Yopo, Colombia.
Restoring degraded land on the edge of the Amazon Basin

In Eastern Colombia in the department of Vichada, lie vast, isolated, and sparsely populated plains (fewer than one inhabitant per square kilometer). In this Amazonian transition zone, vegetation has been significantly reduced by decades of extensive cattle grazing and human-induced fires linked to ancestral hunting. Project Yopo restores 18,000 hectares of this landscape through native species reforestation. This will allow for ecosystem regeneration and connectivity, especially with El Tuparro National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

The Yopo project provides new economic opportunities to local populations (jobs for nurseries, planting…) and contributes to improve livelihoods (schools, water supply, training…).

The land is to be transformed into formally recognized nature reserve once restored. Permanence post crediting period is ensured by the creation of an endowment fund.