Colombia would plant 180 million trees

On January 22, in the middle of the Davos World Economic Forum, Iván Duque announced that 180 million trees will be planted in Colombia with the aim of saving the Amazon. The president's plan includes that the communities, who inhabit these territories, would be responsible for caring for and protecting this vegetation.

Through his Twitter account, Duque said that “we accompany the initiative 'The Champions for 1 Trillion Trees Platform' that drives # WEF2020 . For our Government, the environment is a pillar, because climate change represents a challenge today. We have the goal, by 2022, to plant 180 million trees in Colombia.”

In statements collected by EFE, the president specified that by 2019, 24.7 million trees had already been planted. By 2020, 60 million more would be planted and he highlighted the creation of the National Council against Deforestation, conformed by the National Police, the Colombian Armed Forces, the Ministries of Environment, Justice and Defense, among others, and the campaign to fight against organizations that practice illegal logging.

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In addition to the announcement, Duque raised the possibility of creating “environmental services,” such as community members serving as forest rangers in those areas. "Indigenous communities have to be leaders in the protection of the Amazon," said the president.

According to El Tiempo, Duque also "launched the idea that cities that are in the Amazon are" biodiverse" cities, for which he proposed combining the knowledge of academics, an urban planning" that is not disruptive ", a adequate water management and active participation of the communities”.

In addition to referring to the massive planting of trees, the Colombian president also referred to the care of tropical forests to mitigate the effects of climate change. Also through Twitter, he said that "the protection of this ecosystem is a moral duty of all."