Herencia Colombia
Securing nature's future
© Fílmico Colombia/WWF-US
Protecting nature. Empowering communities.
From the soaring peaks of the Andes to the rich green depths of the Amazon, Colombia is home to some of the most biodiverse places on Earth. For generations, Indigenous Peoples, Afro-Colombian communities, and local land stewards have cared for these ecosystems.
Today, Herencia Colombia (Heritage Colombia, or HECO) carries that legacy forward, keeping it strong, sustainable, and enduring.
© Reynaldo Vela / WWF-Peru
A bold conservation commitment
Launched in 2022, Herencia Colombia is a long-term plan to protect 79 million acres of land in the heart of the Amazon, the San Lucas Mountains, the Central Andes, the Orinoco Transition and the Caribbean Coast, and marine areas in the Caribbean and Pacific. That’s an area more than twice the size of Montana, representing 16% of the Colombian territory.
Herencia Colombia applies the Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) approach, which secures the policy changes and lasting financial resources needed to make conservation permanent and effective, long after initial funds have been spent. The goal is simple but powerful: protect nature and ensure the people who steward and depend on it continue to thrive. HECO is supported by a coalition of public and private partners, and a 10-year, $245 million donor and government-generated funds.
Herencia Colombia supports 101 protected areas and seven connective corridors across Colombia, from the peaks of the Andes to the expanse of the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.
Regions
A. Caribbean
Dry forest, wetland, mangrove, paramo, marine
B. Central Andes
High Andean Forest, glaciers, paramo
C. Orinoco transition
High Andean Forest, Andean Transition, forest, paramo
D. Amazon
Amazon Rain Forest, Guyana Shield Formations
New and expanded protected areas
1. Santa Marta Snowy Mountains
2. San Lucas Mountain Range
3. Arauca Savannas and Wetlands
4. Acandí, Playón, Playona
5. Cumaríbo Transitional Forests
6. Manacacias Mountain Range
7. Patía Dry Forests
8. Lower Caguán River
9. Malpelo
10. Yuruparí-Malpelo
11. Colinas y Lomas North Pacific Basin
12. Beata Ridge
Impact at a glance
Across Colombia, HECO is making a measurable difference.
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79 million acres
Of protected areas
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2.8 billion tons
Of CO₂ absorbed
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More than 522,000
People directly benefitting
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30% of Colombia's oceans and seas
Protected, achieving their 30x30 goal
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23 priority species
Protected
© WWF Colombia
Herencia Colombia is a strategic alliance that ensures the protection of 32 million hectares of protected areas in Colombia, combining efforts from the government, WWF, and partners to guarantee the long-term sustainability of our ecosystems.
This program not only preserves biodiversity but also promotes the socioeconomic development of communities by integrating conservation, effective management, good governance, and prosperity.
Protecting biodiversity and climate stability
© Fílmico Colombia/WWF-US
In March 2023, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) approved $43 million a project as part of Herencia Colombia. The project focuses both on climate mitigation and adaptation, supporting 16 million acres within HECO that provide the strongest climate benefits, an area about the size of West Virginia.
These lands in and around protected areas play a crucial role in storing and absorbing carbon and supplying freshwater to nearly 17 million Colombians. By focusing on climate-resilient management practices in these areas, the HECO GCF project will support local communities to manage climate risks to family farms and restore degraded areas to reduce the risk of landslides and floods.
Nature and people thriving together
HECO is not only about protecting biodiversity, but also about sustaining cultures, promoting resilient livelihoods, and ensuring that people and ecosystems can adapt together in the face of a changing climate. This effort is rooted in the leadership, rights, and knowledge of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. It provides long-term support that reinforces their governance, secures access to resources, and recognizes their role as stewards of nature for generations.
Learn how HECO is supporting Afro-Colombian communities on the Caribbean coast expand a protected area that is a source of community livelihoods and an important nesting beach for leatherback turtles.
Going further together
Herencia Colombia is possible because of a broad coalition of partners: Andes Amazon Fund, Anonymous Foundation, Bezos Earth Fund, Becht Foundation, Blue Nature Alliance, Bobolink Foundation, Carmen Busquets, Catena Foundation, Conservation International Foundation, European Union, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (executing entity), Enduring Earth, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Government of Colombia, Global Environment Facility, Green Climate Fund, Inter-American Development Bank, Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) of the Federal Republic of Germany through KfW, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia, Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia, Patrimonio Natural, Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy, Tammy and Bill Crown, The Nature Conservancy, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Wildlife Conservation Society, World Bank, WWF, Wyss Foundation, and ZOMALAB.
Herencia Colombia is part of Enduring Earth, an initiative that partners with nations and communities worldwide to accelerate conservation efforts, address biodiversity loss, secure durable financing, and enhance economic development using the Project Finance for Permanence model.
"This is a commitment to have a stronger Protected Area System in Colombia to support the preservation of this megadiverse country for future generations and contribute to the wellbeing of local communities.”
- Sandra Valenzuela, Executive Director of WWF-Colombia
© César David Martinez
"For us, the territory is life itself. Without territory, we have nothing. Herencia Colombia will contribute to strengthening the community councils, their statements, and the extension of protected areas. For us, this means an effective and real contribution that guarantees our survival within the territory, and therefore, it guarantees our lives."
- Emigdio Pertuz, Legal Representative of the Cocomanorte Community Council
© Fílmico Colombia/WWF-US
“The crises of climate change and biodiversity loss stand as the two great challenges of our time. And we know that the conservation of nature can help both. Herencia Colombia matters because it will help finance the long-term protection of 32 million hectares of Colombia’s most treasured places. But it also matters because it charts a course for other nations to follow in financing the protection of their own landscapes and seascapes.”
- Carter Roberts, the President and CEO of WWF-US
© Days Edge Productions / WWF-US
“The Andes-Amazon is vital for the world’s global biodiversity and climate goals, and Herencia Colombia will consolidate enormous conservation gains across the region. The PFP tool is a proven approach, and we are proud to support Colombia's leadership and ambitious program to safeguard its terrestrial and marine resources for the benefit of people and planet.”
- Aileen Lee, Chief of Programs at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
© Luis Barreto / WWF-UK
“By protecting key landscapes and seascapes, Herencia Colombia creates important connectivity throughout the Andes-Amazon region and the Eastern Tropical Pacific, delivering vital benefits for Colombians and our broader global climate efforts in this decisive decade. We believe Colombia can be a model for other countries who have ambitions to protect 30% of their land and waters, and the PFP approach is a proven tool to enable nations to meet their goals.”
- Dr. Andrew Steer, CEO of Bezos Earth Fund
© Day's Edge Productions
A vision for the future
Through close collaboration with communities and local leaders, Herencia Colombia is building a future where protected areas are well-managed, connected, and resilient. It supports healthy ecosystems that sustain life and strengthen local communities. It restores degraded habitats and helps people adapt to the realities of a warming world.
This is Colombia’s promise to future generations: to care for nature, honor community leadership, and build a future that thrives.
© Days Edge Productions / WWF-US
