The mountain forest of the East chain of the Colombian Andes is nationally and internationally considered a priority for conservation because of its biodiversity richness and because of the threats of its ecosystems (it has 37% of the total birds of South America, 10% of the frogs of the world, a high biodiversity of butterflies, palms, orchids and endemic species of fauna y flora), 90% of which have disappeared.

For this reason, Fundación Natura (FN) identified what is known today as the Conservation Corridor Guantiva-La Rusia-Iguaque[1][1], leading since 2004 a planning process for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development, that will offer development options to the communities settled in the region, based on conservation and management for the sustainability of natural resources. The main result of this process was the definition of the “Strategy for Sustainable Development, Conservation Corridor – Guantiva – La Rusia – Igaque”[2][2] that has generated a regional perspective that has transcended the traditional local perspective that prevails in the region.

The strategy is important because it establishes relationships of conservation actions, restoration and connectivity, with processes that will ensure sustainable production to give economic support to the population.  And it has also generated nationally, regionally and locally agreement processes within the public, private and third sector, generating important environmental, social and economic  impacts on the area, like the conservation of at least 178.000 ha of oak forest, the implementation of sustainable productive practices (agriculture and livestock), the generation of strategic information for the sustainable use of natural ecosystems, the improvement of life quality of  rural communities with low income and the gathering of efforts from institutions for the region´s development .