The environmental and social impacts of open-pit mining in Colombia’s Caribbean region have underscored the urgency of adopting inclusive and innovative solutions for environmental risk management. The Hub Ambiental del Caribe presents an interdisciplinary strategy leveraging AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things) embedded in smart public lighting to transform conventional infrastructure into real-time environmental monitoring platforms that promote data openness and participatory governance.
The AIoT network comprises 90 environmental sensing nodes, strategically deployed in three mining-affected municipalities—Algarrobo (Magdalena), La Jagua de Ibirico (Cesar), and Albania (La Guajira)—with 30 AIoT nodes per municipality. These nodes capture high-frequency data on air quality (PM2.5, PM10), CO2 levels, temperature, humidity, and precipitation. Data are transmitted to a centralized system and made accessible through a a public digital platform with a web portal and an interactive geovisor, available at https://hubambientaldelcaribe.co (accessed on 20 November 2025).
In terms of community engagement, the project has reached over 1500 participants, including rural residents, youth leaders, and school communities. A key pillar of the engagement strategy is the Escuela de Ciencia Ciudadana (Citizen Science School), where technical concepts are translated into multimedia educational materials. These tools empower citizens to interpret environmental data and advocate for evidence-based decisions in their communities.
To evaluate the platform’s early impact, we have tracked increased participation in local environmental councils and documented community-led alerts in response to critical air quality events. Additionally, participatory workshops have produced localized environmental maps, integrating both sensor data and community-sourced narratives. This hybrid knowledge system enhances resilience planning and fosters climate literacy at the grassroots level.
The innovation of the Hub Ambiental del Caribe lies not only in deploying AIoT and open data technologies but in repurposing public lighting poles as nodes of digital and environmental inclusion. This model offers a scalable and low-barrier solution for territories under extractive pressure, demonstrating how infrastructure can evolve into a catalyst for climate equity and technological justice.
By merging environmental sensing, civic participation, and open data, the project advances SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), positioning communities as co-creators in the environmental governance of their territories.
Author Contributions
Conceptualization, M.E.I.M. and J.A.T.G.; methodology, M.E.I.M. and P.F.d.C.; software, M.E.I.M.; validation, J.A.T.G.; formal analysis, J.A.T.G.; investigation, P.F.d.C., M.E.I.M. and J.A.T.G.; resources, J.A.T.G.; data curation, M.E.I.M.; writing—original draft preparation, P.F.d.C.; writing—review and editing, M.E.I.M. and P.F.d.C.; visualization, M.E.I.M.; supervision, J.A.T.G.; project administration, J.A.T.G.; funding acquisition, J.A.T.G. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding
This research was funded by project BPIN 2023000100072—“Implementación de una plataforma de datos abiertos basada en AIoT para el análisis y gestión de riesgos ambientales y climáticos en el corredor minero de los municipios La Jagua de Ibirico, Albania y Algarrobo”, from Sistema General de Regalías (SGR) to Science, Technology and Innovation in Colombia. Miguel E. Iglesias Martínez’s research was partially supported by a postdoctoral research grant “Subvenciones para la contratación de personal investigador en fase postdoctoral APOSTD/2025 (MODALIDAD A)”, funded by the Conselleria de Educación, Cultura, Universidades y Empleo of the Generalitat Valenciana (Reference CIAPOS/2024/238) and co-funded by the European Social Fund Plus (FSE+) through the 2021–2027 Operational Programme of the Comunitat Valenciana. P.F.d.C. acknowledges partial support from the Spanish Government through project PID2022-142407NB-I00 (Agencia Estatal de Investigación) and from the Generalitat Valenciana (Spain) through the PROMETEO Program, Grant CIPROM/2023/32.
Institutional Review Board Statement
Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement
Not applicable.
Data Availability Statement
The data are available at https://hubambientaldelcaribe.co (accessed on 20 November 2025).
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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