World Environment Day is the right moment to raise awareness about the importance of protecting natural resources, efforts to preserve nature and the restoration of affected ecosystems.
On June 04, 2021, Ambassador Mariana Pacheco participated in the discussion "world environment day: ecosystem restoration" hosted by the Indian Council of Human Relations, with the purpose of presenting the main advances of the comprehensive environmental protection policy led by the government of Colombia.

In Colombia we consider natural resources as one of the most important assets of the nation, being the second most biodiverse country in the world, it is estimated that Colombia is the country with the most biodiversity per square kilometre.

Just to provide a summary:

• Colombia has about 58,000 registered species, which 27 thousand are fauna and 26,000 are flora. 
• Colombia has 50% of the world’s wetlands or humedales, and has one of the greatest river resources in Latin America and the Caribbean Region
• Colombia has 91 types of ecosystems and is the only country in South America, and one of the 21 countries in the world, that has access to two oceans: Atlantic and Pacific.
• The National System of Protected Areas -areas protegidas- is made up of 15% of our territory.
• Besides, 35% of the surface of Colombia belongs to the Amazon Rainforest.

Colombia’s President, Iván Duque, has led a comprehensive environmental protection policy in compliance with the principle of "Producing in conserving and conserving in producing" (Producir conservando y conserver produciendo). This policy considers sustainable and resilient development, the conservation of our biodiversity and the participation of the people and communities in environmental issues.

Colombia was among the first countries in the region to establish an environmental administration system, with pollution taxes, environmental impact assessments for large construction projects, and legal persecution against polluters. In the security and defence policy introduced by President Ivan Duque in 2019, the lack of water, the loss of biodiversity and environmental pollution are national security concerns.

The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted how fragile we are and how important it is to protect and take care of what we have left. The current context can be a catalyst for actions towards a green and equitable recovery, under criteria of sustainability and resilience, through investments in nature-based solutions, reduction of deforestation, neutrality of soil and land degradation, restoration, green businesses and strengthening of the National System of Protected Areas.