ORIGEN ATRATO BAUDÓ REDD+ PROJECT
-Rosa Mosquera
COCOMOPOCA
There are families who cut wood to generate an income because there is no other option to survive. If the project reaches these communities, people will have a second option and they will stop logging or at least if they do they will do it in a more controlled way. Out of necessity, people are sometimes forced to destroy the very land that they and their ancestors have always used.
15k
COMMUNITY
PARTNERS
103,889
HECTARES OF
FOREST PROTECTED
8
ENDANGERED
SPECIES PROTECTED
343,528
tCO2e EMISSIONS
AVOIDED PER YEAR
OVERVIEW
The Atrato river is one of the most important navigable rivers in Colombia. Originating near the town of Quibido, this powerful river supports life throughout the department of Chocó and eventually flows into the Caribbean Sea. Protecting the tropical forests near the origin of this river is critical for safeguarding the ecosystem. These tropical rainforests are some of the most biodiverse in the world, with numerous wildlife species, such as the Baudo Oropendola (Psarocolius cassini), existing nowhere else.
The collective territories of three Community Councils, COCOSAI, COCOVICO, and COCOMOPOCA, are made up of Afro-descendant families who have been located in the Chocó region since the 1900s. For the most part, these communities’ ancestors were enslaved Africans who found a home in the area. Over the years, they have built their own ways of knowing and relating to the territory, based on religious and spiritual beliefs, the creation of ethno-ecological knowledge and new forms of political organization protected by Colombian legislation. With a legacy of passionate conservation efforts, these communities achieved a historic milestone in 2016 when the Atrato Baudo river was granted legal personhood, with specific rights to protection, conservation, maintenance, and restoration. Despite this legal triumph, the area continues to face threats of deforestation from illegal logging, unplanned agricultural expansion, and industrialized gold mining.
PROJECT STRATEGY
THREAT TO THE FOREST
The rainforests of the Atrato Baudo region face a multitude of threats. Deforestation driven by illegal logging, agricultural expansion, and gold mining threatens these ancient forests. Deforestation in Colombia is the result of a complex combination of historical and socio-economic factors. Deforestation driven by illegal logging, unplanned agricultural expansion, and gold mining threatens these ancient forests.
Industrialized mining operations, particularly for gold, have put the landscape under further pressure. New mining techniques can pollute the rivers with heavy metals and chemicals like mercury and cyanide, effectively poisoning the ecosystem's lifeblood.
The Atrato Baudo region has also experienced conflicts over land tenure and resource ownership, often involving indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities. These conflicts can result in land grabbing, displacement of communities, and further degradation of the rainforest.
PROJECT STRATEGY
In response to the threats that loom over the forests of Atrato Baudo, COCOSAI, COCOVICO, and COCOMOPOCA communities and Wildlife Works co-created the Origen Atrato-Baudó REDD+ Project (OABRP).
The actions that will reduce deforestation and forest degradation in this project area are aligned with the goals identified during the first meetings with the communities and during the Free, Prior and Informed Consent process. These actions are aimed at launching four main activities:
1) Increased protection of the forests and biodiversity
2) Strengthening territorial autonomy
3) Development of sustainable economic alternatives
4) Adaptation to climate change
THE DETAILS
START DATE: DECEMBER, 2019
DURATION: 30 YEARS
PROJECT TYPE: Avoiding Unplanned Deforestation and/or Degradation (AUDD)
BIODIVERSITY
The project area provides habitat to endangered species such as the Great Green Macaw, jaguars, and Baudo's Mochilero (*Endemic). In addition to protecting the standing forest, community members and Wildlife Works have rehabilitated 471.3 hectares of riverbanks formerly degraded by illegal mining. Over 200,000 seedlings of six species of trees and shrubs have been planted and are regularly monitored for survival.
EDUCATION
A total of 2,148 leaders have undergone comprehensive training in REDD+, climate change, leadership, productive activities, environmental conservation, governance, and gender equality, from which 688 were women and 71 were young. Additionally, families are already adopting new, sustainable economic practices.
GENDER EQUITY
4 women-led initiatives utilized early carbon investments to establish a bakery enterprise within the Community Council of COCOMOPOCA. These initiatives not only contribute to economic empowerment but also foster community resilience and self-sufficiency.
STRENGTHENED GOVERNANCE
The project has brought about significant advancements in governance processes within local communities, fostering inclusivity and collaboration. A total of 664 women and 870 men actively participated in decision-making events, ensuring diverse representation and equitable participation. Moreover, the project facilitated 8 instances of inter-ethnic and/or inter-institutional conciliation, promoting harmony and cooperation among different groups. Additionally, the formulation and update of three self-government instruments have empowered communities to exercise greater autonomy and self-determination.
SUSTAINABLE JOB CREATION
360 people have received income from activities related to the REDD+ Project, of whom 161 were women.
