On October 19 and 20, Profonanpe held the second edition of the Thematic Roundtables to discuss four relevant topics: conservation of ecosystems for sustainable development, territorial governance for conservation, environmental management and indigenous or native populations, and sustainable chains for development.
In this edition, more than 30 participants from the public and private sectors presented various proposals and actions that are being carried out in their areas of work and how these have advanced to combat problems associated with deforestation of Protected Natural Areas, the reduction of biodiversity and ecosystem management. It was emphasized that the country has built a successful protected areas system based on adequate planning, central administration and financing. However, conservation outside these areas presents challenges due to incomplete regulations, lack of scientific knowledge and management based on experience, and weak stakeholder coordination.
Rodrigo Botero, director of the Conservation and Sustainable Development Fund of Colombia, was the international guest speaker at the meeting and shared the challenges of deforestation and illegal activities in his country’s protected areas. During his presentation he emphasized that “Colombia’s borders with Venezuela, Brazil and Peru are covered with illegal mining dredges that advance against the governance of the territories.” On the other hand, our country’s efforts to build adequate governance of the territories not only involves continuing to develop the pillars of land use planning, but also requires that the sustainable use of resources be based on traceability, which often has to be cross-border.
The role of local inhabitants, especially indigenous peoples, as agents of conservation was also emphasized. Their integral view of the territory and the use of resources, associated with cultural practices that seek to care for and respect ecosystems, allow them to maintain the ecological balance that we have lost in other areas of the country. Fermín Chimatani, president of ANECAP, said that “the benefits of conservation occur at the international, national and local levels but the costs are paid mostly by the local populations, especially by the indigenous peoples living in the territory. We have moved from protest to proposal and action.” In this regard, there is still a long way to go for the participation of indigenous populations to be equal and constant, and for them to play a leading role in decision-making about the territory they inhabit.
The new approach to conservation promotes the sustainable use of resources to generate sustainable development processes that benefit local populations, in which the promotion of value chains is a central strategy. The main challenge is to create the enabling conditions for these chains to flourish by improving the provision of infrastructure and technical services, the provision of financial services, encouraging formalization and promoting capabilities, among others. The AJE Group pointed out that sustainable chains are the basis for moving away from the production model left behind by the industrial revolution and returning to the natural revolution. After all, as Dennis del Castillo of IIAP pointed out, the Amazon changed the world by providing us with products such as rubber, cacao and quinine.
This second edition of the Thematic Roundtables brought us many experiences and new opportunities for the design of strategies and proposals that will help us to care for, manage and take advantage of our ecosystems to achieve the sustainable development of the country.
