Neotrópicos

Keywords :

Ozone water purification

Neotropicos is a private, not for profit, environmental NGO that promotes sustainable utilisation of resources in flood-plain habitats in Northern Colombia. This is accomplished mainly through a large, long-term biotope restoration project in the Magdalena River floodplain, where Neotropicos owns a large (800 hectares), multi-habitat land tract. Restoration is accomplished by passive means, i.e., by controlling wildfires, cattle grazing/browsing and poaching/hunting as well as by active means: rehabilitation of drainage and flood processes, soil conservation, plant and animal species re-introduction and repopulation, succession acceleration. We complement our project with small-scale demonstration of environmentally sound practices, with ample participation from members from our neighbouring communities. On site, we have run for over 15 years a primary school for children from these communities that emphasises on ecological and natural history matters, aimed towards increasing ecological awareness. Currently Neotropicos promotes a large-scale tree planting and caring project: ca. 3 million trees, from more than 60 species, over an 800 square kilometre region. The goal is to negotiate with interested parties, the selling of greenhouse gases reduction certificates, thus replacing degrading techniques of resource utilisation. Through this project we are in close contact with some 1.200 rural families that own productive family-run, multipurpose farms. Neotropicos advocates clean, appropriate technological solutions to solve the environmental problems faced by these people. Water purification for daily human consumption and for clean production of fish and dairy products is a clear and present need. In order to sustain these activities Neotropicos has had two main financial sources: the selling of consultant services in ecological and environmental matters to Colombian public and private institutions and an ever-diminishing amount of private donations, mostly from German sponsors collected through Auen Institut / University of Karlsruhe.