USAID's Climate Strategy in Action: Colombian Youth Committed to Environmental Leadership and Conservation

Jun 11, 2024 | Andrea Arias and Sonia Borja
View Original

Colombia is home to 10 percent of the world’s biodiversity and has the eighth largest forest area globally. Its forests and wetlands not only sustain the lives of millions of Colombians but also are key to protecting natural resources and conserving biodiversity worldwide. However, climate change is threatening the state of these ecosystems and therefore the livelihoods of Colombia’s inhabitants. 

Young people, women, and rural communities in Colombia are particularly affected by the impacts of climate change, including food insecurity, limited access to drinking water, and devastating floods and droughts that damage their crops and soils. Climate change, coupled with Colombia's economic and social challenges, is expected to drive migration from rural areas to cities and increase unemployment and poverty rates. 

Colombia’s youth living in rural areas are motivated to learn about climate change mitigation and adaptation and are engaging with other community members to fight its impacts. Recognizing their potential and power as agents of change, USAID/Colombia and the U. S. Forest Service (USFS) are implementing the Colombia Youth Conservation Corps (CYCC), a training program to empower the next generation of Colombian environmental leaders.