Community-Based Mangrove Management in Sucre, Colombia: Stakeholder Perceptions, Land Cover Trends, and Challenges

Mangrove forests support ecosystems, livelihoods, and cultural practices. However, their degradation threatens the utilization of mangroves by human communities, causing economic losses, particularly impacting local livelihoods. Cost-effective, community-led restoration and conservation efforts are essential to enhancing the ecological and economic resilience of coastal communities. This study investigated Community-Based Mangrove Management (CBMM) in Sucre, Colombia, where mangroves provide essential goods and services to human communities. We employed a discourse analysis technique (Q) and Geographic Information System integration, including analysis of remotely sensed data to identify mangrove cover trends (1986–1993 and 2017–2021). Q methodology identified two main discourses: “Optimism in CBMM” and “A call to enhance CBMM,” highlighting issues such as lack of administrative skills, economic resources, land tenure, and socio-environmental conflicts. Interviews identified tourism expansion as a major driver of mangrove loss, threatening the ecosystem’s ability to provide resources to local communities. The temporal analysis supported these trends, especially in Rincón del Mar, where tourism has increased. This study emphasizes the economic and ecological challenges faced by CBMM members, highlighting the need to integrate Local Ecological Knowledge and community perspectives to guide mangrove conservation policy that emphasizes the benefits of mangrove forests and their non-timber forest products.