Vulnerability assessment of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia: World's most irreplaceable nature reserve

Abstract

Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta (SNSM), Colombia, has been considered the world's most irreplaceable nature reserve. However, little is known about how human activities are generating significant impacts on this protected ecosystem. The aim of this work was to develop a Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework as well as a threat assessment to obtain a generalized view regarding the environmental situation of the SNSM. According to the DPSIR approach, the main driving forces generating pressures on the SNSM are mining projects, water management, agricultural systems, tourism, territorial conflicts and climate change. These findings are in great agreement with the results. The multiple pressures derived from activities, such as mining, land use change, and tourism, have contributed significantly to the alteration of the homeostasis of the ecosystem and the reduction of the ecosystem services that it provides. As an important reserve area, different measures have been taken to protect biodiversity, however, their implementation has been insufficient. These results indicate it is a priority to establish governmental measures towards the conservation of SNSM, in particular sustainable development-based approaches involving local indigenous communities, as a guarantee for the well-being of the current and future generations.