“We cannot distinguish the environment from the people who care for the land”

The debate was attended by community leaders from Europe, Africa and Latin America, public sector representatives, international experts, NGOs and CAF, which is promoting an agenda for the comprehensive development of Afro-descendant communities in Colombia and Latin America and the Caribbean, aimed at articulating the work of key stakeholders in bridging the current socioeconomic gaps.

“We cannot distinguish the environment from the people who take care of the land” And we do not want oil in our territory. We also need to make an effort to remove mercury from rivers,” said Asprilla.

Alicia Montalvo, Climate Action and Biodiversity manager at CAF, commented on the momentum that the organization is building in the Afro-Colombian agenda and the rest of the region, especially in relation to closing socioeconomic gaps and making new solutions visible. Regarding environmental protection, she stressed that local communities have a great opportunity thanks to nature-based solutions. “In Latin America and the Caribbean we need to promote nature-based solutions because they are a competitive advantage for climate action in the region. And nature-based solutions are community-based solutions,” Montalvo said.

During the panel, held at Colombia’s pavilion at COP27, experts explored sustainable development models for Afro-descendant communities. Francisco Canal, Colombia’s Vice Minister of Environment, said that water is the most solid element to adapt the territory to climate change, and stressed the need to reward families who take care of the country’s tropical forests. “There is no sustainable future if it does not go hand in hand with Afro-descendant communities,” said Canal.

David Lami, MP for the British Labour Party, said that the effects of climate change directly affect people of African descent, and that “we need the funds raised for losses and damages to reach all communities suffering the effects of global warming.”

According to Josefina Zuñiga, a Colombian community leader, more technical and financial investment is needed to carry out tourism projects and to protect life. “The jungle is always in our heads, and the water in our hearts,” Zúñiga said. For community leader Julio Guiti, there is potential in renewable energies to reduce inequalities in the region, and the actions they are taking are based on research, participation and comprehensive development of Afro-descendant communities. “We are 150 million people of African descent in Latin America and the Caribbean alone,” Guidi said.

The panel also featured Angélica Mayolo and Marcela Ángel, researchers at MIT, who have been developing technology-based solutions to address environmental problems such as deforestation, and commented on the importance of innovation in Afro-descendant communities and their role in climate change adaption. 

Jimena Niño, of the Juntanza Étnica association, explained: “In Colombia, despite the fact that almost 20% of the population is of African descent, we do not think about public policies with a differential approach; that means that we continue to focus on the problems and not on the solutions that these communities can offer. Because biodiversity and diverse populations are an opportunity for development and profitability.”

CAF is promoting an agenda in Colombia and Latin America and the Caribbean to achieve greater representation of Afro-descendant communities in the private sector, governments, the entrepreneurial ecosystem and international organizations. To that end, we are working with international players such as Jeffrey Sachs and the U.S. Department of State to ensure the viability and impact of their initiatives. CAF supports the Afro-descendant mission in the country through the Colombia Prosperity Program, a USD 1.2 billion credit facility that benefits subnational governments and focuses on poverty reduction and adaptation to climate change.