He Wüinn Mana biological corridor; area of the coal multinational Cerrejón, of more than 25 thousand hectares that promotes the conservation of biodiversity, connects the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta with the Perijá mountain range.
Wüinn Mana has become a vital connection between two strategic ecosystems, encouraging the return of species of great ecological importance and demonstrating a firm commitment to the environment.
One of the most notable achievements of the creation of the Wüinn Mana corridor is the return of the jaguar, a species that had not been sighted in the region since 1976, a decade before the start of mining in the area. Since 2016, the presence of the species has been identified and today ten jaguar individuals have been identified transiting this corridor, thus confirming the recovery of the tropical dry forest ecosystem. This fact underlines the effectiveness of the restoration and conservation actions implemented by Cerrejón.
To keep a scientific record of these findings, the company has a monitoring network, which includes, among others, more than 30 camera traps, through which the presence of 600 species of fauna has been recorded. These records demonstrate the company’s efforts to protect biodiversity and strengthen the transit of species of high ecological value such as the puma, the guajiro cardinal and the bocachico.
Positive Transformations Study confirms the effectiveness of the Wüinn Mana corridor
The study “Positive Transformations and Sustainability in Mining Territories” (2023), developed by the EAN University and the Colombian Mining Association, concluded that Cerrejón is experiencing a remarkable transformation dynamic.
As the percentage of forest in the mining extraction area decreases, semi-natural coverage also decreases, but simultaneously, natural spaces increase thanks to the restoration actions carried out by the company. This shows that the actions implemented are compatible with restoration and compensation.
All the information that reflects Cerrejón’s outstanding contribution to the conservation of biodiversity is freely accessible; which is why Cerrejón has become the first company in La Guajira and the third in the country with the most open data on biodiversity, published within the Colombian Biodiversity Information System (SiB Colombia), as well as on other international platforms.
“With different actions we contribute to stopping the loss of biodiversity in a megadiverse country like Colombia. From the company, we highlight the management that we are carrying out on this issue and we adhere to the World Biodiversity Framework in order to contribute to the future of the different species that make up the diversity of Colombia, especially in a year like 2024, in which Colombia was chosen to host the Conference of the Parties (COP16), this is a scenario that seeks to generate discussions and action plans for the conservation of our biodiversity, how to ensure its sustainable use and the fair and equitable distribution of the benefits derived from our natural resources”he commented Luis MadriñanEnvironmental Management Manager at Cerrejón.
Likewise, as the northernmost connectivity point of the biological corridor, the new channel of the Bruno stream It has become a habitat capable of providing food and homes to more than 390 species of fauna and more than 17,000 plants of more than 70 species typical of the tropical dry forest, evidencing the success of the ecological restoration processes in this ecosystem.
Cerrejón’s Wüinn Mana biological corridor is a leading example of how a mining company can significantly contribute to biodiversity conservation amidst industrial operations. This project has not only facilitated the return of key species, but has also demonstrated that economic activity and environmental conservation can coexist and thrive together.
