USAID/Colombia promotes traditional knowledge as an effective approach to biodiversity conservation

In Colombia, the tropical dry forest, and for the Arhuaco indigenous community, who live in the Sierra Nevada and safeguard the water supply for more than 3 million inhabitants in the Caribbean region, this is particularly true. The Arhuaco people, with the support of the Natural Wealth Program, developed the first tropical dry forest cultural management manual, Kun Tikkiriwakun Chwamu, for the conservation of the ecosystem and their culture. This manual impacts an initial 15,000 ha and benefits two communities as well as the overall Arhuaco people, particularly women and youth. The manual is a cultural instrument for land management developed by traditional authorities, known as Mamus, and the community. The manual includes a cultural map of the territory, highlighting sacred locations and conservation areas, as well as a monitoring and evaluation strategy to follow conservation and cultural practices and community agreements across six key elements: water, fauna, flora, sacred areas, waste management, and fire prevention. The manual's publication in October 2019 consolidates the process and provides an opportunity to recognize the importance of complementing scientific knowledge with indigenous wisdom to promote biodiversity conservation, which has been overlooked by western culture. The manual's achievement is part of a broader strategy by the Arhuaco community and the Natural Wealth Program, which also includes registering the 15,000 ha as part of the global network of Indigenous and Community Conservation Areas (ICCAs). The Program is working with Colombia's National Natural Parks and the Sierra Nevada's indigenous peoples to expand the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Natural Park, benefiting the tropical dry forest ecosystem and the Arhuaco community. The publication of the manual is the first step in implementing a follow-on effort to disseminate its content among educational institutions in the Arhuaco Indigenous Reserve and propagate ancestral knowledge with indigenous youth and future generations. The Natural Wealth Program also works with other indigenous communities, including the Kogui and Kankuamo in the Sierra Nevada, the Caño Mochuelo communities in Casanare, and the Yukpa people in the Serranía de Perijá, to support their self-reliance and the conservation of Colombia's biodiversity.