The Metropolitan Protected Areas System

Abstract

This article presents the design and structuring of the Aburrá Valley Metropolitan Protected Areas System (SIMAP), documenting that the metropolitan region, capable of naturally sustaining only 45,000 inhabitants given its ecological conditions, currently houses nearly 2,960,000 people and shows an ecological footprint 66.6 times larger than its territory. The author describes the methodology used to structure SIMAP, based on three analytical criteria (biological diversity, provision of environmental goods and services, and sociocultural value). The text explains the process of identifying candidate areas through multi-criteria analysis and presents the SIMAP vision toward 2020, coordinated with the Central Antioquia Park Regional System of Protected Areas.