Colombia | Deforestation: we have failed to live up to our responsibilities

Summary

Since 1990, Colombia has lost 9% of its forest area, nearly the size of the Antioquia department. The main drivers include the expansion of agricultural and livestock frontiers, illicit crops, and illegal mining. Deforestation is not only affects the environment but also fails to reduce poverty or enhance productivity.

Key points

• Key points:
• Colombia is fortunate to be located in a geographically privileged area in terms of climate, resources, and biodiversity. However, we have not lived up to this responsibility. Forests cover 53% of Colombia's territory, yet since 1990, we have deforested 9% of these areas.
• The causes of deforestation are varied, but some are more prominent than others: the expansion of agricultural and livestock frontiers, illicit crops, and illegal mining.
• In some cases, the phenomenon of deforestation stems from the lack of opportunities and neglect experienced by the country's most remote regions. The main issue is that deforestation does not appear to be a solution to these problems.
• A simple statistical exercise shows that there is no evidence of closing the gaps in per capita GDP between municipalities with higher deforestation and the national average.
• Ultimately, deforestation is not only harmful to the environment, but it also fails to close poverty gaps or enhance productivity or production in the country.

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