The Colombian Caribbean is considered one of the 25 terrestrial ecoregions with the greatest biological diversity on the planet, but the fragmentation of its ecosystems has generated a significant loss of connectivity between species of fauna and flora that diminishes and affects the provision of ecosystem services and the well-being of communities.
In order to transform this reality, the “Biodiversity and Development for the Caribbean” alliance was created, which unites ISA, ISA INTERCOLOMBIA, and its Conexión Jaguar program with more than five public and private institutions in the country, to protect the connectivity of the Canal del Dique watershed and the Montes de María between the departments of Bolívar and Sucre. This alliance will work to conserve an area of 65.581 hectares, where an exceptional biological richness converges.
Conexión Jaguar, ISA’s flagship sustainability program, will contribute to the regional impact agreement with four main actions.
A portfolio of more than 100 volunteer conservation projects in Colombia
- Since 2017, Conexión Jaguar has opened an annual call for forestry projects in Latin America to participate and join the Program. The selected initiatives will contribute to biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and improvement of the quality of life of rural communities.
Currently, the program has a portfolio of more than 100 voluntary conservation projects in Colombia, which will be made available to the pact to be supported by allies interested in conservation or reforestation activities.
Exchange of scientific information
- Cartography, monitoring and studies of biodiversity in Colombia conducted in the program.
Technical support to possible conservation initiatives in the study area of “Biodiversity and Development for the Caribbean”.
- Conexión Jaguar will provide technical support to potential conservation or restoration initiatives that are in the alliance’s area of influence and meet the selection criteria.
Strategic line of the human-feline coexistence program
- Forest cover and wild habitats are disappearing at an exponential rate in the Colombian Caribbean. The expansion of agricultural frontiers increases competition, generating inter-relationship imbalances: man-prey-feline-habitat. Likewise, human populations have little awareness of the need to protect wild species, which has made it difficult to assimilate the importance of conservation and the role of big cats in the ecosystem.
Together with environmental authorities, Conexión Jaguar will offer its strategic line of human-feline coexistence, which develops education plans and accompaniment to communities for coexistence with the jaguar in the territory.
Next steps to achieve common goals
The National Business Association of Colombia (ANDI) will hold the eighth edition of Colombia Genera, which will bring, on March 19, the panel on Biodiversity and Development: Conectividad Caribe, a space for conversation following the alliance “Biodiversity and Development for the Caribbean” that unites ISA and its Conexión Jaguar program, ISA INTERCOLOMBIA, Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia, Instituto Alexander von Humboldt, Biocaribe, Programa Riqueza Natural, Promigas, Sociedad Portuaria El Cayao and ANDI.
The objectives of this panel will be to present, from each role and actor, the motivation and participation in the construction of the Agreement “Biodiversity and Development for the Caribbean”, to identify the challenges and opportunities of the Agreement as a collective work model, and to present how biodiversity and development can go hand in hand, working on national and regional goals.
