Biodiversity — Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (Bio-REDD+)

Project Dates: September 2011 - May 2015
In Colombia, the government, local communities, and the private sector have collaborated to mitigate climate change and conserve biodiversity.

In recent years, deforestation in Colombia has more than doubled, and climate change has increased the frequency of extreme weather, threatening ecosystems and biodiversity. In response, the USAID Biodiversity — Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (Bio-REDD+) project collaborated with the Colombian government to equip communities to sustainably manage their environmental resources. To mitigate climate change, Bio-REDD+ helped communities become eligible to earn marketable carbon credits in exchange for conserving their forests and investing in sustainable income-generating activities. In partnership with the private sector, Bio-REDD+ also worked with small-scale gold miners to formalize and legalize their mining operations and introduce them to improved practices, like no-mercury processing.