Advances and challenges in the actions of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development to control deforestation in the Colombian Amazon

Abstract

The Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MADS) is the governing entity for the management of natural resources in Colombia, which defines policies and regulations to guarantee sustainable development. Nevertheless, environmental conflicts are persistent, and deforestation is increasing, putting the achievement of the goal of zero net deforestation in the Amazon by 2020 (established within the framework of the Paris Agreement on climate change and the strategy of implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs]) at risk. In this context, the MADS was analysed to understand how it operates to control deforestation and contribute to sustainable development in the Colombian Amazon, and it was inquired about the difficulties that this entity faces to achieve it. Although there are normative instruments and proposals for intervention, the contradiction between sectoral policies and problems of public order are, among others, factors that hinder the implementation of models of sustainable development and the control of deforestation in the country.