The Kingdom of Norway and GGGI committed to extending their partnership to support the Government of Colombia (GoC) in halting deforestation and advocating sustainable development for a further three years. Phase I achieved significant national results in terms of a long-term Green Growth Policy (Conpes 3934) and the roll out of the subnational program in Antioquia, Meta and Nariño. For this new Phase II, subnational efforts will be extended to Guaviare and as to the Corporation for the Sustainable Development in the Southern Amazon (Corpoamazonia) to support a total of 5 jurisdictions. The project will strengthen the capacity of public national and subnational stakeholders to implement deforestation control and prevention and, to scale up the development and implementation of inclusive sustainability projects and initiatives which promote forest conservation, restoration and sustainable use of natural resources, while improving livelihoods, ecosystem services and resilience.
This new phase of partnership was developed to be in alignment with the GoC priorities that are established in the National Development Plan 2018-2020 “Pact for Colombia, pact for equity”. Committed to achieving the goals set out in the Plan, central level support will be given to the portfolios of the Ministries of Environment and Sustainable Development, Agriculture and Rural Development, Finance and Public Credit, as well as the National Planning Department, FINAGRO, IDEAM, among others. Likewise, regarding the subnational level, Phase II will promote selected Departmental and Municipal actions with national priorities, emphasizing on controlling deforestation and promoting a model of sustainable development, based on the promotion of nature tourism, sustainable livestock, non-timber forest products, and the forestry economy.
In a novel approach, the renewed partnership will develop a Project Preparation Facility (PPF) to support the structuring of environmentally and socially sustainable projects aligned with the priorities and potentials of the regions, and that will connect the projects with financial sources. Through facilitating the investment of mixed resources, the PPF is expected to mobilize at least US$30 million for green investment, with an eventual hand-over of this facility to the GoC.
Outcomes
Component 1 – Institutional effectiveness to reduce deforestation and to promote sustainable, productive, and socially inclusive landscapes strengthened.
Component 2 – Scale up of sustainable productive systems and implementation of restoration efforts from unproductive landscapes to socially inclusive and sustainable productive systems under a landscapes approach promoted.