Within the framework of the First Meeting of Piangüeras Women of the Pacific, which took place in Nuquí (Chocó), the Minister of the Environment, Susana Muhamad, announced that the work of this group of mangrove caretakers will be supported through Payment for Environmental Services and expressed the will of the Government of Change to work with the National Environmental System (Sina) for its protection and to strengthen its activities.
“We are going to work together to improve the work of the pianguera women and conserve the mangrove, ratifying our commitment to the communities of the Colombian Pacific. Within the framework of the national goal of ecological restoration, we are going to see how many hectares we can restore with them through the Payment of Environmental Services”, assured Muhamad.
The Minister also recognized the effort and dedication of the nearly 11,328 pianguera women who have committed to preservation. “With their tradition, they have managed to live off the piangüa and conserve the mangrove. Today they have many threats, therefore, with the National Environmental System, we are going to support them because they are the first line of defense for the mangroves and this must be recognized,” she said.
The Pacific has 267,835 hectares of mangroves, approximately. These ecosystems are fundamental to maintaining the ecological balance and biodiversity in the region, and their conservation is essential for the well-being of our coastal communities.
“We support the sustainable use of the mangrove to generate more solid economies that are sustained over time. We must promote this associativity making the market come to you with a sustainable tourism that protects the communities”, added Muhamad.
For his part, Arnold Rincón, director of the Chocó Department Corporation (Codechocó), who is leading this meeting, stated: “Piangüera women play a vital role in environmental sustainability, since the extraction of piangüa is one of the main economic activities in the area and supports approximately 30,000 families. However, more than economic work, the role of pianguera women is essential to guarantee the conservation of ecosystems and biodiversity in this unique and diverse region.”
From Codechocó, we have been working with the piangüera women in the conservation of mangrove forests in the territories, strengthening of technical and productive capacities, as well as the importance of the piangüa in the gastronomy of the Colombian Pacific, the challenges and opportunities in its promotion in the national gastronomic market.
In this sense, the Ministry of the Environment reiterated the joint work with the piangüera women, local communities and other governmental and non-governmental entities to promote policies and projects that promote the empowerment of women in the protection of the environment and that promote sustainable and inclusive development in the Pacific zone of Colombia.
The First Meeting of Piangüera Women of the Colombian Pacific will take place in Nuquí until August 5 with the support of the Autonomous Corporations of Chocó, Valle del Cauca, Nariño and Cauca, the Seine, the CES University, the National Authority for Fisheries, Conservation International, WWF, Unesco, Chancellery and Minagricultura.
his work
The fishing use of the piangüa has been consolidated as the basis of the economy of many families in the Pacific and, in turn, an important part of their diet and food security. The piangüeo or concheo is associated with traditional ancestral tasks that are transmitted from generation to generation throughout the Pacific. It is an activity carried out mainly by women who go out to the mangrove swamp to remove the pianguas from the roots, with great skill and running some risks that may affect their physical integrity.
About: The First Meeting of Piangüera Women of the Colombian Pacific had the support of the four such as the Autonomous Corporations (CAR), higher education institutions such as SENA, the CES University, Aunap, non-profit organizations such as Conservation International, WWF, Unesco , Foreign Ministry, Minagricultura and Minambiente. That they recognize the importance of safeguarding coastal ecosystems and empowering piangüera women as guardians of the region’s natural heritage, bringing together the piangüera women of the four regions of the Colombian Pacific such as: Cauca, Valle del Cauca, Nariño and Chocó .
About: Arnold Alexander Rincón López, is a Forest Engineer with more than 19 years of experience. He is a specialist in planning and comprehensive management of hydrographic basins and a candidate for a Master’s degree in basin management at the Santo Tomás University. Current director of Codechocó.
Its management and work stands out in the protection, recovery and sustainable use of the environment and water resources in the hands of the black, indigenous, peasant communities and the entities attached to the Sina National Environmental System. His management from the general direction of Codechocó highlights achievements such as: The declaration of protected areas, payment for environmental services, restoration of areas degraded by anthropic activities and the strengthening and promotion of green businesses in the territory.