Bajo Calima tropical forest protection

Positive impact generated

Context

This project is located in the collective territories of Bajo Calima and La Plata-Bahia Malaga in the Pacific coastal municipality of Buenaventura, in the Department of Valle de Cauca. These forests belong to the biologically diverse Choco-Darien bioregion, providing ecosystem services that are important on a national and international level. The project is designed to mitigate climate change by protecting native vegetation, reducing deforestation and allowing degraded forests to recuperate. Amongst these objectives, the project also contributes to long-term biodiversity conservation through improvement of extent and connectivity of natural forests and aims at strengthening the livelihood capitals of local communities.

Stakeholders and local partners

Who are the key stakeholders?

In order to block further deforestation and protect the threatened habitat we are working to preserve these native forests while allowing previously deforested areas to naturally recuperate.

Project Developer:

Objectives and approach

Preserving biodiversity in the Choco’ - Darien bioregion and avoiding deforestation

Colombia has been declared as megadiverse, for containing an estimate of 70% of global biodiversity according to the UNEP - World Conservation Monitoring Center. An important objective of the project is to increase knowledge about local diversity in the region. Rather than a species to species approach, the project focuses on reducing threats at the level of broader forest ecosystem integrity.

The land in the project areas belongs to communities of African descent on the Pacific coast. The majority of the population lives below the defined poverty line, therefore the funding of this project will improve local livelihoods and diversify their economy in order to avoid further deforestation.