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https://theconversation.com/as-colombia-hosts-a-un-biodiversity-summit-its-own-amazonian-rainforest-is-in-crisis-241776>
"The city of Cali, in Colombia, is hosting the UN’s 16th biodiversity summit,
known as Cop16. The summit, which runs until Friday, November 1, is focused on
how countries will fulfil previous pledges to protect at least 30% of the
world’s land and water and restore 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030.
It’s a noble aim, yet Colombia itself shows just how far we have to go.
If you travel south east from Cali, over the Andes mountains, you drop into the
Amazon basin. From there, rainforest stretches for hundreds of kilometres to
the border with Brazil – and far beyond. This rainforest is the main reason
Colombia ranks as the fourth most biodiverse country in the world. Nowhere else
has as many species of birds. Only Brazil and China have more trees.
But the region is experiencing an environmental crisis. I recently completed a
PhD on the northern Colombian Amazon, in which I tracked how the rainforest is
fast being deforested and turned into pastures for cattle ranches. I
particularly looked at how this affects hotspots of plant and animal life in
rugged valleys on the Amazonian side of the Andes – spectacularly biodiverse
places even by Colombian standards – and looked at what can be done to protect
them.
This is not an easy part of the world in which to do such work – the NGO Global
Witness ranks Colombia as the single most dangerous country for environmental
defenders. While documenting legal and illegal cattle ranching, I was often
reminded to be aware of exactly who I was contacting and to be wary of which
questions I was asking.
Activists and researchers often face violence from those who profit from
deforestation, and I had to work closely with organisations and authorities
that secured own safety. Very harrowing experiences are not uncommon.
Despite these risks, many continue their efforts, driven by a deep commitment
to protecting the Amazon and its biodiversity. Their bravery only underscores
the urgent need for stronger protections and enforcement."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
