Indigenous peoples, the key players in the conservation of forests in Colombia

The role of indigenous peoples takes on ever more importance in the country, given that, by their customs and geographic location, have become the protectors of long stretches of forests and areas with high biodiversity. 

According to the census of the Dane in 2018, in Colombia there are 115 indigenous peoples, which is equivalent to 4.4% of the total population, most of them located in the departments of Arauca, Chocó, Magdalena, Vaupés, Vichada, Guainía, Cundinamarca, Caldas, Santander, Tolima and Nariño.

Also, according to the Geographic Institute Agustin Codazzi (IGAC), 32% of the rural land in Colombia are under the custody of indigenous peoples, which means an opportunity to enhance the protection of ecosystems.

An example of the work developed by indigenous peoples in Colombia is the action that takes place in nearly one million hectares, through projects that aim at the Reduction of Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+), and currently are structured by BIOFIX. 

This company works with 20 ethnic communities, divided into 14 Guards Indigenous peoples sikuani, piapoco, puinave and curripaco located in the departments of Vichada, Guainía, and the Guaviare and 6 Tips Community located in the departments of Chocó, Cauca and Valle del Cauca. The ways of life of these communities contribute to the conservation of natural resources, the sustainable cultivation of food and life in harmony with nature.

The vision of indigenous peoples with regard to what is around you is the key to promote conservation. Today, the communities they progress in REDD+ projects with BIOFIX, seeking, through its territorial autonomy, carrying out processes of conservation framed in sustainability criteria that have to do with the protection of areas of natural forests, rescue and protection of their cultural identity and promotion of productive practices that ensure the biodiversity and richness environmental of its territory.

Their perception about the nature is the same that he has given the name to each of the projects and which emphasizes the importance of preserving their customs, beliefs and vision of the territory. 

For example, KALIAWIRI REDD+, is the name of a project that protects 358.000 hectares of forest, in Cumaribo, Vichada, and Puerto Inírida, Guainía. His name is given in recognition of the ancestral tree that in the language Piapoco and Sikuani, it means the tree of mythical Kaliawiri, such as that which gave rise to the cultivated plants. 

Likewise, PALAMEKU KUWEI REDD+, another project, located in Cumaribo, Vichada that protects 32.600 hectares of forest and bears this name, because Kuwei in language Sikuani refers to the Supreme God of the Universe, creator of the world and protector of all that dwells in him, and Palameku comes from the root Palameko within the mythology guahiba refers to the “guardian of the tools” and is associated with the emergence of humans on earth and the birth of two fundamental principles of the communities Sikuani: distribution in food community, and the collective work.

Likewise, YAAWI IIPANA REDD+ refers to the house of the butterfly tiger in language curripaco (as known to the jaguar), the largest feline in Central and South america, within the worldview ancestral indigenous peoples have a sense of the mystical and sacred, is related to the protection of biodiversity, water and forest as the guardian and bioindicator of the quality of these ecosystems. 

This is a reflection of the impact that he has the vision of indigenous peoples in the protection of the territories, places that tell a story, in that they developed their customs, and have grown up generations, like them, have sought refuge in their environment and appreciate the same for the provision and sustenance. 

This contribution of the communities to the conservation processes in the country, not only forests, but also of tradition and culture, is becoming more significant. All the initiatives led by BIOFIX, who are ahead in the colombian territory, seeking to highlight the worldviews of the communities and support them with instruments such as the carbon market, to give long-term sustainability.

Give the importance they deserve the indigenous communities in Colombia, will enable the protection of more areas at risk of deforestation, which have a great cultural wealth, flora and fauna, which will impact positively, not only to Colombia and to the communities that live there, but to the mitigation of Greenhouse Gas emissions to tackle climate change.