Understanding and overcoming policy (in)coherence to control deforestation in Colombia

This briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the policy incoherence surrounding deforestation in Colombia. While the country has a robust framework for the 2030 Agenda and climate goals, implementation is hindered by conflicting objectives, institutional weaknesses, and the influence of powerful economic interests in the mining and agricultural sectors. The authors highlight a tension between environmental enforcement and the rights of local peasant populations, recommending a more integrated, community-inclusive approach and regional cooperation to achieve sustainability goals.

• Colombia experienced significant forest loss between 2002 and 2023, losing 1.99 million hectares of primary forest and 5.3 million hectares of total forest cover. Deforestation has had a substantial impact on climate goals, with increases between 2013 and 2020 accounting for 1.24 gigatons of CO2.
• Analysis of 25 deforestation targets using the SDG Synergies tool shows that most interactions between land use policies, SDGs, and climate goals are positive. Out of 600 evaluated interactions, 63% (378) were promoters, 29% (174) were neutral, and only 8% (48) resulted in trade-offs.
• Current Colombian mining laws (Law 685 of 2001) create significant policy incoherence by conflicting with objectives to avoid the deforestation of natural forests and the ability of territorial-municipal entities to regulate land use for environmental protection.
• Operation Artemisa, a military strategy launched in 2019 to stop deforestation, has been criticized for criminalizing peasant farmers and violating agreements intended to reconcile conservation with the rights of local populations, thereby undermining trust in the state.
• Policy incoherence is driven by a combination of political agendas, institutional weaknesses, and vested interests, particularly within the mining and agricultural sectors. Coordination is further hampered by an unequal distribution of financial resources, with the environment and scientific research sectors receiving the fewest resources.
• Existing institutional mechanisms for coordination, such as the Intersectoral Commission for the Control of Deforestation (created by Decree 1257 of 2017 and CONPES 4021), have failed to effectively harmonize different sectors and agendas.

APA

Alva, I. L., & Cárdenas, M. (2024). Understanding and overcoming policy (in)coherence to control deforestation in Colombia. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/183682/understanding-and-overcoming-policy-incoherence-to-control-deforestation-in-colombia.pdf

Chicago

Alva, Ivonne Lobos, and Mario Cárdenas. Understanding and overcoming policy (in)coherence to control deforestation in Colombia. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2024. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/183682/understanding-and-overcoming-policy-incoherence-to-control-deforestation-in-colombia.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Alva |first1=Ivonne Lobos |last2=Cárdenas |first2=Mario |title=Understanding and overcoming policy (in)coherence to control deforestation in Colombia |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=December 2024 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/183682/understanding-and-overcoming-policy-incoherence-to-control-deforestation-in-colombia.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{alva2024understanding, author = {Alva, Ivonne Lobos and Cárdenas, Mario}, title = {{Understanding and overcoming policy (in)coherence to control deforestation in Colombia}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2024}, month = dec, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/183682/understanding-and-overcoming-policy-incoherence-to-control-deforestation-in-colombia.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }