NaturAmazonas, Colombia’s signature reforestation and conservation project, made progress on multiple fronts in 2019. Since entering into a partnership in 2017 with NGO Conservation International, Gran Tierra has committed to contributing USD $13 million over eight years to this large-scale reforestation and conservation project in the Putumayo.

The NaturAmazonas project is a key component of the company’s efforts to utilize, to help restore and protect the Andes-Amazon corridor, one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. One of the project’s major goals is to reforest 1,000 hectares and to secure and maintain 18,000 hectares of adjoining forests. It is expected that the actions developed by NaturAmazonas will contribute to reducing deforestation in the Amazonian foothills by at least 20% by 2021.

A very important factor in NaturAmazonas’ success is in helping people understand how sustainable forest practices can help increase their standards of living. To maximize its benefits for local communities in the Putumayo, the project focuses on four initiatives: Socioeconomic Activities, Sustainable Production, Knowledge Generation and Inter-Agency Coordination.