IMPACT
HIGHLIGHTS
The three partner organizations who own this project are composed of Afro-descendant families, whose ancestors were African slaves taken by the Spaniards en masse to the Chocó region at the end of the seventeenth century to work in the mining centers of the Atrato and San Juan rivers (Díaz, 2009). Over the years, Afro-descendant communities have built their own ways of knowing and relating to the territory and nature, based on religious and spiritual beliefs, the creation of ethno-ecological knowledge, and new forms of political organization created by the Colombian government.
The Atrato-Baudó Origin REDD+ Project includes 56 local councils, gathered in collective territories of three major Community Councils of black communities. These communities represent 3,057 families and a population of 15,993 people. The community councils that own the Project are:
COMMUNITY COUNCIL OF SAN ISIDRO (COCOSAI)
MAJOR COMMUNITY COUNCIL OF THE POPULAR PEASANT ORGANIZATION OF ALTO ATRATO (COCOMOPOCA)
MAJOR COMMUNITY COUNCIL OF VILLA CONTO (COCOVICO)
COMMUNITY STORIES
ARTICLE 01
PHOTO STORYTELLING CONTEST
This contest was initiated to discover the artistic talents of community members and motivate individuals to discover different ways to tell their own stories.
ARTICLE 02
"PROFESSOR IN YOUR HOUSE" COLLABORATION
Wildlife Works partnered with a national television program in Colombia to spread information about the importance of the Atrato Baudó region.
THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS
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° Ateles fusciceps
SPIDER MONKEY
The spider monkey, native to the tropical forests of Central and South America, is known for its long limbs and prehensile tail, which it uses for nimbly climbing and swinging through trees. These agile primates are highly social and live in groups, exhibiting complex social behaviors and communication. Interestingly, spider monkeys lack thumbs, which enhances their grip on branches. Unfortunately, they face significant threats due to habitat destruction from deforestation, hunting, and the illegal pet trade. As a result, this species is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN Red List.
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° Panthera Onca
JAGUAR
Jaguars are the largest cat species in South America, and have great ecological, cultural, and spiritual significance. It is estimated that around 15,000 jaguars remain in Colombia, and about 170,000 jaguars persist in the Americas as a whole. The species once stretched from the southern United States to northern Argentina, but its range has since been halved and the species is extinct in several countries, due to the primary threats of habitat loss, illegal trade, hunting, and climate change.
°Ara ambiguus
GREAT GREEN MACAW
With its bright shades of green, the Great Green Macaw is unlikely to be confused with any other bird. The Great Green Macaw is the third heaviest parrot on our planet, and can live up to 70 years. A social bird, Great Green Macaws live in family groups of around five or six individuals, which patrol small home ranges for fruiting trees where they can feed. Due to habitat loss and the illegal pet trade, this species is considered Critically Endangered by the IUCN.
° Psarocolius cassini
BAUDÓ OROPENDOLA
The Baudó oropendola is a striking bird native to the rainforests of Colombia. Sporting vibrant black and yellow plumage, the males showcase their pendulous, basket-like nests, which are meticulously woven from vines. The Baudó oropendola faces severe threats to its conservation. The Chocó rainforest, its primary habitat, is under relentless pressure from deforestation, driven by logging, agriculture, and infrastructure development. Additionally, climate change further exacerbates the challenges, altering the delicate balance of the ecosystem which it relies on.
THE
BIODIVERSITY
The Atrato-Baudó Origin REDD+ Project is located in the Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena bioregion, also known as Chocó-Darién, which is considered one of the world's top ten biodiversity hotspots. The predominant ecosystem in the project area is the tropical lowland rainforest, characterized by a heterogeneous composition and a high degree of endemism.
Within the territory there are species threatened with extinction, according to the IUCN Red List, due to the loss and fragmentation of their habitat. In partnership with community members, a biodiversity monitoring strategy will be implemented, which will track the changes in biodiversity resultant of the project's activities. In order for the biodiversity monitoring to be regular and sustainable, the capacities of community members are being strengthened through several training sessions.
Plus de 113 000 hectares de forêt tropicale protégés.
The project area contains areas of very humid tropical forest which transitions to tropical rainforest, characterized by temperatures above 24°C and rainfall ranging between 5,000 and 7,000 mm. These ecosystem particularities provide optimal habitat conditions for a rich diversity of flora and fauna that have led to this region to be classified as one of the most biodiverse in the country and the continent, with unique endemic species. Unfortunately, deforestation in these areas has been driven by activities such as timber extraction, the expansion of the agricultural frontier, illicit crops, unplanned construction, the creation of new road accesses, and open-pit itinerant mining.
Threatened plant species include Colombian Mahogany (Cariniana pyriformis), Spanish Cedar (Cedrela odorata), and Chaveo (Aniba Perutilis), both of which have significant ecological, medicinal and cultural value.
THE FOREST
MAI NDOMBE
DRC
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Mai Ndombe REDD+ project protects 300,000 hectares of tropical rainforest.
PACIFIC ECOREGION
COLOMBIA
In the Pacific Coastal Ecoregion of Colombia, we have 3 projects in development to protect 500,000 hectares of forest.
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