By Isabela Echeverry

IDB Lab, in collaboration with the Consejo Comunitario Mayor del Alto San Juan (ASOCASAN, for its acronym in Spanish), Terrasos, and the Santo Domingo Foundation, has launched the Banco de Hábitat del Alto Río San Juan - Yerrecuy, the first habitat bank in Colombia registered by an Afro-Colombian community. This bank aims to conserve and restore 1,350 hectares of ecosystems in the Pacific region

But what exactly is a habitat bank? It refers to a conservation area where threatened ecosystems are restored and protected for a period of 30 years. Unlike others, this one is not only registered with the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development but also on platforms that use blockchain technology, ensuring the immutability of the record and allowing for public consultation.

This solution, designed and developed by Terrasos, is based on "tokens" called Tebu (Terrasos Biodiversity Unit). Each "token" represents 10 m² of threatened ecosystems, and by acquiring them, the buyer guarantees their conservation for 30 years under strict technical, financial, and legal standards, supported by principles of traceability, permanence, rigor, transparency, and additionality.

The Banco de Hábitat del Alto Río San Juan - Yerrecuy will soon be available in this voluntary compensation system, which already includes two other habitat banks in Colombia, El Globo and Aguadulce. So far, Tebu sales have reached $124,000, advancing toward the final goal of $1 million, supporting the conservation of more than 1,450 hectares of ecosystems and generating over 50 direct and indirect jobs.

By purchasing a Tebu, you are not only contributing to biodiversity conservation but also supporting local communities that rely on these ecosystems for their livelihoods. This innovative financial model is backed by Colombia’s Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and aligns with global objectives such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

If you are interested in supporting this pioneering project and contributing to biodiversity protection, you can purchase Tebu from the authorized habitat banks here: tebu.terrasos.co/.

If you want to learn more about the guidelines for structuring projects that generate Biodiversity Units with high integrity, download our publication here.