Greening peace in Colombia

Background

Written in 2017, this article reviews the connection between Colombia's recent peace agreement after 50 years of conflict and the country's immense biodiversity. Given the social peace, the forests of Colombia are now more prone for development, specifically the increase of both official and unofficial road and infrustructures, which could have a detrimental affect on wildlife and ecosystem services. This article seeks to outline the challenges and opportunities that Colombia faces to integrate forest biodiversity conservation into economic development.

Conclusions & Takeaways

The authors call for an integrated approach to development that provides incentives for small, medium, and large scale land owners to plant trees, manage forest stands and conserve forest fragments has the potential to secure the sustainable provision of ecosystem services. These incentives should aim to benefit both the people and the ecosystems, which the authors argue should prevent degradation and extinction while also continuing to foster social peace throughout the country.