Funds for environment in Colombia total USD 663,218 in 2010

(Bogotá, November 18, 2010).- With a contribution for Prevention of Risks in the Colombian-Venezuelan Guajira, CAF is completing its technical cooperation operations in 2010 for Colombia and reaffirming its commitment to developing environmental management projects for public and private corporations in Colombia.

"We consider the environment as a cross-cutting and interconnecting component of social, economic and cultural development." As a result, CAF is helping Colombia with conservation and sustainable use of natural resources and ecosystems, incorporating criteria and principles of sustainability in the long term," Víctor Traverso, CAF director representative in Colombia, said

In a related development, on November 9 this year a technical cooperation grant was approved for the government of Nariño department, to support the process of documentation, compilation of content, selection and editing of the audiovisual and photographic record, and systematization, editing, publishing and distribution of the Reports of the Second International Meeting of Andean Cultures-Biodiversity.

These two disbursements, together with four more initiatives managed by Corambiente Foundation, the Municipal Government of Agustin Codazzi and the ministries of the Environment and Justice, complete the map of non-reimbursable funds delivered by the CAF Environment Department in Colombia during 2010.

Operation	Executing agency	Approval date	General objective
Strengthen bio-strategies for vulnerable populations in Santander and Norte de Santander	Corambiente Foundation	August 06, 2010	Improve the living conditions of 800 families relocated from the Colombian northeast by establishing and consolidating organizational processes related to production and marketing of organic food
Design the management and strategies plan for restoration of the river basins of the Magiriamo and Maracas rivers in Cesar department	Agustin Codazzi municipality	August 16, 2010	Design strategies for recovery of mining and environmentally important areas considered priority for sustainability of water supply in the Magiriaimo and Maracas rivers basins in Cesar department
Technical assistance for the institutional reform process in MAVDT	Min. Environment, Housing and Land Development	September 8, 2010	Provide technical assistance to the ministry of Environment, Housing and Land Development (MAVDT) for the institutional adjustment process which the entity is implementing in response to the priorities set by the new Colombian administration.
Grant for the national contingency plan for forest fires response	Ministry of Interior and Justice	February 11, 2010	Support risk management with provision of specialized equipment, materials and inputs needed for preparing air and land response brigades to combat frequent forest fires.
Vulnerability and climate change in the Venezuelan-Colombian Guajira	Corpoguajira	November 09, 2010	Assistance for Risk Prevention in the Colombian-Venezuelan Guajira by structuring a strategy to mitigate impact of natural hazards, reduce the vulnerability of the population, and respond to climate change phenomena.
Second Meeting of Latin-American Cultures - Biodiversity	Nariño departmental government	November 09, 2010	Support the process of documentation, compilation of content, selection and editing of the audiovisual and photographic record, systematization, editing, publication and distribution of the Reports of the Second International Meeting of Andean Cultures.

CAF’s commitment to the environment is part of its long-term policy objective of supporting sustainable development, conservation of biodiversity, risk prevention and mitigation of the effects of climate change, among others.