Del Potencial a la Acción: OMEC y Conservación Inclusiva en Colombia Informe Nacional

The report examines Colombia's transition from a centralized conservation model to an inclusive approach that recognizes the role of Indigenous peoples, local communities, and private landowners. It evaluates the current state of the National System of Protected Areas (SINAP) and the emerging framework of OECMs, identifying systemic barriers such as land tenure insecurity, armed conflict, and an extractivist development model. Through case studies of private, Afro-descendant, and Indigenous territories, the document highlights that effective conservation often stems from cultural and spiritual motivations rather than economic incentives. It concludes with recommendations to harmonize land tenure rights, close the environmental financing gap, and integrate OECMs into national territorial planning to meet the global 30x30 biodiversity target.

• Colombia has expanded its protected areas from 640 to 1,785, covering nearly 50 million hectares, with private reserves showing the most significant increase in number.
• Public protected areas face severe threats from illegal mining, extensive cattle ranching, armed conflict, and illicit crops, resulting in the deforestation of 125,745 hectares between 2013 and 2023.
• As of March 2024, Colombia had 47 reported OECMs covering 15,053,584 hectares, with the majority under public governance.
• The national goal for 2030 is to achieve 34% conservation and management of terrestrial, inland water, and marine-coastal zones through protected areas, OECMs, and Indigenous, Afro-Colombian, and peasant territories.
• Inclusive conservation is hindered by structural barriers, including a lack of land tenure clarity (73.2% of the country lacks updated cadastral information) and the persistence of violence, evidenced by 631 murders of environmental leaders between 2016 and 2024.
• There is a significant financing gap in the environmental sector, estimated at 73.9% for 2024, with annual biodiversity spending representing only 0.21% of the GDP.
• Payments for Environmental Services (PSA) have conserved over 115,000 hectares and benefited more than 6,500 families, though they struggle with financial continuity and land tenure insecurity.
• Case studies reveal that conservation effectiveness is often driven by intrinsic motivations—such as spiritual balance in the Arhuaco community of Seykún or personal well-being in the La Ilusión reserve—rather than external economic incentives.
• The implementation of OECMs in Colombia is perceived by some as a reactive measure to meet international targets rather than a response to local environmental crises.

APA

Matallana-Tobón, C. L., Castro, L. G., Lobo, R., Pacheco, P., & Anaya, J. S. (2025). Del Potencial a la Acción: OMEC y Conservación Inclusiva en Colombia Informe Nacional. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1811/Final_Colombia_Country_Report.pdf

Chicago

Matallana-Tobón, Clara L., Luis Guillermo Castro, Rafaella Lobo, Pablo Pacheco, and Juan Sebastián Anaya. Del Potencial a la Acción: OMEC y Conservación Inclusiva en Colombia Informe Nacional. WWF International, 2025. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1811/Final_Colombia_Country_Report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Matallana-Tobón |first1=Clara L. |last2=Castro |first2=Luis Guillermo |last3=Lobo |first3=Rafaella |last4=Pacheco |first4=Pablo |last5=Anaya |first5=Juan Sebastián |title=Del Potencial a la Acción: OMEC y Conservación Inclusiva en Colombia Informe Nacional |publisher=WWF International |date=December 2025 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1811/Final_Colombia_Country_Report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{matallanatobn2025del, author = {Matallana-Tobón, Clara L. and Castro, Luis Guillermo and Lobo, Rafaella and Pacheco, Pablo and Anaya, Juan Sebastián}, title = {{Del Potencial a la Acción: OMEC y Conservación Inclusiva en Colombia Informe Nacional}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2025}, month = dec, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1811/Final_Colombia_Country_Report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }