The Pros and Cons of MinAmbiente's Temporary Nature Reserves to Slow Down Mining

Mining attorney Estefanny Pardo was cited in an El Tiempo article summarizing the arguments for and against creating temporary nature reserves in mining zones in Colombia. In January 2024, the country's Ministry of Environment (MinAmbiente) issued a decree to establish these reserves, with the goal of prohibiting or preventing mining activity in these areas to protect natural resources. Ms. Pardo commented that carving out such a space not only hinders the advancement of traditional mining but also can have a negative economic effect on local communities.

"Even though the decree signals that restrictions will apply to future mining licenses, in practice any ongoing mining project will find itself restricted from being able to make amendments to environmental management provisions, including requesting extensions, in its contracts," she explained. "This implies that projects in execution can be affected in their legitimate expectations."

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