Colombia’s biodiversity

With more than 50 per cent of Colombia’s territory covered by natural forest, according to Colombia’s Biodiversity Information System, the country is home to about 55,000 species of flora and fauna. The Colombian side of the Amazonian jungle alone is home to 10 per cent of the world’s biodiversity and produces 15 per cent of the world’s oxygen.

The definitive impact of mining and energy projects on Colombia’s biodiversity remains under review. In some cases, companies have contributed to the regeneration of certain species. But environmental campaigners urge the country’s “locomotive” – as the government has described its mining and energy plans – to tread carefully around some areas rich in biodiversity.