Pacific Forest Communities (Returning Soon)

Colombia

Pacific Forest Communities (Returning Soon)

$20.00 — available on subscription

Provide clean water, scholarships, and health centres to more than 60,000 people from rural Afro- and indigenous communities.

Protect over half a million hectares of forest and mangroves on Colombia’s lush Pacific coast, and lock up seven million tonnes of carbon emissions.

Save this forest now.


Sustainable Development Goals

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Key facts

  • Protects more than 500,000 hectares of forests and endangered animals like macaws, jaguars, and toucans
  • Protects a huge range of biodiversity and thousands of species of plants and animals, many at risk of extinction
  • Provides jobs and training for indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities to achieve sustainable economic growth, and improves access to healthcare, education, energy, and basic services

More info

Colombia is one of the world’s 12 megadiverse countries and home to ~ 10% of the world’s animal and plant species. Its Pacific coast is rich in forests and wildlife, and the territory of Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities. But illegal timber extraction, often the only source of income for one of the country’s poorest areas, has caused forests to be converted to agriculture and pasture. The Pacific Forest Communities (PFC) projects aim to generate alternative economic activities and to build capacity in administration, governance, and management.

Project Photos

A canoe on the beach in the Pacific Forest Communities, Colombia.
A farmer holding acai berries in one of the Pacific Forest Communities projects along the Colombian Pacific coast.
A community member in traditional dress sits in a boat in the Pacific Forest Communities project.
The Pacific Forest Communities project is home to endangered birds like this spectacular black-and-chestnut eagle. Photo credit: Daniel Mideros.
Community members in one of the Pacific Forest Communities projects, Colombia.
A river in the Pacific Forest Communities, Colombia.
A great curassow, one of many special and endangered birds protected by the Pacific Forest Communities project in Colombia.
A worker holds cocoa beans during processing in the Pacific Forest Communities project in Colombia.
A woman with produce in the Pacific Forest Communities, Colombia.
A tropical beach along the Colombian Pacific coast in the Pacific Forest Communities.
The Pacific Forest Communities project protects endangered species like the oncilla cat.
A river and bridge in the Pacific Forest Communities project, Colombia.
A girl drawing in one of the Pacific Forest Communities projects, Colombia.
Community members discussing banana agroforestry in the Pacific Forest Communities project, Colombia.
Wetlands in one of the Pacific Forest Communities projects, Colombia.

Project Impacts

Biodiversity & Ecosystems

Characterized by a variety of ecosystems from tropical rainforests to coastal mangroves and wetlands, Colombia’s Pacific coast has incredible native biodiversity. PFC activities to reduce deforestation and degradation will improve and restore biodiversity, enabling forests to return to an approximately natural state within 15 years. Unique animal species, vegetation, and threatened ecosystems create high conservation values throughout the terrain.

 

Community Development

More than 8,000 families and 40,000 people, including 20 Afro-Colombian community councils and indigenous councils, are benefiting from PFC work to strengthen local institutions, build governance capacity, and improve the equitable distribution of benefits and the preservation of cultural values. The projects are also providing healthcare, education, clean water, sanitation, and alternative livelihoods, including eco-tourism and sustainable commodities such as acai, cocoa, and coconut.

 

Emissions Reductions & Certifications

PFC will prevent the emissions of 70 million tonnes of CO2 over its 30-year lifetime, validated and verified under the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS). It has also achieved CCB Gold status for exceptional community benefits.

 

Endangered Species

PFC is home to many endemic and/or endangered species such as the pavón, a large bird that is critically endangered due to hunting for food and habitat loss, and to vulnerable species like the tigrillo, brown-headed spider monkey, leatherback turtle, giant anteater, black-and-chestnut eagle, golden eagle, and guayacama. The region also hosts many endangered tree species that are prized for their high-value timber, including abarco (Colombian mahogany), nispero (sapodilla), cedar, and oak.

 

Location