Colombia’s forests lurch between deforestation and the hope for a sustainable future 24 December, 2020 - 19:01
“This is a country that has a forestry vocation,” says José Miguel Orozco, professor of forest governance and policy at Bogotá’s Francisco José de Caldas District University. High-altitude Andean forests, low-altitude basal forests, cloud forests, dry forests, mangroves: 52% of Colombia’s landmass is covered in forest, and it is the second most biodiverse country in the world, home to 58,312 known species. The highest concentrations of biodiversity occur in the Amazon and Pacific regions, which together are home to 80% of the country’s forests. Indigenous reserves steward 46% of Colombia’s forests, and Afro-Colombian communal territories account for 7.3%. About 16% fall under the protection of the country’s 59 national parks. These three systems have the highest levels of protection and some of the best conservation outcomes. And yet, Colombia’s fore