The UN Development Program will invest 7 billion pesos ($2.2 million) this year to support efforts against deforestation in Colombia.

The goal, UNDP said in a statement, is to support the design and implementation of the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, or REDD+, program in Colombia.

Colombia lost 140,356 hectares (365,560 acres) of woodland in 2014.

UNDP is working with the Colombian government and other UN agencies to achieve a 25 percent reduction in the deforestation rate by 2018, the statement said.

Colombia retains 50 percent of its forests, covering roughly 60 million hectares (148.1 million acres), and is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world.

Besides preserving woodlands, the program aims to promote the wellbeing of people living in or near forests.

UNDP has earmarked roughly $4.1 million for the implementation of REDD+ in Colombia, which began in January 2015 and is due to conclude in December 2017.

The REDD+ initiative “goes beyond deforestation and forest degradation, and includes the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks,” according to the UN-REDD Web site.

Latin American Herald Tribune |