By: Ing. Forestry Manuel Manjarres Altahona

Specialized Professional group of Ecosystems and Biodiversity Corpoguajira

What are Payments for Environmental Services?

Payments for environmental services (PSA) They are a class of financial instruments designed to provide incentives to forest users, so as to continue offering a service that environmental ecological benefits society as a whole. Clean air, soil conservation, fresh water, food production, climate regulation, protection of biodiversity and carbon storage are just some of the environmental benefits we receive from forests (In economic terms, we call "environmental services or ecosystem").

What is Bank2 and how it works?

It is one of the major payment schemes for environmental services (PSA) from Colombia; contributes to benefit the environment, increases the resilience, sustainability and strengthen peace in the territories, improving quality of life.

In addition, It helps to reduce social conflict and armed in different territories and communities.

We bet from CORPOGUAJIRA:

• Conservation of strategic ecosystems, the goods and services offered and environmental and cultural biodiversity of our territory guajiro.
• Strengthening of sustainable productive projects for rural families and communities associated, contributing to improving their quality of life.
• Building peace within the framework of the Colombian post-conflict, transforming lives and preserving territories.

And to achieve this aim:

Improve the quality of life of rural communities.

Keep, protect and restore ecosystems strategic.

Increase equity and inclusion.

Strengthen social resilience and climate.

Build trust between the private sector, the public and communities.

Under the commitment and support of companies like HOCOL, PETROBRAS, BANCOLOMBIA and storehouses SUCCESS, en el departamento de La Guajira, currently protect and conserve 406 hectares of natural forest, which they are located in strategic ecosystems of regional protected areas Cerro Bañaderos (municipalities of Riohacha and Hatonuevo) and the Serrania de Perija DMI (municipalities of Barrancas and Fonseca) directly benefiting twenty (20) peasant families, committed daily to the conservation of fauna or flora found in the place they inhabit, creating awareness in every human being on the importance of conserving species on the planet.