Environmental management and local action plans in Manizales, Colombia

This working paper consist of two papers. The first paper describes the development of Bioplan-Manizales, a local environmental action plan (LEAP) for the city of Manizales, and the different groups that contributed to its development; also, how this plan became integrated into the municipal development plan and the municipal budget. The paper also describes the broader national and international context for the innovations in Manizales - including the political, legislative and fiscal changes in Colombia that have encouraged local authorities to develop local environmental agendas. Manizales’ own historical development is described including the environmental changes that this development brought and the environmental problems that it precipitated.The second paper describes the development of a local environmental action plan in Olivares, one of the poorest areas in the city.