De la Espriella Government Revokes Resolution on Important Colombian Paramo
The important Santurban paramo, a strategic high-mountain ecosystem that plays an essential role in water regulation and water supply for the departments of Santander and Norte de Santander, in eastern Colombia, including the metropolitan area of Bucaramanga, remains amid the political tensions that emerge from the central government. The most recent chapter of these tensions […]
The Santurban paramo, a vital high-mountain ecosystem in eastern Colombia, is at the center of political tensions after the De la Espriella government revoked Resolution 0994 issued by the previous Petro administration. Covering 150,000 hectares between 2,800 and 4,290 meters above sea level, 72% of the paramo lies in Norte de Santander and 28% in Santander.
Resolution 0994 declared 1,499 hectares of the La Baja creek micro-basin a Renewable Natural Resources Reserve, just 24 hours before the Petro government's term ended. The new government found this timing suspicious and revoked the resolution, initiating a new technical and legal process to ensure compliance with a court order. The court required the process to restart to guarantee community participation, transparency, and citizen rights.
The revocation does not affect the scientific and environmental grounds for the paramo's protection, but it ensures that the process adheres to legal requirements. The Santurban paramo is crucial for supplying water to more than 2.5 million people in Santander and Norte de Santander, playing a key role in environmental protection and biodiversity preservation.
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