Palameku Kuwei REDD+ among the 500 best environmental projects in Latin America according to Premios Latinoamérica Verde

The Palameku Kuwei REDD+ project was recognized among the 500 best social and environmental projects in Latin America in the 2020 edition of Premios Latinoamérica Verde, standing out in position number 63 among 2,540 initiatives evaluated across the continent.
This recognition validates the project’s positive impact in terms of environmental conservation, climate action, and community strengthening, as a result of a joint effort by six indigenous reserves of the Sikuani and Piapoco peoples in the municipality of Cumaribo, Vichada.

Forest protection and strengthening of indigenous communities
Palameku Kuwei REDD+ protects 32,629 hectares of tropical rainforest in the Colombian Orinoquía region, one of the most biodiverse and vulnerable areas of the country. The project was proposed by the following reserves:

• Indigenous Reserve Ríos Muco y Guarrojo (Sikuani and Piapoco)
• Indigenous Reserve Ríos Tomo y Weberi (Sikuani)
• Indigenous Reserve Punta Bandera (Sikuani)
• Indigenous Reserve San Luis del Tomo (Sikuani)
• Indigenous Reserve La Esmeralda (Sikuani)
• Indigenous Reserve Valdivia (Sikuani)

The initiative seeks to mitigate the effects of climate change through forest conservation, while improving the quality of life of more than 4,000 people living in the participating indigenous territories.

The continental recognition reflects the value of REDD+ projects that integrate ancestral knowledge, environmental conservation, and development with an ethnic and territorial approach.