USAID/COLOMBIA FACT SHEET: PARAMOS & FORESTS  1PARAMOS & FORESTS ACTIVITY  
Promoting sustainable economic development while reducing emissions , 
deforestation  and forest degradation.  
OVERVIEW  
The Paramos and Forests Activity helps the Government of Colombia (GOC) meet its landscape -based 
climate change mitigation goals and strengthens local economic development.  The activity reduces 
emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), and improves local actors’ capacities to 
measure, report, and verify (MRV) emissions. The activity  also supports the creation of sustainable 
income revenue streams for participating Afro -Colombian and indigenous communities , and improves 
water resource management by protecting high alpine paramos ecosystems. This activity is implemented 
in 16 municipalities and runs from March 2018 -March 2025.  
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10USAID/COLOMBIA FACT SHEET: PARAMOS & FORESTS  2COMPONENTS  
PROTECTING TROP ICAL FORESTS  
Paramos & Forests supports eight Afro -Colombian and one indigenous community with the development 
of Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) projects.  These projects 
protect 650,000 hectares (Ha) of tropical forests on the paci fic coast and generate carbon credits to sell 
to companies looking to reduce their carbon tax liabilities. Income earned through these projects is 
reinvested in community infrastructure, social services, and governance activities.   
GENERATING  ENVIRONMENTA L SERVICES  INCOMES  
Paramos & Forests employs the Payment for Environmental Services (PES) mechanism that pays 
landowners to conserve ecosystems and maintain environment services.   The Activity uses PES to 
encourage communities to protect subalpine forests  (paramos) and the clean, drinkable water that the 
paramos provide to the Colombian population.  
PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE  
Paramos & Forests helps Colombian institutions , like the Ministry of Environment and the Environmental 
Studies Institute , develop and implement policies and regulations related to the national carbon market. 
This support emphasizes capacity building, technology transfer, and learning -by-doing .  
RESULTS  
●Produced the first batch of carbon credits and delivered them to the company PRODECO;
●Generated 6.1 million Verified Carbon Units, worth USD $2 4 million, from REDD+ projects;
●Awarded four grants to Af ro-Colombian and indigenous communities to develop new
environmentally friendly, productive projects in REDD+ territories;
●Awarded four grants to civil society organizations to reduce forest degradation and greenhouse
gas emissions  in paramos ecosystems;
●Produced the first batch of carbon credits and delivered them to the company PRODECO and
other 12 private corporations ;
●Designed and launched a financial and legal mechanism for a paramos PES to be implemented by
the Tolima Regional Autonomous Corporation ; and
●Signed collaboration agreements with key regional environmental authorities , like the Valle del
Cauca Regional Autonomous Corporation and the Hydrology, Meteorology, and Environmental
Studies Institute (IDEAM ), to develop comprehensive paramos management strategies .
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