Toward a post‐conflict Colombia: restoring to the future

Background

After emerging from over 60 years of armed conflict, Colombia is positioned to pursue ecological restoration. Through this pursuit, the country will restore ecosystem services that were severly impaired, thus restoring both natural and social capital that can actively contribute to the peace-building process. Moreover, the Colombian government has also undertaken national and international engagements that commit to reforesting and restoring the country's ecosystem. This article provides suggested goals and guidelines to aid in these ambitious restoration efforts. 

Conclusions & Takeaways

The authors call on the government of Colombia to go beyond agressive policies and targets and integrate capacity-building at all levels. They also stress the need for officials to provide guidelines for researchers, NGOs,  government agencies, and the public that ensures that ecological restoration becomes mainstream within the next decade. They conclude by arguing that not pursuing ecological restoration will leave the country's ecosystems vulnerable to additional degradation and be a miss opportunity to further unite a previously unstable society.