National Biodiversity Policy
Biodiversity is defined as the variation in life forms and expresses itself
through genetic, population, species, communities, ecosystems and landscape diversity.
Biodiversity is very important because of the environmental services, which derive from it
and because of its multiple uses: biological diversity provide our feeding and also
natural fibers. The water we drink and the air we breath are linked to natural cycles with
high dependency on biodiversity, the productive capacity of the soil depends on its
biological diversity and many other environmental facilities on which our survival
depends. From a biological perspective, diversity is vital because it allows to the human
population and other species the possibility of adapting to environmental changes.
Biodiversity is also the world’s foremost biological asset and presents critical
options for its sustainable development.Colombia is one of the countries with the highest biological diversity, since it possesses near 10% of the world’s diversity whilst occupying only 0.7% of the continent’s surface. Traditional communities have used this biodiversity and it is the direct or indirect base of numerous productive activities so it plays a strategic role in national development, and for the future prospects of sustainable use.
The importance of Biodiversity, as well as the adoption of measures for its conservation, sustainable use and the distribution of benefits which derive from it, are outlined in the Convention on Biological Diversity , ratified by Colombia through Law number 165, 1994. The National Biodiversity Policy establishes a general and long-term frame to direct the national strategies on this topic. The current policy is based on three strategies: conservation, knowledge and sustainable use of biodiversity. The document also identifies the instruments to facilitate the implementation of the policy through actions relating to education and participation, legislative and institutional development and economic incentives and investments.
The conservation strategy includes in-situ conservation measures and throughout the protected areas, the reduction of processes and activities that cause loss or damage to biodiversity, the recuperation of degraded ecosystems and threatened species. The knowledge strategy involves the characterization of elements of biodiversity at the ecosystem, population, species and genetic level; and the recuperation of traditional knowledge and practices. The use strategy seeks to incentive the use of sustainable management systems, the establishment of germoplasm banks and biotechnology programs, the design and implementation of biodiversity multicriteria valuation systems and mechanisms for an equal distribution of the benefits derived of its use. It also includes measures to promote the sustainable use of the economic potential of biodiversity.
Download National Biodiversity Policy document (Spanish version) in MS Word 6.0 Format
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