Protecting Colombia’s Forests and Indigenous Futures

Chemonics has partnered with Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities across Colombia to protect forests, uphold rights, and promote inclusive, sustainable development. Our approach has focused on:

• Cultural Preservation and Promotion: We supported 19 communities to implement Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) projects, generating over $26.5 million in carbon credit revenue and avoiding 12 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. In the high Andes, we helped launch Colombia’s first Indigenous-led carbon project in páramos and developed the country’s first Greenhouse Gas (GHG) monitoring protocol for high mountain ecosystems–blending traditional knowledge with climate science to protect culturally significant landscapes.
• Indigenous Leadership and Governance: We supported over 30 territories to develop traditional mandates, land-use plans, and biocultural calendars. We also partnered with Colombia’s Land Restitution Unit to advance formal land claims and helped register territories as TICCA (Territories and Areas Conserved by Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities), reinforcing Indigenous governance and stewardship of ancestral lands.
• Sustainable Livelihoods: We facilitated more than 590 voluntary conservation agreements covering 230,000+ hectares and supported community enterprises producing honey, smoked chili, cacao, and timber. These efforts generated over $6 million in sales and connected communities to national and international markets, strengthening economic resilience while preserving biodiversity.
• Accountability Systems to Protect Indigenous Peoples and Land: We trained over 20 Indigenous and Afro-Colombian organizations in environmental monitoring, safe reporting, and advocacy. Community biodiversity monitoring programs documented over 570 species and rekindled pride in local ecosystems. Women and youth now lead REDD+ governance, value chains, and conservation efforts —ensuring intergenerational leadership and inclusive environmental stewardship.