Fundación Grupo Argos protects the upper Saldaña river basin

Sustainability | DECEMBER 2nd, 2019

• This agreement, which began in 2016, also involves Cortolima, Natural National Parks, Cementos Argos and Celsia, companies of Grupo Argos.
• The extension of the alliance will allow the restoration of 500 hectares of degraded Andean forests and the implementation of 200 livestock and agricultural systems that minimize the impact of these productive activities on water.
• With the linking of Fundación Grupo Argos, work will begin in the upper part of the basin, where no intervention had been carried out before, to continue conserving the water resource, developing strategies for environmental education and sustainable production.

Fundación Grupo Argos joined Río Saldaña – Una Cuenca de Vida, a project that seeks to conserve water-derived environmental services that benefit the populations located in the Amoyá, Siquila and Cucuana sub-basins, in the department of Tolima. These three sub-basins are tributaries, in turn, of the Saldaña River, the most important tributary that people from Tolima give to the Magdalena River.

The protocol signature to extend this agreement was made on November 26, at the headquarters of the Regional Autonomous Corporation of Tolima (Cortolima), in the city of Ibagué and thanks to its continuation and the entry of the Fundación Grupo Argos to the alliance, It will be possible to restore 500 hectares of degraded Andean forests, implement livestock and agricultural systems on 200 farms to minimize their impact on water, implement basic sanitation actions in peasant households with a benefit of 500 people in the region, fence water rounds and born, free pastures to become forests again and seek the declaration of more Natural Reserves of Civil Society.

For Ana Mercedes Villegas, executive director of Fundación Grupo Argos “being part of this project reaffirms our commitment to the conservation of water and biodiversity, based on actions that link communities, who are the ones who give meaning and sustainability to these initiatives . We hope to continue adding more conservation agreements with the farmers and developing environmental education strategies that allow us to preserve the Saldaña river basin, from the high part, and in turn improve the quality of life of these communities based on their commitment and love that they feel for their territory ”.

Additionally, environmental education processes will be carried out for about 2,000 people and training sessions will continue for at least 400 inhabitants whose homes are in the mountains of this part of Colombia.

Fundación Grupo Argos entered as a new ally to provide, with its integrated model, a broader vision of this basin and join the project's interest in understanding the dynamics in the region and its impact on environmental balance, especially on the water resource.

About the project

Saldaña River – a life basin prioritizes National Natural Parks just like Las Hermosas, Gloria Valencia de Castaño and Nevado del Huila, which makes this public-private alliance also a contribution to the conservation of the valuable biodiversity that safeguards these two important protected areas.

Thanks to the support and commitment of the rural communities that live in eastern Tolima, this project has achieved, among other results:

• Sign eight conservation agreements with six private farms and two rural schools, to develop actions for water care.
• Investigate the plants and wild animals that inhabit this part of the country.
• Promote and accompany the declaration of four properties to be recognized as Natural Reserves.
• Establish two nurseries with native species in two rural schools.

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