Chocó erosion threatens 1,300 families with displacement

The Colombian Ombudsman's Office (Defensoría del Pueblo) has issued an alert regarding marine and fluvial erosion along the Chocó coastline on the Pacific coast. More than 1,300 families are at risk of environmental displacement due to these processes.

The alert covers five municipalities: Nuquí, Juradó, Bahía Solano, Bajo Baudó (specifically Pizarro), and Acandí. In Nuquí, technical monitoring has prioritized eight corregimientos and island sectors, including Tribugá, Panguí, Coquí, Joví, Partadó, Arusí, Termales, and Jurubirá, as well as the municipal seat.

The emergency situation intensified in May 2024 following the overflow of the Aguas Calientes and Ostional rivers in Termales, which led to a declaration of public calamity. The Ombudsman's Office has urged the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) and Invemar to implement emergency response plans in accordance with Constitutional Court Ruling T-123 of 2024.