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In the Mendihuaca catchment area, north of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, we are currently carrying out a major territorial monitoring programme with the Kogi communities. At the request of our Indigenous partners, this field mission aims to assess the impact of the latest cold front that struck the Caribbean Sea and caused severe disruption across the region.

For several weeks now, heavy rains and a sudden rise in water levels have profoundly affected the ancestral territories of the Kogi, Wiwa and Arhuaco peoples, as well as the infrastructure linking the communities to the rest of the country. Local residents describe this as an episode marked by an unusual ferocity of the elements. Several rivers have burst their banks, and access to certain areas has become extremely difficult.

Among the most significant incidents was the partial collapse of the Mendihuaca Bridge on the Troncal del Caribe, a strategic route between Santa Marta and La Guajira. Weakened by the sudden rise in the river’s level and the erosion of its foundations, the bridge had to be closed as a matter of urgency, temporarily isolating several communities and severely disrupting the movement of people, food supplies and health services.

The consequences are far-reaching. In several areas, Kogi families have seen their access routes damaged, their crops affected and some community infrastructure weakened. Beyond the material damage, these events serve as a stark reminder of the growing vulnerability of indigenous territories in the face of climate change.

For the peoples of the Sierra Nevada, these environmental imbalances are not merely natural disasters; they reflect a profound disruption in the balance between humankind and nature. Kogi spiritual leaders have long been warning of the need to preserve the ecosystems and natural cycles on which life in the Sierra depends. In response to this situation, the Tchendukua team is currently working alongside the communities to document the impacts, identify priority needs and support collective decision-making that will help to support the affected families and strengthen the territory’s resilience. This monitoring process is essential; it not only enables us to measure the concrete consequences of these extreme weather events, but also to continue amplifying the voices of Indigenous peoples, the guardians of a territory who are now the first victims of global environmental upheavals.

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