Mataven REDD+ Project
Protecting forests, empowering communities, and driving climate resilience across Colombia’s vital biomes.
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) projects are pivotal in the global effort to tackle climate change. By conserving forested lands and supporting local livelihoods, these initiatives create a sustainable pathway to balance environmental and economic priorities.
Project impacts
Climate & environment
- Protection and sustainable management of 1.47 million hectares of tropical forest
- Conservation of endangered species and maintenance of biodiversity
- Prevention of significant greenhouse gas emissions by preserving carbon sinks
Social & economic
- Implementation of Family Agrifood Production Units System (FAPUS) to enhance food security through agroforestry
- Support for education and cultural preservation within Indigenous territories
- Investment in clean water, sanitation, and preventative healthcare
- Promotion of women’s leadership and participation in governance and training
- Mobilisation of 300 Indigenous forest guards and creation of new jobs in agroforestry, training, and community project management
Location: Colombia
Project type:
REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation)
Project Facts
Project details
The Mataven REDD+ Project safeguards a vital ecological corridor where the Orinoco and Amazon biomes converge – one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth.
Governed by ACATISEMA (Asociación de Cabildos y Autoridades Tradicionales Indígenas de la Selva de Matavén), the project uses a participatory, community-led model to:
- Protect, conserve, and restore the Resguardo Indígena Unificado – Selva de Matavén (RIU-SM)
- Empower Indigenous leadership and sustainable forest governance
REDD+ project aims
- Reduce carbon emissions through forest conservation
- Enhance biodiversity across critical ecosystems
- Strengthen forest governance and local management capacity
- Improve livelihoods for forest-dependent and Indigenous communities
By aligning economic incentives with conservation, REDD+ initiatives such as Mataven foster long-term environmental stewardship and social development.
Key facts
- Home to 265 communities and more than 15,000 Indigenous people
- Threatened by livestock expansion, mining, and illegal activities
- Established in 2013 to halt deforestation, preserve biodiversity, and strengthen local wellbeing
Project activities
- Training and deploying hundreds of Indigenous forest guardians
- Implementing sustainable agroforestry and food systems
- Strengthening community governance structures and decision-making
Collaboration
Anthesis supports the Mataven Project through the purchase of high-integrity carbon credits, directly contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the protection of globally significant forests.
The project is certified by Gold Standard, a Core Carbon Principle (CCP) eligible registry under the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) — ensuring transparency, impact, and environmental integrity.
Related carbon projects
Discover our Carbon Project Development Expertise and explore our Existing Carbon Projects.
