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Antioquia and Chocó, Colombia

Mutatá REDD+ Project 

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  • Project Developer

    Communities of Mutatá

  • Standards

    VCS

  • Dates

    26/06/2013 – 25/06/2043

  • Forest type

    Tropical lowland rainforest 

  • Project area

    42,437 hectares

  • Community members

    Approximately 2,820

  • Species threatened

    33 globally threatened species according to the IUCN Red List

“Let’s work together, like ants in the land—united, steady, and strong.”

key impacts

  • 15 Indigenous Communities

    Led by the Cabildo Mayor Indígena de Mutatá, representing over 2,800 Embera Katío people, protecting ancestral lands through ancestral governance and and traditional practices

  • 42437 hectares

    Of culturally sacred, high-conservation-value tropical rainforest within the Chocó–Darién biodiversity hotspot, recognized for its endemic species richness, threatened ecosystems, and vital ecosystem services

  • 33 globally threatened species

    Protected through the development of forest-compatible livelihoods, community-led monitoring and restoration, including the Jaguar, Blue-billed Curassow, Spectacled Bear, and Baird’s Tapir

  • 767823 tonnes CO₂ emissions avoided

    Verified under VCS and CCB Gold standards, with a crediting period from 2013 to 2043, ensuring long-term climate benefits

  • 80 + families

    Engaged in sustainable livelihoods, from cacao agroforestry and fish farming to silvopasture systems, creating forest-compatible income and food security

Community Voices

  • Speech marks

    In Mutatá, Embera women are leading a community-based fish-farming initiative that strengthens food security and supports their families’ livelihoods.

    Fish-farming initiative

    The initiative highlights the community’s own productive solutions and the important role of women in sustaining their territory.

  • Speech marks

    In Mutatá, the Embera community gathers regularly to plan territorial activities, discuss priorities and guide next steps for the REDD+ process.

    Community planning & decision-making

    These meetings ensure that decisions reflect community voices and collective leadership

  • Speech marks

    Members of the Embera community, accompanied by the Indigenous Guard and local monitoring teams, carry out data collection and patrols inside their protected areas.

    Forest monitoring

    Their efforts reinforce territorial governance and help safeguard the forest from external pressures.

Image Gallery

  • © Paramo ​Films/​Juan ​Rincon

    Birdwatching in protected areas cared for by the Embera community in Mutatá, Antioquia.

  • © Paramo ​Films/​Juan ​Rincon

    Sandra Domicó, an Embera cacao producer, supported through the REDD+ project to strengthen her livelihood.

  • © Paramo ​Films/​Juan ​Rincon

    River landscapes and protected zones stewarded by the Embera community in Mutatá, Antioquia.

  • © Paramo ​Films/​Juan ​Rincon

    Flora documented during a biodiversity monitoring walk in Mutatá.

  • © Paramo ​Films/​Juan ​Rincon

    Territorial patrol and data collection carried out with Embera monitors and the Indigenous guard.

  • © Paramo ​Films/​Juan ​Rincon

    Birdwatching in Embera-protected forest areas as part of biodiversity monitoring activities.

  • © Paramo ​Films/​Juan ​Rincon

    A member of the Indigenous guard supporting data-collection transects in protected Embera territory.

  • © Paramo ​Films/​Juan ​Rincon

    Territorial patrol and data collection carried out with Embera monitors and the Indigenous guard.

  • © Paramo ​Films/​Juan ​Rincon

    Aerial view of Embera-protected forest areas in Mutatá, showing community-led conservation efforts.

  • © Paramo ​Films/​Juan ​Rincon

    Sustainable cattle management project developed outside the forested areas of Embera territory.

  • © Paramo ​Films/​Juan ​Rincon

    Territorial patrol and data collection carried out with Embera monitors and the Indigenous guard.

  • © Paramo ​Films/​Juan ​Rincon

    Women from the Embera community leading a fish-farming project in Mutatá, Antioquia.

  • © Paramo ​Films/​Juan ​Rincon

    Birdwatching in Embera-protected forest areas as part of biodiversity monitoring activities.

  • © Paramo ​Films/​Juan ​Rincon

    Territorial patrol and data collection carried out with Embera monitors and the Indigenous guard.

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