The Alexander von Humboldt Research Institute on Biological Resources is currently coordinating the Paramos Biodiversity and Water Resources Project. This project that started in December 2014 and will finish in November 2019 is financed by the European Union and has an overall budget of 6.25 Million Euros.
The main objective of the project is to contribute to the conservation of the biodiversity and hydrological regulation capacity of the Paramos in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, intervening directly in seven paramos complexes (5 in Colombia, 1 in Ecuador and 1 in Peru). This objective is pursued by strengthening the capacity of the communities and the institutions that are involved in the management of this ecosystem; therefore the implementation of the project is carried out mainly by regional environmental authorities and is also accompanied by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia and by the National Parks Authority of Colombia. It is also implemented by IUCN in Ecuador and Perú, accompanied by the Ministry of Environment of Ecuador and the Government of Piura.
The project has three main results:
- To reinforce 7 coordination instances. This is important because the Paramo is an ecosystem that is located in areas where different institutions have jurisdictions, so in order to have more efficient territorial interventions, it is required to have an instance in which coordination can take place amongst institutions, and as result, develop joint action plans that improve the conditions of the ecosystem as well as its governance structure
- To support 3 main technical components of the environmental management of the Paramos: This support contemplates the development of specific technical tools and also to guide project partners in specific projects. The topics that are covered as part of this result are:
- Sustainable production systems
- Conservation and restoration
- Conservation incentives
- To improve public policy related to the management of the Paramos: If the project observes opportunities to improve public policy, it can channel it through specific government agencies