4 December 2023
Forests for Water (Bosques para el Agua) Landscape Programme
From the Eastern Mountain Range of the Colombian Andes to the Magdalena River in Puerto Wilches, Santander, stretches the Lebrija River. Located in a region of great natural wealth, especially in water, with its rivers, streams, swamps and marshes, it is key to the biodiversity and livelihoods of the local communities. These water sources, which supply large numbers of people with fresh water, provide habitat for numerous species of fauna and flora, and maintain environmental balance, are in need of protection.
This is how the Forests for Water landscape programme was born in 2018 in the Middle Lebrija river sub-basin. It was created to support the variety of land uses in the territory, in particular the small palm growers of the region, seeking to improve their quality of life, promoting sustainable production practices, supporting responsible water management, no-deforestation and mitigation of negative impacts on communities.
The area of implementation of this programme was chosen not only for its important environmental characteristics but also for its representativeness at the scale of the Colombian palm sector, with approximately 53 thousand hectares planted with oil palm (30% of its coverage), most of them coming from small producers with between 1 and 5 hectares.
The main objectives we have been working on at landscape scale for the last five years are:
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Strengthen governance systems between the different actors involved in the programme to ensure viability and sustainability in the sector.
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Contribute to more sustainable palm oil production in the region.
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Mitigate impacts and contribute to improving the quality of life of stakeholders.
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Ensure the protection and improvement of the quality of water bodies and other ecosystems.
In the implementation phase, three workshops have been held with practical activities for forests and water in palm landscapes, such as Landscape Management Tools, covering the management of native tree nurseries, the enrichment of forest fragments and the restoration and protection of water catchment areas. We have had a growing number of people participating in our workshops, with over 100 attendees, including members of local palm tree nuclei, representatives of organisations such as Fedepalma, Cenipalma and Fruto Social de la Palma, as well as small palm growers who provide the fruit of their work to these nuclei that are now part of this great project.
As we continue our work in the region, and begin our plans for the continuation of Phase 3 in 2024, we thank all the entities involved in making this programme possible, including the sponsorship of Cargill, the collaboration of the unions through Fedepalma and Cenipalma, as well as the dedication of the entire Proforest Latin America team that carries out the implementation.
Keep up with the latest updates on the programme's LinkedIn and Instagram.