Statement: Conservation International Applauds Colombia’s Announcement it has Protected and Conserved More Than 30% of Territory Ahead of Global Goals

Bogotá, Colombia (July 26, 2022) – Today, Colombian President Ivan Duque Marquez, alongside members of his cabinet, announced that the country has protected and conserved 31% of its lands and 37% of its waters, putting it well ahead of the global goal to protect 30% by 2030. The announcement came during the fifth session of the Intersectoral Commission of the Presidential Cabinet for the Climate Action-Environmental Sector in Leticia-Amazonas.

The protected and conserved territory includes formal protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs), a term developed under the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity to define a managed area that will have long-term benefits for the biodiversity of a region.

Conservation International-Colombia, with support from the Bezos Earth Fund, has provided early and ongoing conservation guidance.

Fabio Arjona, Vice President of Conservation International-Colombia, said:  

“Colombia, the second most biodiverse country in the world, announced today that it has achieved the goal of protecting and conserving 30% of its lands and 30% of its waters before 2030, including protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs), preventing the loss of its biodiversity and preserving its cultural, spiritual and socio-economic values.  

“Today, the Colombian government has conserved OECM areas distributed throughout the national territory, including essential areas such as the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Biosphere Reserve, the Ramsar site Estrella Fluvial Inírida Wetland Complex, and the Ramsar site Bita River Basin Wetlands Complex. 

“Colombia’s advanced achievement of this goal results from collective work by the people in the territories, the local entities, and of course, the national government. Thanks to the funding from the Bezos Earth Fund, Conservation International has supported this process, primarily through the identification, agreement, design, and registration of the OECMs."  

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About Conservation International: Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork, and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, for biodiversity, and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples, and local communities to help people and nature thrive together. Go to Conservation.org for more, and follow our work on Conservation News, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.