What is Guadua and why is it important?
“Guadua” (Guadua angustifolia Kunth) is a native bamboo from Colombia which has been associated with the coffee landscape for centuries. Its environmental services, including water flow protection, are invaluable. However, its forest surface has been dramatically decreasing in favor of agricultural and cattle ranching uses.
Likewise, the “guaduales” (guadua forests), offer a range of economic benefits for their owners, due to their magnificent construction properties, however, the strict environmental laws until 2022 made it a highly bureaucratic endeavor to manage these forests.
Planned activities
Our project, “Guadua para la integración”, in collaboration with the association Produguadua aims to strengthen the bamboo production chain in the Quindio region of Colombia. It focuses on three key areas:
- Equipping forest owners with entrepreneurial skills and expertise to restore bamboo landscapes
- Strengthening governance processes by promoting the participation of forest owners in the policy debate for the effective implementation of Law No. 2206 for the productive use of bamboo
- Training professionals in bambu management, with a focus on young people in vulnerable situation to promote social reintegration.
By creating sustainable livelihoods for the most vulnerable populations, this project will not only contribute to building a greener, more prosperous Colombia, but will also address systemic inequalities and support climate change adaptation efforts.
Contact person: Natalia Reategui Echeverri (n.reategui@bluoverda.org)
This project is implemented together with our local partner:
This project is supported by: