HALO Trust partners with Rainforest Trust and Amazon Conservation Team

HALO will work with the Rainforest Trust and the Amazon Conservation Team to combine mine clearance with long-term environmental and legal protection for communities in Meta.

The three-year project will focus on 81 families living in Mesetas, home to the Sol Naciente Indigenous community, and Uribe, home to the Nuevo Milenio Indigenous community.

The land sits on the edge of protected rainforest and is subject to illegal logging. Once the area is declared mine-free, the Colombian government can designate both areas as Indigenous Reserves, giving communities greater control over the conservation of their territory.

The mountainous landscape, around 1,000 metres (more than 3,200 feet) above sea level, is also home to rare and endangered species and important ecosystems.

Conservation begins with safety

"Conservation starts with people being able to safely live on, care for and defend their land", says James Deutsch, CEO of Rainforest Trust.

"By removing landmines from these ancestral territories, this partnership will help Indigenous communities reclaim access to their lands while creating the conditions for nearly 45,000 acres, or 18,000 hectares of critical rainforest habitat to be protected for the long term.

"This partnership illustrates how mine clearance can do much more than save lives," adds Oliver Ford, HALO Colombia Programme Manager. "It can also help Indigenous communities protect some of Colombia's most valuable ecosystems."

HALO and the Amazon Conservation Team will provide environmental monitoring equipment and motorbikes for the Indigenous Guard, who will help protect the territory from illegal logging.

The three-year project costs $1m, and will ensure communities play a central role, developing their own land preservation techniques.