Colombia declared the entirety of its Amazon biome as a renewable natural resources reserve zone, formally prohibiting new large-scale mining and hydrocarbon exploitation activities. This decision — framed within a global context of climate crisis — places the South American country as the first in the world to place its entire national Amazon region under this type of protection.
The announcement was made by Colombia’s minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Irene Velez, during a meeting of ministers of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), held within Brazil’s COP30.
Colombia declares its entire Amazon region off-limits to mining and oil extraction
Minister Velez stated that the measure not only responds to a logic of environmental sovereignty, but also constitutes a fraternal call to the other Amazonian countries to join efforts in defense of the rainforest.
“Colombia has decided to take the first step. We have been the first country in the Amazon basin to declare the entirety of the portion of the Amazon biome corresponding to Colombia as a renewable natural resources reserve zone, protecting this biome from large-scale mining and hydrocarbon activities,” the Colombian minister said.
With this declaration, Colombia protects more than 483,000 km² of the Amazon biome, which corresponds to 42% of its national territory and 7% of the total South American Amazon. The Colombian government has emphasized that “the magnitude of the gesture reaffirms its environmental and climate leadership in the region.”
🗞️ #Comunicado | En la COP30 la ministra (e) @IreneVelezT anuncia que nuestro país se convierte en el primero de la región en declarar toda su Amazonía como Zona de Reserva de Recursos Naturales libre de actividades de gran minería y hidrocarburos.
Con esta medida del… pic.twitter.com/Jmcavfr4DE
— MinAmbiente Colombia (@MinAmbienteCo) November 13, 2025
Conservation and environmental justice in the Colombian Amazon
The measure seeks to halt the expansion of new extractive activities in several key departments: Amazonas, Caqueta, Guaviare, Guainia, Putumayo, and Vaupes. These territories, in addition to being vital ecosystems, are home to Indigenous, peasant, and Afro-descendant communities, which have traditionally been guardians of the forest.
According to the Ministry of Environment, the Colombian Amazon harbors around 10% of the known plant species on the planet. It also regulates the hydrological and climate cycles, which makes it a pillar of environmental security not only for Colombia but for the world. The protection is also grounded as an ethical investment, beyond an economic renunciation, and is framed within the National Plan for Containing Deforestation and processes of a just energy transition.
The announcement comes at a time when the Amazon region faces growing threats: There are currently 43 active hydrocarbon blocks and 286 mining requests in the Colombian rainforest. If these projects were activated, the government warns, they would jeopardize the climate balance and the integrity of the ecosystem.
In addition to environmental damage, extractive expansion generates habitat fragmentation, contamination of water sources, and loss of biodiversity — challenges that tend to accelerate when new infrastructure routes are opened in the region.
The declaration is also shaped by a strategic vision of Amazonian cooperation. During the same ministerial event, Colombia proposed the creation of an Amazon Alliance for Life, a platform to promote a more just and fraternal energy transition among the countries that share the biome.
At the same time, the Special Commission on Environment and Climate (CEMAC) was launched as a mechanism to coordinate regional actions on biodiversity, environmental justice, and the fight against environmental crimes, with special attention to the participation of Indigenous peoples.
Practical effects of the measure on the Amazon
Although the resolution represents a highly symbolic step forward, its implementation could face significant difficulties. In September of this year, the Ministry of Environment opened a draft for public consultation to formalize the “Reserve Zone” in the Amazon biome. This project respects already consolidated situations — that is, it does not imply immediate eviction of existing activities — but establishes a transitional regime for new licenses.
On the other hand, the call for regional consensus — although well received by some Amazonian countries — will need to translate into concrete actions to overcome historical differences regarding resource exploitation.
Moreover, to all this must be added the main problem: Illegal mining, which is widespread in peripheral areas where state presence is scarce. Most experts agree that this will be the most complex point for Colombia to enforce compliance with a measure that is — certainly — an example of determination for the rest of the Amazonian countries.
“It’s not about how much we extract, but about how much we are capable of protecting,” said Minister Irene Velez, emphasizing the right to life, water, and the future of Amazonian peoples.
This measure by the Colombian government opens a path for other countries sharing the Amazon biome to reflect on their role in defending the planet’s green lung, especially at a time when extractive pressure threatens its integrity.
For defenders of the Amazon, such as Mauricio Medina, an environmentalist consulted by Colombia One and a member of the organization Aldeas Verdes, “this ethical and scientific commitment stands as a sign of hope amid the global climate crisis, while also consolidating Colombia as a benchmark for environmental governance and ecological justice.”