Fundación ProSierra Nevada

Fundación ProSierra Nevada
Name	Fundación ProSierra Nevada
Formation	1990s
Type	Non-profit
Headquarters	Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
Location	Colombia

Fundación ProSierra Nevada

Fundación ProSierra Nevada is a Colombian nongovernmental organization focused on conservation and sustainable development in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, linking local communities, indigenous groups, and international conservation networks such as World Wide Fund for Nature, Conservation International, IUCN, United Nations Environment Programme and Global Environment Facility. The foundation operates across municipal jurisdictions including Santa Marta, Guajira Department, Magdalena Department, Cesar Department and coordinates with institutions like Universidad del Magdalena, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Corporación Autónoma Regional del Magdalena and Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario.

History

Founded during the 1990s amid increasing attention from actors such as Alexander von Humboldt, Conrad Gessner-inspired naturalists, and conservation movements tied to initiatives like the Earth Summit and Convention on Biological Diversity, the organization emerged alongside regional efforts led by Indigenous Kogi people, Arhuaco, Kankuamo and Wiwa communities. Early collaborations involved agencies including USAID, World Bank, BirdLife International and Colombian entities such as Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras and Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible (Colombia), aligning with programs from Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute. Over decades the foundation has responded to pressures from actors like FARC demobilization processes, paramilitary groups dynamics, and land-use changes driven by sectors represented by Confederación Colombiana de Agricultores and Federación Nacional de Ganaderos de Colombia.

Mission and Objectives

The foundation’s mission echoes themes advanced by organizations such as Greenpeace, The Nature Conservancy, Friends of the Earth, Rainforest Alliance and WWF Colombia: conserve biodiversity of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, support rights of indigenous authorities like the Cabildo Indígena, and promote sustainable livelihoods linked to crops such as coffee, cocoa and agroforestry systems referenced by researchers at CIFOR and CIAT. Objectives reference frameworks from the Convention on Biological Diversity, Ramsar Convention, UNESCO World Heritage Convention and link to national policy instruments like the National Development Plan (Colombia) and sectoral plans from Instituto de Desarrollo Rural.

Projects and Programs

Programs run by the foundation have intersected with initiatives from UNDP, FAO, Oxfam, CARE International and regional actors like CORPAMAG and CORPONOR, covering areas of community-based conservation, payment for ecosystem services pilots comparable to schemes by Ecosystem Marketplace, restoration projects similar to Trillion Tree Campaign, and sustainable tourism inspired by guidelines from UNWTO and Rainforest Alliance. Work includes biodiversity inventories coordinated with Smithsonian Institution, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, American Museum of Natural History and citizen science projects resembling those of iNaturalist and eBird. Agricultural and value-chain programs have paralleled projects by Fairtrade International, IDB programs, and partnerships with supply-chain actors such as Nestlé and Cacao de Colombia advocates.

Organizational Structure

The foundation’s governance aligns with NGO models used by entities like World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International and The Nature Conservancy, featuring a board of directors composed of representatives from indigenous authorities including Tairona descendant organizations, academic partners from Universidad de los Andes and Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, technical staff with ties to Alexander von Humboldt Institute, and advisory committees similar to those used by IUCN and Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Administrative operations interact with municipal councils of Santa Marta and departmental governments such as Gobernación del Magdalena while implementing technical teams trained in methodologies from IUCN Red List processes and IPBES assessments.

Funding and Partnerships

Financing sources include grants and agreements with multilateral donors like Global Environment Facility, Inter-American Development Bank, European Union, bilateral agencies such as USAID and DFID, philanthropic partners like Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and collaboration with conservation NGOs including Conservation International, BirdLife International, The Nature Conservancy and research institutions like Smithsonian Institution and Kew Gardens. Local partnerships have involved private sector actors such as Colombian coffee cooperatives, cacao associations linked to Fedecacao, and alliances with community organizations and indigenous councils recognized under frameworks like Ley 70 de 1993 and Constitution of Colombia.

Impact and Recognition

The foundation’s work has been cited in conservation assessments by IUCN, incorporated into management plans for the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Biosphere Reserve and recognized by national awards similar to accolades granted by Ministerio de Cultura (Colombia), Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible (Colombia), and international recognition from bodies like UNESCO and CBD Secretariat. Its programs have contributed to protected-area proposals, livelihood improvements noted by World Bank evaluations, and academic publications disseminated through journals affiliated with Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Journal of Tropical Ecology and networks such as Global Forest Watch.

Category:Environmental organisations based in Colombia