal Noriega Oviedo, forestry technician of the Vida Manglar Program, communities are a fundamental pillar in all mangrove restoration processes, attributing to them the role of true community scientists; therefore, he considers that the impression the auditors took from the territory exceeded expectations.
“They—the mangrove community members—are community scientists who know and understand restoration. For them, this audit process is not new, as they have participated in several research audits conducted previously. For them, it is satisfying to show how they apply this community-based methodology and have made themselves visible, because thanks to their work, we can say that we have one of the best-preserved mangrove ecosystems in the Colombian Caribbean,” he stated.
For her part, María Ester Prioló Díaz, secretary of the mangrove association Asomausan, referred to the interview sessions conducted by the auditors, stating: “all the associations participating in the Vida Manglar Program are working, so, in the name of Jesus, we hope for the next blue carbon verification in the municipality of San Antero.”
The audit visit agenda continued on Thursday, May 8, with a tour of the rehabilitation area known as Las Mujeres, where canal cleaning and mangrove restoration work were observed. Likewise, a drone overflight was carried out over the salt flats in the Mestizos and Las Garzas sectors in San Antero, concluding this activity with a visit to the nursery located at the Cimaci Station, where mangrove seedlings are grown and used in restoration and environmental education processes.
Justo Morales, legal representative of the Association of Mangrove Workers of San Antero, Asomausan, could not hide his satisfaction after seeing reflected in the auditor’s face the confirmation of the excellent work they have done in protecting this ecosystem.
“The auditor left very happy after seeing the impact we have generated through restoration and maintenance in the mangrove ecosystem. This is not easy work; we have learned from nature and have learned how to work and restore canals, removing sediment and fallen trees (…) We hope this will be something positive for the continuation of Vida Manglar, which is a success,” he said.
Meanwhile, in the municipality of San Bernardo del Viento, a parallel activity took place that allowed auditors to learn about productive initiatives in ecotourism. In this case, the international firm focused on key aspects such as community engagement processes and the inclusion of women in different initiatives.
On Friday, May 9, the final day of the audit took place. This day included a visit to the restoration area of La Camaronera in San Bernardo del Viento, where some mangrove community members explained how they contribute to sustaining the mangrove forest through the implementation of innovative planting techniques and canal cleaning.
Meanwhile, in Tinajones, auditors learned about the monitoring process of otters and manatees in the lower Sinú region. Additionally, they reviewed images obtained from camera traps previously installed.
“On the last day of the audit, we carried out two activities: one was monitoring manatees and otters—we went to Tinajones and passed through Boca de Mireya, searching for feeding points of these species and collecting the camera traps we had installed. The second activity was visiting restoration sites in Tinajones, behind former shrimp farms; we walked to the site where maintenance has been carried out with the communities,” explained Dalila Caicedo, Executive Director of Fundación Omacha.
“The expectation we have now is to pass the audit, but beyond that, to highlight the importance of the Vida Manglar Program, not only for carbon credit management, but for the community and institutional work; we are all united for the conservation of the ecosystem. This is a 30-year partnership—we have completed 10, and the idea is to endure over time,” she added.
Finally, the auditors held a dialogue session with representatives of the program’s strategic partners to conclude the field visit.
About Vida Manglar
The Vida Manglar Program is a collective initiative that seeks to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through activities that enable the identification, prioritization, and implementation of actions for mangrove protection and restoration, promotion of sustainable development, strengthening of local governance, and promotion of alternative productive activities.
Under this vision, the program aims to prevent the emission of approximately 939,296 tons of CO₂ into the atmosphere over 30 years.
Although the program has been certified since 2015, its progress must be periodically verified every four or five years to ensure compliance with the quality standards established by Verra, which granted the first verification in 2021 for the period 2015–2018. On this occasion, the audit focused on the II Monitoring Report 2019–2023.
Below are some of the results achieved during this period:
Climate component:
- Net emission reduction of 98,608 tCO₂e
- Reduction of forest loss by 596 hectares of mangrove
- Management of 7,561 hectares of mangrove in the certified area
- 247.2 hectares of mangrove under restoration
- 23,574 meters of canals or waterways rehabilitated within the mangrove
Community component:
- Training of 835 people, 426 of whom are women
- Creation of 10 jobs
- Signing of 60 community agreements
- Improvement of livelihoods for 571 families
- 32 training sessions in the environmental education and awareness program
- Implementation of community planting and improvement of agricultural practices in yam, rice, and cassava in the municipalities of San Antero, San Bernardo del Viento, and Lorica
- Strengthening of the associations Asomiel and Apisanantero in the production of honey and its derivatives
- The ecotourism associations of Caño Grande, Apracag and Covicompagra received an average of 406 and 576 tourists respectively
Biodiversity component:
- Aquatic monitoring of physicochemical water parameters
- Update of the Protected Area Management Plan
- Carbon and forest structure monitoring
- Monitoring of prioritized species: Caribbean manatee (Trichechus manatus), neotropical otter (Lontra longicaudis), and American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus)
