Country: Colombia Source: HALO Trust Meta, Colombia, 1 October 2026 — The world’s largest landmine clearance charity, The HALO Trust, along with Rainforest Trust and Amazon Conservation Team (ACT) are embarking on a groundbreaking partnership to clear landmines from almost 18, 000 hectares (nearly 45, 000 acres) of land in Colombia’s Meta region, helping Indigenous communities reclaim and protect their ancestral territory. The three-year, approximately US$1M project, will focus on 81 families living in Mesetas, home to the Sol Naciente Indigenous community, and Uribe, home to the Nuevo Milenio Indigenous community. The areas sit on the edge of protected rainforest and are vulnerable to illegal logging and other extractive activities. Once the land is declared mine-free, the Colombian government can designate both areas as Indigenous Reserves, crucially giving communities greater control over the conservation of their territory. The mountainous landscape, around 1, 000 metres (more than 3, 200 feet) above sea level, is also home to rare and endangered species and important ecosystems. “This first-of-its-kind partnership for Rainforest Trust expands what conservation can look like. Conservation starts with people being able to safely live on, care for and defend their land. By removing landmines from these ancestral territories, this partnership will help Indigenous communities reclaim access to their lands while creating the conditions for nearly 45, 000 acres of critical rainforest habitat to be protected for the long term, ” said James Deutsch, CEO of Rainforest Trust. “Clearing landmines means that these communities can safely access and protect their ancestral lands. This partnership illustrates how mine clearance can do much more than save lives — it can also help Indigenous communities protect some of Colombia’s most valuable ecosystems, ” said Oliver Ford, HALO Colombia Programme Manager. HALO will partner with Rainforest Trust and the Amazon Conservation Team, combining mine clearance with long-term environmental and legal protection. Following explosives clearance, HALO and ACT will provide environmental monitoring equipment and motorbikes for the Indigenous Guard, who will help protect the territory from illegal logging. The communities will play the central role in the project, developing their own mechanisms to preserve their land. Work is beginning in Sol Naciente, with the wider project running for three years.
From Landmines to Rainforest Guardians: How clearing Colombia’s battlefields could help Indigenous communities save 18,000 hectares of rainforest
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