COP16: Norway Pledges To Help Colombia With $22 Million In Its Efforts Against Deforestation

Conservation of biodiversity and the environment should be a top priority in today’s world. This conservation has been taken up by the COP16, which is the United Nations Biodiversity Conference of the Parties. A press release from the Norwegian government stated that Norway has promised Colombia 220 million Norwegian kroner ($22 million) to help with its efforts against deforestation. This release came at the COP16 summit happening in Cali, Colombia.

Why Has Norway Promised To Help Colombia Against Deforestation?

Norway has been partnering with Colombia since 2015, focusing on sustainable development, indigenous rights, and reforestation in vulnerable areas, as reported by Xinhua news agency. Under a results-based agreement, Norway and Colombia have been working together to enhance law enforcement and forest conservation.

Norway has allocated three-year funding to combat illegal deforestation and environmental crime, support small farmers’ livelihoods, and strengthen indigenous rights for better forest land management, amidst increasing pressure from illegal actors.

Norway’s Climate and Environment Minister, Tore Sandvik, announced this funding against deforestation at the COP16 Biodiversity Summit in Columbia to enhance rainforest conservation and combat illegal activities threatening biodiversity in the region.

In the press release, Tore Sandvik mentioned that protecting Colombia’s enormous biodiversity is important for the environment globally and that the country’s deforestation rate hit a 23-year low last year. He also commends Colombia for its accomplishments in lowering deforestation, which demonstrate the efficacy of focused actions.

Also Read: Tourism Banned In Colombia’s Sacred Laguna Verde Lake; Indigenous Pastos Community Guards The Lake To Preserve Its Glory

COP16: A Move To Conserve Biodiversity

COP16 is a biodiversity conservation summit that started on October 21 in Cali, South America. COP16 is a platform for Colombia to showcase its global leadership. The event attracts 15,000 attendees and includes heads of state, ministers, and journalists. Colombia aims to assert its regional and global leadership in this crucial event, despite a tense security context. The summit is considered the world’s most important event in this area.

COP16 presents Colombia with an opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to biodiversity conservation, as the summit will review the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’s implementation, aiming to reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. The monitoring framework of COP16 will evaluate progress towards national goals and targets.

Also Read: Ghana Battles 70% Surge in Deforestation; 18,000 Hectares Lost In 2022 Alone!

Follow up on the COP16 summit to know more about this initiative for our environmental conservation.

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