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The Indigenous Villa Catalina de Puerto Rosario reservation (RVCPR), located in southeast Colombia, was created by Resolution 020 of June 29, 2000 of the Colombian Institute of Agrarian Reform INCORA. It is located in the municipality of Puerto Guzmán, department of Putumayo. The reservation was established in the ancestral territory of the Inga people and covers an area of 68,357 hectares, 5,900 m2. The community has recently acquired collective properties in the ancestral territory, located in the village of Puerto Rosario (Puerto Guzmán), where the community infrastructure is located; the headquarters of the educational institution, the town hall, and properties in which families carry out productive activities such as the planting of cassava, plantain and açais. These zones encompass areas of tropical rainforest, with conservation potential based on our worldview and law of origin, recognized in ICCA community conservation areas.

The territory of the RVCPR is part of a node of landscape connectivity strategically located at the interfluvial of the Caquetá and Putumayo rivers, a biocultural corridor that connects with corridors of the Andean ecosystems. Map 1 shows the strip (red perimeter) where corridors that connect the Amazon with the Andean zone persist within the municipalities of Puerto Guzmán, Mocoa and Villagarzón in Putumayo, and Piamonte in the department of Cauca. The yellow perimeter corresponds to the RVCPR.

Map 1. Map of Villa Catalina de Puerto Rosario (outlined in yellow) in relation to landscape connectivity with the Amazon (outlined in red) in Colombia. Source: IAVH, 2015

The RVCPR allows Indigenous communities to have access to hunt, fish, salt, and access to sacred sites. Additionally, it provides access to a collection of medicinal plants, such as Yagé (a South American vine used for Ayahuasca), chagro montuno (an essential plant in the preparation of Yagé, which underlines its importance in the spiritual and medicinal practices of the Inga), and culturally important biodiversity spots called “pepiaderos”; always under the focus of conservation and protection of the territory. For the Inga people, the "pepiaderos" are places of cultural importance where jungle animals search for "pepas," nutritious seeds of palms and trees. These sites, in addition to being natural pantries, represent a space of connection between human, animal and plant life. They are also places that showcase the profound wisdom of the Inga people in respecting the natural cycles of the forest. The pepiaderos are a reflection of the close relationship that the Inga have with nature, a bond that is based on the relationship and knowledge of nature.

The RVCPR is located in an area of high biodiversity, crucial for the functionality of the Andean-Amazonian ecosystems. Its strategic position, next to this threatened biodiversity hotspot, makes it a vital space for conservation. Unfortunately, the history of the occupation of the territory, marked by extractive exploitation, colonization, and violence, has resulted in the fragmentation of the landscape and deforestation. Situations of displacement and job or academic opportunities outside of the reservation have led members of the community to locate themselves in urban areas of the municipalities of Puerto Guzmán, Mocoa and Villagarzón.

Deforestation, which has reached critical levels in recent years, puts at risk both the physical and cultural survival of Indigenous communities, as well as the area's biodiversity. The presence of armed actors exacerbates the situation and threatens collective rights and the autonomy of the reservation. Protecting the RVCPR reservation is crucial for the conservation of the community's biodiversity and culture, and requires urgent action to stop deforestation, combat the presence of armed actors, and ensure the safety and well-being of the Indigenous population. All this has generated a process of strengthening autonomy over the territory, which will generate tools to advance community conservation processes, such as the declaration and recognition of the territory as an ICCA.

The RVCPR reservation has completed a historic milestone: becoming an ICCA Territory. This step, taken hand-in-hand with the ICCA Musuiuia de Orito, represents an important union for the protection of nature and culture.

For the Inga community, becoming an ICCA represents a commitment to the conservation of nature and the protection of culture, the defense of their ancestral territory, and the preservation of their ancestral traditions and knowledge. It is a strategic decision that will allow their reservation to strengthen autonomy, land management and nature protection, joining forces with ICCA brothers and sisters in Colombia and the world. This path facilitates their ambition towards a sustainable future, where culture and nature merge in a fabric of respect, collaboration and protection. It is the beginning of a new era for the reservation of Villa Catalina, a space where Indigenous identity, the defense of collective rights and the conservation of natural heritage are strengthened.

This ICCA area will facilitate the conservation of nature and culture and will support and strengthen the conservation of the territory and their cultural practices. With Villa Catalina de Puerto Rosario, there are now two ICCA areas registered by the Inga People in the department of Putumayo in Colombia. These initiatives help consolidate the governance, conservation and cultural management of the Inga territory. Other Inga reservations and communities will be learning about this international movement of territories and areas conserved by Indigenous Peoples and local communities, through which the Inga community are able to reaffirm the mandates of the elders, stop latent threats, and have the support of friendly peoples and allies of the world for the conservation of nature and culture.

This case study was originally published by UNEP-WCMC in 10/2024. The content was provided by the custodians of this ICCA. The ICCA has been self-declared and has been through a peer-review process to verify its status. More details on this process can be found here. The contents of this website do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of UN Environment Programme or WCMC.