The wüinn manná corridor restores biodiversity by rehabilitating more than 7,400 hectares of tropical dry forest by 2023

In an effort to promote biodiversity conservation within the coal mining complex, Cerrejón has contributed to establishing the Wüinn Manná Biological Corridor. This area of more than 25,000 hectares connects the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta with the Serranía del Perijá, creating a vital connection between two strategic ecosystems. This initiative encourages the return of species of great ecological importance and demonstrates Cerrejón’s firm commitment to the environment.

To achieve this objective, Cerrejón has protected more than 7,483 hectares of tropical dry forest by 2024, equivalent to 10,480 football fields (each measuring 90 meters wide by 100 meters long).

Over 500 families (more of 1,500 people) of Wayuu indigenous communities, Afro-descendant communities, and farming communities from the municipalities of Albania, Hatonuevo, Maicao and Barrancas in La Guajira live near the mining operation and actively participate in environmental offset agreements. These include implementing a variety of tools such as water harvesting, managing human-felid conflict, active and passive restoration, and native plant production.

Local communities participate in this process through soil stabilization and planting grasses and trees in rehabilitation areas, contributing to the implementation of the offset plan. All these actions also support processes that regulate the water cycle, protect soils, control erosion, and reduce the effects of climate change. For these activities, communities receive salaries and training from Cerrejón as well as enhanced ecosystem services for their daily needs, such as more food, fiber, and natural medicines.

Through the Wüinn Manná biological corridor, Cerrejón contributes to protecting the tropical dry forest in the northern Colombia which has been at risk due to deforestation. According to the Humboldt Institute in Colombia, tropical dry forests are one of the world most degraded, fragmented, and understudied ecosystems. Their protection is crucial because they provide essential ecosystem services such as pest control, climate and water cycle (preventing flooding) regulation, oxygen generation, erosion control, and pollination, all vital for the survival of various crops. Approximately 720,000 hectares of the original 8 million remain today, and many fauna and flora species are threatened, including jaguars, the vermilion cardinal, and various species of trees with an important ecological function.

Through its various initiatives, Cerrejón not only contributes to restoring threatened ecosystems such as tropical dry forests and coastal marine areas but also demonstrates its commitment to the environment and the community, as well as demonstrating its ability to coexist with economic activity and environmental conservation.