Sustainable use of natural resources and biodiversity

active

Colombia is one of the 17 megabiodiverse countries in the world, home to more than 70% of all animal and plant species on the planet. With the designation of 16.7% of its land and 13.4% of its marine area, Colombia has already made significant efforts to protect biodiversity. The protected areas provide important ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration. In addition, the natural resources of the protected areas, especially in rural areas, form the basis for sustainable development. However, forms of unsustainable land use threaten the protection corridors and the preservation of biodiversity. The aim of the project is therefore to consolidate protected area management and improve connectivity in priority corridors as well as the protection and sustainable use of natural resources. The project contributes to protecting the global climate (SDG 13) and preserving biodiversity (SDG 15). The measures implemented are implemented in prioritized protected areas and their buffer zones. The measures contribute to improving management effectiveness in selected protected areas and promote connectivity. In addition, better involvement and participation of the local population in the protection and sustainable use of natural resources is supported. The recipient of the grant of up to 7 million euros is the Colombian Ministry of the Environment. The project sponsor is Parques Nacionales Naturales, the National Protected Areas Authority. The target group of the project is the rural population in and around the prioritized protected areas. The protected area administration and park employees also benefit from the measures. The project's intervention area includes three selected landscape mosaics (Cordillera Central, Transición Orinoquía, Piedemonte Andino-Amazónico) with four national and seven regional protected areas.