The Ombudsman's Office warns that the country's strategic ecosystems are at risk and that the Colombian Massif is losing biodiversity

The two documents warn of serious threats to ecosystems from legal and illegal mining, deforestation and the expansion of illicit crops. According to the Ombudsman, Iris Marín Ortiz, these problems "not only contaminate water resources, but also destroy vital ecosystems, endangering flora, fauna and communities, especially because there is a lack of institutional control".

The conservation of protected areas is highly threatened, as at least 75 of the country's most important biodiversity areas are located in mining concessions, and there is a high risk of losing the defenders of nature, i.e. the community itself, as evidenced by reports from the Ombudsman's Office.

Furthermore, in the Macizo Colombiano ecoregion, where the Andean, Amazon and Pacific biomes converge and which contains 26.8% of the country's marshlands, biodiversity is threatened by the expansion of intensive agriculture, illegal mining and deforestation, as these activities destroy habitats, alter ecological cycles and affect the quality of water and soil.

Climate change poses a significant threat by altering rainfall and temperature patterns, affecting ecosystems and species that depend on specific climatic conditions. The lack of up-to-date data also makes it difficult to make informed decisions and implement appropriate conservation measures.

In addition, the presence of armed conflicts creates an environment of insecurity that hinders the implementation of conservation policies and the ability of communities to manage their natural resources in a sustainable manner.

The entity made more than 50 recommendations to various national and local institutions for the conservation, protection and preservation of strategic ecosystems and biodiversity.

In accordance with the Biodiversity Policy, the entity also asked the communities, the productive sectors and, once again, the environmental authorities to evaluate more precisely the values associated with the use and exploitation of natural resources in the framework of the integral management of biodiversity, taking into variables that favor the effective guarantee of human rights.

In general, it asked the national government, headed by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, and the Congress of the Republic to deepen the intervention of threats and vulnerabilities that give rise to risk scenarios on strategic ecosystems and biodiversity of the country.

It also asks the Ministry of Education to include environmental education programs; the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to promote sustainable agricultural practices and the regulation of the use of agrochemicals, ensuring training for farmers on their proper management and impact on environmental health.

"In addition, istrative measures for individual and collective protection are necessary to safeguard the life, liberty and integrity of human rights defenders and environmental leaders," the Ombudsman added.

EDWIN CAICEDO

Environment and Health Journalist

@CaicedoUcros