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By Times Caribbean News Desk

SANTA MARTA, COLOMBIA — Caribbean and Latin American leaders gathered on Colombia’s stunning Santa Marta coast this week with a shared goal: transform mangroves and wetlands into market-ready blue carbon assets capable of attracting investment and generating verified carbon credits.

The International Blue Carbon and Wetlands Conference (August 12–14) brought together more than 500 participants from 50 countries. Hosted by Colombia’s prestigious Institute of Marine and Coastal Research (INVEMAR), the three-day event zeroed in on region-specific strategies to bring coastal blue carbon ecosystems into the global carbon market with credibility and scale.

Keynote speaker Dr. Stephen Crooks, Co-Chair of the International Blue Carbon Scientific Working Group, set the tone:

“The financial potential of blue carbon is vast, but there is much work to do. Monitoring, reporting and verification — MRV — is the unifying thread linking science and management to catalyse investment.”

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Panama, Suriname, Jamaica & Colombia Lead the Charge

At the centre of the conversation was a pioneering MRV initiative jointly advanced by Panama, Suriname, Jamaica, and Colombia. The project aims to develop consistent, science-based monitoring and reporting systems that will position the region as a credible player in the blue carbon market.

• Panama showcased its integration of biodiversity conservation with public engagement.
• Suriname contributed advanced technical MRV expertise.
• Jamaica offered pragmatic mangrove restoration models, connecting research with on-the-ground implementation.
• Colombia provided insights from active carbon credit projects in stilt-house fishing communities, where livelihoods and mangrove restoration go hand in hand.

These shared lessons underscore that no single approach fits all — but together, the models create a composite blueprint for scaling blue carbon solutions region-wide.

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From Science to Investment Readiness

The MRV initiative is spearheaded by the St Augustine Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (UWI STACIE), funded by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and supported by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

Cheryle Tewarie-Dubay, Acting Director of UWI STACIE, emphasised that robust, standardised MRV is “essential for credible market participation.”

IDB Senior Climate Change Specialist Gerard Alleng linked the science directly to finance:

“To be in the conversation about new financial instruments requires solid science and strong institutional capacity. I’m glad to see so many young scientists from INVEMAR here today.”

UK Ambassador to Colombia George Hodgson highlighted the significance of more than five years of bilateral cooperation and the importance of replicating the MRV model across the region.

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A Field Visit to Colombia’s Living Laboratory

On the conference’s final day, delegates travelled by boat into the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, visiting the stilt-house communities of Buenavista and Nueva Venecia. Here, mangrove restoration is woven into daily life — a living example of how grassroots action and scientific verification can combine to produce climate and community benefits.

The wetland, a Ramsar Site and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, reinforced the conference’s central message: blue carbon is not just an environmental asset; with the right MRV systems, it is a market-ready commodity that can finance its own preservation.

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The Road Ahead

For Caribbean nations facing climate vulnerability and economic diversification challenges, blue carbon offers a powerful two-for-one opportunity: climate action and revenue generation. The Santa Marta blueprint — blending scientific rigor, community engagement, and investment-readiness — may become the region’s ticket to a new, sustainable economic stream.

As Dr. Crooks told delegates: “Harmonized measurement and monitoring systems can help blue carbon ecosystems deliver on their full potential — for climate, biodiversity, and communities alike.”