As of 2023, almost two million plants, more than 2000 frailejones and about 900 wax palms have been planted. Similarly, more than 200 arrests have been made for damages to the environment and about 2000 rescues of animals that were taken of their natural habitat.
Promoted by the United Nations Organization, UN, for more than 40 years World Environment Day has been commemorated to raise awareness among inhabitants about the importance of protecting the planet and its natural resources.
In this way, aligned with the national Government's climate change adaptation plan, the institution works in accordance with the established objectives, such as ecological restoration processes, rehabilitation and recovery of degraded areas, productive transformation and contribution to food security.
In this sense, the Army supports initiatives that project environmental awareness, conducting projects that help protect our natural resources. This is the case of an agreement signed by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and the Ministry of National Defense, CENAC Specialized Engineers and the Engineers Command of the National Army, which aims to combine technical, financial and operational efforts to combat deforestation and restore strategic ecosystems of the country.
This project covers 15 nurseries in different areas of departments such as Boyacá, Cauca, Norte de Santander, San Andrés and Providencia, Cundinamarca, Caldas, Antioquia, Nariño and Quindío. The one that stands out that one in the department of Cauca, where joint work is carried out with the indigenous communities of the area and in the Colombian Massif, a strategic region of the national territory.
In the same way, 11 of these structures are in military units, 4 have already been given to the community, the latter in San Andrés and Providencia, which were created to mitigate the environmental damage generated by the transit of Hurricane Iota.
On the other hand, the constant work of the soldiers and their commitment to the conservation of ecosystems throughout the national territory is reflected in the results. According to data of the Headquarters of the General Staff of Operations of the National Army, 218 arrests have been made in 2023 for damages to the environment, 1948 rescues of animals that were taken of their natural habitat and 3990 cubic meters of wood have been confiscated. In the same way, 1,801,364 plants have been planted, as well as 2150 frailejones and 970 wax palms.
With these operations the National Army continues with its firm commitment to protect ecosystems and preserve fauna, supporting projects that help the conservation of natural resources, to generate awareness among the inhabitants working for development for the regions.
Source: Press - National Army
