Bogotá, September 11, 2024 – Colombia celebrates National Biodiversity Day, a key date to remember the great natural wealth of the country and an invitation to make Peace with Nature through actions for its conservation and care.
“The COP16, which we will host this year, will be the scenario to reconcile with our ecosystems and work from all sectors in a country project that allows us to conserve our natural wealth and internalize what it means to live in one of the most biodiverse countries in the world and the importance of that biodiversity for the welfare of our population, and the social and economic development of the country,”said the Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Susana Muhamad.
On National Biodiversity Day, Colombia launches a call to make Peace with Nature and protect all forms of life in the country's main newspapers.
Colombia has about 10% of all global biodiversity and 79,828 registered species of flora and fauna,which makes it a critical point for the conservation of ecosystems, for example, the Amazon and the Andean region are essential for the regulation of climate and biodiversity in the world.
“We are the convergence of the Andes, the Amazon, the Caribbean, the Pacific and the Orinoquia, an incomparable corner of South America. That is why, in this COP16, Colombia is inviting the world to make Peace with Nature,”said Muhamad.
Starting on October 21 and for two weeks, Colombia will be the epicenter of the most important environmental conversation on biodiversity to advance the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework and ensure that global conservation and sustainability commitments are translated into concrete actions.
During COP16, countries' progress on their action plans will be reviewed, which will help define future priorities. Progress will also be made in developing a monitoring framework and mobilizing resources to address the biodiversity crisis. Decisions taken here will directly impact the protection of species and ecosystems around the world.
With 79,828 recorded species, Colombia ranks as the fourth most biodiverse country in the world.
Radiography of biodiversity in Colombia
Colombia is the fourth most biodiverse country in the world, surpassed only by Brazil, Indonesia and China. It ranks first in bird, orchid and butterfly species; second in diversity of amphibians, freshwater fish, palms and bats; and sixth in mammal species.
According to figures from Colombia's Biodiversity Information System, it is estimated that there are between 200,000 and 900,000 species in the country, however, only 79,828 have been registered, 6% more than the 75,156 registered in 2022. Antioquia, Valle del Cauca, Meta, Cundinamarca and Santander are the departments with the most species recorded.
Colombia also stands out for its great endemism, species that are only found in the country. To date there are 8,497 registered endemic species: 84 species of birds, 62 mammals, 6,212 plants and lichens, 413 freshwater fish, 717 coleoptera, 419 amphibians and 219 butterflies.
COP16, to be held this year in Cali from October 21 to November 1, represents a unique opportunity to join efforts among all sectors in the conservation of biodiversity in the country and the world.
In the country, 2,104 species are in some degree of threat, as follows: 466 critically endangered, 800 endangered and 838 in vulnerable status.Species such as the Orinoco caiman, the Colombian tapir, the white-headed marmoset and the blue-billed curassow are in some degree of threat in the country.
According to the Alexander von Humboldt Institute,changes in land and sea use, pollution, the introduction of invasive exotic species, the opening of illegal roads, and illegal trafficking of species are the main drivers of biodiversity loss in Colombia.
These causes are associated with problems such as land grabbing, illegal activities (e.g. illegal mining and illicit crops), extractivist models such as the exploitation of fishery resources and extensive cattle ranching, low control of illegality in the territories, and incentives that promote activities such as deforestation.