Bogotá D.C., November 12, 2021

On October 7, 2021, the Habitat Bank of Cesar, situated in the Caribbean region, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, was officially registered with the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development. This Habitat Bank represents one of the last remaining relicts of the tropical dry forest. It is comprised of two strategic areas in the city of Valledupar and in the municipality of El Copey, with the objective of enabling the conservation of birds, plants, and mammals that are currently endangered by the fragmentation of the ecosystem.

“In the Department of Cesar, the phenomenon of deforestation has been particularly prevalent, beginning more than fifty years ago with the transient cultivation of cotton. This led to the mechanization of over two hundred thousand hectares of forests to cultivate the misnamed 'white gold'. Following its relatively short existence, it was replaced by extensive cattle raising, perpetuating the damaging phenomenon of soil erosion, which is becoming increasingly evident and challenging to reverse ”, states José Alfonso Martínez, owner of Banco de Hábitat.

This commitment to regional sustainable development is made possible by support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as part of the national strategy for biodiversity conservation in key ecosystems. Ximena García, USAID Biodiversity Advisor, states, “ Colombia is recognizing the immense value of its natural resources for the well-being of its people and future generations. Habitat Banks offer biodiversity conservation solutions by facilitating partnerships between the private sector, civil society, and international cooperation.” USAID's Natural Wealth Program, together with Terrasos' expertise, has supported establishing a Habitat Bank in Cesar, enhancing tropical dry forest conservation through private and landowner partnerships. ”.

The Habitat Bank of Cesar, together with the other three existing Habitat Banks in the country, leverages landowners' conservation interests to ensure the viability of natural resource protection. Our solution is an effective, innovative, and productive one that will remain relevant for the next 30 years. Companies can efficiently compensate for their impacts on biodiversity, obtaining measurable and demonstrable results in conservation.

Regarding this, José Alfonso Martínez also highlights, “Entities that, through environmental strategies like Habitat Banks, play an important and impactful role by enabling companies to fulfill their environmental compensation obligations more effectively and efficiently”.

The Habitat Bank in Cesar represents a valuable opportunity to alleviate pressures on the dry forest ecosystem through strategic land use change and the implementation of targeted restoration and conservation activities. This initiative is poised to generate significant employment opportunities in the region.

For Mariana Sarmiento, CEO of Terrasos, the Habitat Bank of Cesar is an important step in establishing a network of Habitat Banks. These will facilitate the implementation of environmental compensation obligations, contribute to closing gaps in biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration, and support the development and improvement of people's living conditions.

This project, which forms part of the initiative to protect ecosystems of high conservation interest in the department of Cesar, as well as the "Herencia Colombia" strategy, aims to manage more than 20 million hectares by increasing vegetation cover and enhancing the governance of Colombia's National System of Protected Areas and other complementary conservation strategies in sustainable landscapes.