The Colombian Pollinators Initiative
Colombia has been a member of the coalition since March 2018. Since then, they took major steps in protecting pollinators and their habitats. They concretize their active participation with a newly developed national strategy, in which they incorporated a roadmap with priorities.
Five axis, five goals
The newly developed strategy is the result of a collaboration with a large group of stakeholders and many inspiring initiatives. The strategy consists of five different axis, in which specific goals for the preservation of pollinating species on a national scale are discussed:
Axis I: Knowledge, evaluation and monitoring.
Colombia, listed as the second country in diversity of plants, requires to generate knowledge in order to correctly identify, describe and characterize pollinators and pollination. This will prove useful for effective decision-making processes on conservation, sustainable use and evaluation of the situation of pollinator decline that is reported globally.
Therefore, Colombia formulates as a goal: “to generate knowledge related to the identification, distribution, biology of pollinating species, the pollination ecosystem service and the risk of extinction of pollinators, prioritizing native species”
Axis II: Evaluation of the pollination ecosystem service.
A reliable evaluation of the pollination service consists of an economic (monetary) and non-economic (qualitative and quantitative) evaluation of the benefits for the health of ecosystems and human well-being.
Therefore, Colombia formulates as a goal: “to characterize economically and non-economically the ecosystem service of pollination in Colombia”
Axis III: Promotion of healthy habitats for pollinators.
Pollinators and the pollination service are being affected by the five direct drivers of transformation and loss of biodiversity and their ecosystem services: the transformation and loss of ecosystems and natural habitats, overexploitation, biological invasions, pollution and climate change, to which reference is made in the National Policy for the Integral Management of Biodiversity and its Ecosystem Services.
Therefore, Colombia formulates as a goal: “to maintain, secure and restore habitats for pollinators through good practices and the promotion of the conservation of natural ecosystems and diversification of agroecosystems, urban and industrial areas”
Axis IV: Capacity building and participation.
It is essential that the different actors interacting directly or indirectly have the knowledge and skills for an adequate management of this ecosystem service.
Therefore, Colombia formulates as a goal: “to formulate, strengthen and implement processes aimed at raising awareness, ownership and training of society on the importance of pollinators and pollination as an ecosystem service”
Axis V: Mainstreaming in policy, legislation and decision making.
The inclusion of pollination service management in decision-making is one of the main challenges and final objectives of the Colombian Pollinators Initiative because it is fundamental for the maintenance and improvement of the quality of life of the Colombian population, for which efforts are required for the mobilization of national and international resources.
Therefore, Colombia formulates as a goal: “to incorporate the sustainable management of pollinators and the pollination service into the public policy instruments and decision-making scenarios”