Colombia is the only Latin American nation with Pacific and Caribbean coasts. And, the Amazon jungle, which produces 15% of the world's oxygen, covers 35% of Colombia.

Colombia is also the richest nation in terms of butterflies, pictured here, with 3,200 species.

In addition to the wealth of its rivers and lakes, Colombia’s marine territory is twice the size of Spain and is divided into 18 ecological regions, 9 in the Pacific and 9 in the Caribbean.

No country in the world has more frogs than Colombia.

Bird lovers would be at home in Colombia, which is also the richest nation in terms of bird species.

Each wild cat needs hundreds of hectares of land to live. How long will they survive, when illegal crops are destroying more and more of their territory?

This gold frog was registered by Conservation International in 2007. It could fit on the tip of your finger, having a length of 2 centimeters. It is highly poisonous. Its known habitat consists of 20 hectares in Cundinamarca.

This photograph is of Tarazá, Antioquia, a region that suffered severe landslides in May of 2007 due to deforestation caused to make way for coca plants. The landslides claimed the lives of 7, including 2 children.

The deforestation pictured here in La Macarena Park is harmful in and of itself because it reduces the total area of forest within the park. But, deforestation is also harmful because it fragments the forest that remains intact. Fragmentation can cause species migration and can make it more difficult for a species to reproduce, and thus, survive.

1 hectare slashed and burned will take between 100 and 600 years to recover. For each hectare of coca grown, 3 are cut down.

The consumption of each gram of cocaine thus implies the creation of 625 grams of waste and 200 milliliters of contaminated water.

These chemicals resist biodegradation and are toxic but are also highly mobile, capable of traveling great distances through a process of multiple cycles of evaporation and condensation known as the “grasshopper effect.”

Water sources are also used to get rid of chemical residues. Here is where waste such as ammonia, sulphuric acid and gasoline is dumped.

Colombia produces more fresh water than India or the continental United States.

Since the Al Gore movie was released, there are a lot of websites that will help you measure your carbon “footprint”. I wonder why no one has thought of figuring out the carbon “footprint” of a cocaine user?

We consider the silent environmental catastrophe caused by coca cultivation and cocaine production as ecocide.

The World Conservation Union lists this frog as critically endangered of extinction.

This bird that was discovered less than a year ago, most likely already faces danger of extinction due to coca crops.

The botanist who helped us create the map says that the saddest thing about cocaine´s ecocide is that we often don’t even know what we are losing.

COCA SEEDLINGS OUTSIDE OF BUENAVENTURA

Last October, Alex James, the bass player for British band Blur, came to visit us in Colombia to witness cocaine’s ecocide.The BBC documented his visit, which caused a great impact in the UK. Among the dozens of comments posted on the BBC’s site for the documentary was this one: “. I myself have tried cocaine but I don't think I will be taking it ever again.”

We think that the environmental effects of cocaine can become highly effective drug prevention tools. We are now formally working with Scotland and England on ways in which we can educate consumers about this.

National funding for Colombia’s parks was doubled from 2007 to 2008, reaching 7 million USD, the highest level in Colombia’s history.

70 thousand families have already been helped and 90 thousand families have signed up to become part of the program in the near future. Colombia has invested 201 million USD in this program. Families involved in the program have saved 18 million USD total of their own money.

64 Million USD invested by the Colombian government. 75 projects are currently in execution.

1,600 hectares of those eradicated in 2007 were located along Colombia’s frontier with Ecuador

Francisco Santos
Vice-president

Conservation in Colombia:
A Shared Responsibility
A hub of biodiversity threatened by cocaine

With a continental extension nearly the size of France and Spain together, Colombia is the most biodiverse nation per square kilometer in the world.

This area is comprised of ecosystems as varied as the Amazon, Andean, Caribbean and Pacific regions.

Páramo, El Cocuy, Boyacá

Colombia: A mega-diverse nation

In terms of plant species, Colombia is home to

35,000 plant species:
29% of them are endemic.

Bromelia sp.

2,000
species of
freshwater
fish: 10% of
the world’s
diversity.

Pseudoplatystoma tigrinum

In terms of animal species, Colombia is home to

Caiman. Tuparro National Park, Orinoquia

506 reptile species:
6% of the world’s diversity.

In terms of animal species, Colombia is home to

650 species of amphibians: 13% of the world’s diversity.

367 species are endemic.

In terms of animal species, Colombia is home to

Hummingbird with orchid

1800 bird species:
19% of the world’s diversity.

67 are endemic species.


In terms of animal species, Colombia is home to

447 species of mammals:
9.3% of the world’s diversity.

32 are endemic species.

Puma, Tuparro National Park, Orinoquia.

In terms of animal species, Colombia is home to

30 new species registered (with support from Conservation International) in the last 5 years…

…and counting.

Gold frog of Supatá (Atelopus sp.),

New species

But our forest is disappearing...

An estimated 200 thousand hectares of Colombian natural forest are lost each year, mostly due to illegal crops.

Central Andes

Devastation of wild areas

Over 2 million hectares, an area the size of Slovenia, have been clear cut to grow coca in the past 20 years.

Last year, 8,000 hectares of Colombia’s natural parks were destroyed to grow coca, including these in La Macarena National Park:

Pollution in Colombia´s jungle

The principal cause of air pollution in the Colombian jungle is
the burning of natural forest to make way for coca.

Valuable water sources are contaminated

The production of 1 kg of coca paste generates 600 kg of trash and
contaminates 200 lt of water.

Valuable water sources are contaminated

Among the chemicals most commonly used by coca growers are those
known as the “dirty dozen.”

Valuable water sources are contaminated

Cocaine labs use thousands of gallons of hot water, which are then
dumped into rivers, causing temperature changes that can destroy
aquatic ecosystems.

cocaine lab

Paramo ecosystems are also threatened

“Paramo” ecosystems,
and, as such, water
production, have
been strongly
affected. By 2050, it
is likely that 56% of
all Colombian
“páramos” will be threatened and
with them 50% of all
such ecosystems in
the world.

El Cocuy, Boyacá

Forests devastation affects climate change

Because of its high mountains, maritime coasts (Pacific and Caribbean)
and insular areas, Colombia is very vulnerable to climate change.
Native forest devastation increases the problem.

Colombia is loosing its glaciers

Colombia has lost 50% of its glaciers over the past 50 years.

Santa Isabel

Some 7,500 species of Colombian flowering plants face danger of extinction.



Cattleya warscewiczii (VU)

217
species of amphibians are threatened.

Atelopus granujo
National category: Ex
IUCN: CR

162 bird species are threatened.

Gorgeted Puffleg (Eriocnemis isabellae )
Humming bird discovered last May. 100 hectares of its 1,200 hectare habitat disappear every year due to coca.

Colombia is the second richest country in terms of magnolia species, after China.

4 endemic species are found only in southern Colombia, where coca growers are destroying their sole habitats.

Magnolia hernandezii (EN) Molinillo

Coca crops in the distribution area of 3 endemic species of Magnolia.

THE WORLD DRUG PROBLEM SEEN THROUGH A GREEN LENS

The world drug problem seen through a green lens

Shared
Responsibility’s
mission is to make
the silent
environmental
catastrophe
caused by illicit
crop cultivation felt around the globe.

Coca nursery at Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca

The world drug problem seen through a green lens

Shared Responsibility believes that if more were known about the ecocide linked to cocaine consumption, this drug’s allure would sharply decrease.

For each hectare of coca planted, three are slashed and burnt. One hectare of coca produces 7.4 kg of cocaine per year.

Thus, the consumption of 1 gram of cocaine implies the destruction of 4 m2 of Colombian forest.


The world drug problem seen through a green lens

WHAT COLOMBIA IS DOING

Colombia was ranked 9th out of 149 countries on the Yale and Georgetown University 2008 Environmental Performance Index.

Colombia has 257 protected
natural zones with an area larger
than Belgium, Denmark and
Holland together.

In the last 5 years, 4 new
national parks were created and
the Malpelo marine protected
sanctuary was expanded.

In the last 3 years, 15 million
hectares of communal land in
the Chocó and Amazon region
were set aside.

Government efforts to keep Colombia green

National Parks 106,230 km2

National Forest Reserves 5,100 km2

Alternative Development: Forester Families Program

Helps peasant, indigenous and
afro Colombian families directly
affected by illicit crops, or
threatened by them generate
alternative sustenance.

Through the Forester Families
Program over 2.3 million
hectares have been kept free of
illicit crops since 2002.

300 thousand hectares have
been conserved.

Alternative Development: Productive Products

Supports the design and
development of medium and long term agricultural and agro forestry projects as an alternative to illicit crops.

Since 2002, over 83 thousand
families have been benefited by
this program.

More than 93 thousand
hectares of legal crops planted.

Manual Eradication Groups

In 2006, mobile eradication
groups eradicated 43 hectares,
breaking the world record for
manual eradication.

In 2007, the record was broken
again, with 66 thousand
hectares eradicated.

This year, 7,000 eradicators will
attempt to eradicate 100
thousand hectares.

Thank you very much!