World Bank-Backed Amazon Project Creates Thousands of Local Jobs in Colombia

A World Bank-supported forest conservation initiative in Colombia's Amazon is generating thousands of local jobs while strengthening community-led efforts to reduce deforestation, restore ecosystems, and protect biodiversity.

The Forest Conservation and Sustainability in the Heart of the Amazon project, financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented under the Amazon Sustainable Landscapes Program, is showing how environmental protection can also deliver lasting economic opportunities for rural, Indigenous, and local communities.

Local Families at the Centre of Conservation

Cristian Castañeda's story reflects the project's community-driven approach. His parents arrived in Calamar, Guaviare, four decades ago seeking work and better living conditions.

Years later, they joined the Heart of the Amazon initiative, signing agreements focused on conservation, restoration, and non-deforestation commitments.

Inspired by their work, Cristian returned after studying Agricultural Business Administration and joined the project team in 2021, providing technical assistance to other families.

"The experience has been much easier for me because I grew up in the countryside," Cristian said, noting that trust and familiarity with communities are essential for working effectively in the territory.

Cristian has since advanced from local facilitator to leading restoration professional in the Charras Boquerón area.

Community Leaders and Indigenous Knowledge Drive Implementation

Cristian is one of many community members directly involved in the project's delivery. Since 2016, the initiative has employed local Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders as:

• Field assistants and facilitators

• Biodiversity monitors and forest watchmen

• Traditional knowledge holders

• Technical experts in sustainable forest use

• Drivers, cooks, and local service providers

This model ensures that technical and administrative capacity remains within the territory, while projects benefit from the trust and expertise of local people.

In total, 2,822 people have been hired to support project implementation since 2016, strengthening income sources and expanding local labour market capacity.

Expanding Opportunities for Women in Conservation Work

The project has also increased employment opportunities for women, recognising their distinct role in biodiversity protection.

Almost one-third of all employees have been women, helping shift traditional gender norms in field-based environmental work.

Maria de los Ángeles Cadena Tovar, a local facilitator in Miraflores Picachos Park, said women are gaining confidence through these opportunities.

"Seeing that women are hired for these tasks… gives more personal security to women in the area. They realize that nothing is impossible," she said.

Intergenerational Employment Strengthens Social Capital

Employment under the project spans generations:

• Young people aged 20–39 make up 36.7% of workers

• Adults aged 40–59 represent the majority at 42.2%

• Elderly people over 60 account for 19.7%, often serving as wildlife monitors and transmitters of ancestral knowledge

• Youth aged 16–19 represent 0.5%

This diversity has strengthened social capital and ensured both modern techniques and traditional knowledge are valued.

Combining Science and Ancestral Knowledge

The project has invested in training local staff, blending new tools with Indigenous knowledge systems.

Ricardo Medina Pérez, a Piapoco Indigenous fisheries monitor in the Inírida River Star wetland, described how the project helped formalise oral knowledge.

"Today, after we learned to write it down, we have 108 species of fish identified in the registry," he said.

World Bank Innovation Supports Local Hiring

The World Bank has adapted its procedures to enable the hiring of community-based staff, sometimes harmonising recruitment processes with traditional Indigenous practices.

These innovations are now serving as a model for other conservation and development projects.

Strong National Partnerships Across Colombia's Environmental System

Since 2015, the Heart of the Amazon project has been executed by the Natural Heritage Fund in partnership with Colombia's National Environmental System (SINA), led by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and supported by key agencies including:

• National Natural Parks of Colombia

• Sinchi Amazon Research Institute

• IDEAM

• CORPOAMAZONIA

• CDA

Investment Delivering Jobs and Conservation Impact

Over the past nine years, the project has generated local employment alongside more than 18,000 direct beneficiaries.

It has invested approximately:

• 11,000 million Colombian pesos (around US$3 million as of December 2025)

• Equivalent to 11% of total project spending to date

The funding used for remuneration is described as an investment in the territory — building skills, social capital, and better livelihoods for community members like Cristian, Maria, Ricardo, and thousands of others contributing to Amazon conservation.