ABSTRACT

The incidence of urban environmental conflicts has increased in Colombia. The enforcement of recent environmental laws and the disparity between the administrative boundaries of municipalities and natural environmental regions have helped exacerbate such conflicts. But a number of local initiatives have also appeared which bring together disparate stakeholders in the search for solutions. Colombia’s Political Constitution of 1991 enshrined the right of all citizens to enjoy a healthy environment. In 1993, the Ministry of the Environment and the National Environmental System were created. Manizales and Villamaria are located in the centre of the Andean Region in western Colombia. They are part of the so-called ‘Coffee Axis Conurbation’, which has historically been a demographically and economically dynamic area of great importance. Both municipalities are located in the Central Andes mountain range, an area marked by frequent geological transformations and tectonic movements as well as considerable volcanic activity.