Negotiating the ‘Tropical Eden’ – Exploring the Political Dimensions of Forest Carbon Sequestration Projects in the Colombian Pacific Region

Abstract

Afro-Colombian forests are earmarked for the implementation of Payments for Environmental Services (PES) schemes, particularly in the context of climate change mitigation efforts such as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD). In international as well as national policy, REDD is being promoted as a promising mechanism to deliver in support of local socioeconomic development and foster forest conservation. Yet, critics question the implications of market-based conservation strategies, and their potential effects on communities that depend on natural resources. Situated within a political ecology theoretical framework, this paper explores the potential impacts a market-based conservation approach might have on the struggle for Afro-Colombian rights and recognition. It does so by drawing on the historical-cultural context of a long-standing territorial struggle, changes in governance practices, and related shifts in resource access and control.