Deforestation in Colombia

The environment is constantly around us. The option of living without the environment isn't a viable choice since the majority of our resources come from the environment but this doesn't give us the right to wrongly treat the environment. Actual, this should encourage us to treat the environment with respect. Us, humans have a moral obligation to protect and preserve the environment around us. If not for ourselves, we should at least treat the environment in a way that will benefit for the next generation to come. We might not see the personal results of being environment friendly but the next generation will since we witness the benefits and consequences from the previous generations. We must start living in a way that encourages positive long term living.

The large drug presence in Colombia is affecting environmental issues in the country. The government is struggling to maintain and stop deforestation, the act of clearing trees without planting new growth, in the Amazon. The Amazon makes up over one third of the land in Colombia and it's getting cleared mostly to grow coca plants. Coca plants are grown for farming of coca but what primarily drives the reason for deforestation is that the plant happens to be "the raw material for cocaine.."

Deforestation in the Colombian Amazon 

Drug groups such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, grows coca to finance its illegal activities. To create more cocaine, one must increase the amount of coca grown. The amount of land destroyed from deforestation keeps on continuing within the Amazon Rain Forest.





The increasingly amount of destruction that is happening to the Amazon is very saddening but there are many groups fighting for the forest, wildlife, and for the many indigenous groups that call this rain forest home.

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is working with the Colombians to preserve the ecosystem and wildlife in the Colombian Amazon Forest. Over half of the amphibian species found in the forest are endangered. Preserving these animals the environment they live in means life and death for some of these species. As a result, WCS works with the people and studies the environment represented in the Amazon forest to find a balance of life in Colombia that protects the environment while encouraging growth in society.

Tequendma Falls in Colombia, South America

Another group that does environmental group and that is present in Colombia is The Nature Conservancy. The Nature Conservancy is working with indigenous communities in Colombia to help preserve their culture and heritage since the destruction of the Amazon is destroying their homeland. In addition, the environmental group is watching deforestation to provide data for the Colombian government. Lastly, they are preserving unique wildlife by expanding a protected park land to house these rare species of wildlife found in the Amazon.

As the Colombian government is growing stronger and fighting against large guerrilla groups, they have more influence to help prevent deforestation and the growth of coca. Hopefully, in the next years to come, the Amazon Rain Forest will be protected so the species and groups of people may continue in their natural environment.