Colombia: Minambiente to Train 1,000 Young Jungle Managers
In a significant initiative involving 1,000 youths from 14 municipalities with the highest deforestation rates in the Colombian Amazon, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development Susana Muhamad launched the second phase of the Escuela de Selva program.
This initiative is part of the National Government’s efforts to combat deforestation in the Colombian Amazon in collaboration with local communities. Over the past two years, unprecedented actions have led to a 61% decrease in deforestation in the region, thanks to the Deforestation Containment Plan spearheaded by the Ministry.
The launch took place simultaneously at 24 university sites and kicked off the first module of the diploma course on Strategic Ecosystems and Sustainable Forest Management. At the end of the program, 20 outstanding project proposals focused on biodiversity economy will receive seed funding of 15 million pesos.
The participants hail from municipalities historically affected by deforestation, including San Vicente del Caguán, Cartagena del Chairá, and Solano in Caquetá; Puerto Leguízamo and Puerto Guzmán in Putumayo; and several areas in Meta and Guaviare.
In this phase, each student will begin designing a sustainable development project from day one, applying their knowledge to create local solutions. José Yunis Mebarak, the program coordinator, emphasized that selected projects aim to transform social and ecological realities, protect natural heritage, and recognize the importance of forests in conservation.
The diploma program covers topics such as Amazonian Context and Territorial Planning, Environmental Education and Youth Participation, Strategic Ecosystems and Sustainable Forest Management, and Project Formulation and Jungle Economy Entrepreneurship. This free program, offered by the University of the Amazon, is geared toward future leaders committed to peace with nature and combating deforestation in the jungle.
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