One Sea, One Future

Gran Seaflower is an environmental and cultural region within the Southwest Caribbean inhabited by a diversity of people and cross-border ethnic identities. In addition, it is the most biodiverse marine-coastal place in the Western Hemisphere. Its heart is the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve recognized by UNESCO in the San Andres archipelago.

Values

Cultural diversity

Sustainability

Nature

Working on a plurinational

dialogue to achieve sustainable

development in order to

consolidate the Gran Seaflower

Harmony with nature in this crucial marine-coastal area can only be achieved through a regional consensus – this is the Gran Seaflower initiative. It’s about creating high-level partnerships between six Caribbean countries – Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua and Panama – in an effort to protect the ecosystems of the Southwest Caribbean, and together face the challenges that threaten the ecological health of the region and its people.

Our initiative recognises the vital importance of the interconnection between ecosystems and human communities of the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve, and therefore seeks to provide a way forward to a multinational agreement that prioritises the conservation and local prosperity of the area.

It is shared by 6 countries: Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua and Panama.

Over the past few decades, it has been estimated that 50% of the coral reef in the Caribbean Sea has disappeared due to climate change, overfishing and lack of coordination between countries in ecosystem management. These threats continue to destroy the marine and coastal environments with devastating effects on local communities. The Gran Seaflower initiative, therefore, seeks to address these issues in the region.

The initiative will be developed between the countries bordering the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve in partnership with scientific actors, Afro-Caribbean and indigenous communities, and civil society organizations involved in conservation and restoration tasks.