Ecological Restoration

In Colombia, the concept of ecological restoration has been developed in technical, scientific, political, and normative terms. Ecological restoration has been related to both external and internal dynamics, and, legally, the term of ecological restoration was adopted in the decade of the 70s. In that time, it was related to a conservationist and ruralist philosophy in which actions included reforestation and control of environmental pollution. Additionally, the management of conservation, the improvement of the environment, and restoration highly depended on the State. Thanks to the Political Constitution of 1991, ecological restoration was involved in national norms to a greater extent since that time, and norms and jurisprudence gave way to modernized public policies. Under the notion of sustainable development, the right to enjoy a healthy environment as an essential part of human development was recognized. Consequently, it was established that the State must develop conservation actions associated with sustainable use, knowledge of biodiversity, and ecological restoration.

In technical and scientific spheres, the term of ecological restoration is globally known since the second half of the 20th century due to the work of the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER): in 2002² a scientific declaration of the principles, definitions, and guidelines was presented. In the political scenario, more than 20 years ago various conventions and multilateral environmental agreements have recognized the crucial role of restoration to accomplish commitments. Some examples are the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. However, only until 2016 was an unified definition on the term reached at a political global level, marking a difference with other closely related terms such as rehabilitation, creation of new landscapes or ecological features, recovery, substitution, and improvement.

Beginning the 21st century, the definition for ecological restoration had a better political and normative development in Colombia since it was adopted by the Decree 2372 of 2010. This development was also due to the creation of the Plan Nacional de Restauración (National Plan for Restoration-PNR for its initials in Spanish). In a parallel fashion, scientific, technical, and technological knowledge in the subject has increased, as have thematic networks that generate spaces for strengthening capacities, having discussions, and exchanging restoration experiences.