Between November 28 and 30, ISA will take over the Colombia Pavilion at Expo Dubai to present to the world the relevance of the jaguar in the climate change mitigation and the preservation of ecosystems in the Americas, on the occasion of November 29, the date declared by the United Nations Development Programme as International Jaguar Day.
The company invites you to participate in ‘the exhibition that no one wants to see’, among other interactive activities such as photography, murals, and live art, to recognize the value of this ‘umbrella species’ in the balance and proper functioning of ecosystems and what could happen if it were to disappear.
More than 2.000 visitors a day are expected to attend, who will take away valuable lessons about the jaguar, which is currently in near threatened status, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, due to habitat destruction and illegal hunting. It is estimated that there are 4,5 felines per 100 km2 in the Amazon, in protected areas, and 2,5 in unprotected areas. In Uruguay and El Salvador, they are already extinct.
“We want to make visible to the world the importance of protecting the jaguar, ratifying our commitment to leave a legacy of Sustainable Value for new generations. Currently, this commitment has materialized with the protection of nearly 800.000 hectares of forest and a potential reduction of 6 million tons of CO2 among the seven conservation projects located in the jaguar corridor in Colombia, Brazil, and Peru,” María Adelaida Correa, ISA’s Corporate Sustainability Director, said.
In addition, aligned with the purpose of mitigating climate change, ISA will offset the carbon footprint of the Colombia Pavilion during the three days of activities, through the purchase of carbon credits from its Conexión Jaguar sustainability program.
The resources generated from this purchase will contribute to further consolidate the rehabilitation of more than 2.200 hectares of land degraded by cattle ranching in the municipality of Cimitarra, in Colombia’s Magdalena Medio region, one of the most critical points for recovering the connectivity of the Jaguar corridor in Colombia.
To this end, the project will continue with the planting of endangered native trees such as the Abarco, in conjunction with cocoa production, which generates important benefits for local communities in terms of employment, income, and capacity building. In terms of biodiversity, this project contributes to the protection of five critically endangered species: Colombian Blue-billed curassow, Magdalena brown spider monkey, white-tailed deer, cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus), and black-headed spider monkey.
Finally, it should be noted that the importance of the jaguar goes beyond borders and continents, since, simultaneously, academic, and cultural expressions of great impact will be held in Bogotá, Lima, Sao Paulo, and New York, in addition to Dubai, to connect the world around the celebration of International Jaguar Day.
In the case of Bogotá, the emblematic Colpatria Tower, the replica of the Taj Mahal and the Maloka Cosmica in Jaime Duque Park will be covered with jaguar textures and jungle designs through lighting and 3D Mapping by prominent national artists. Moreover, in the case of New York and Sao Paulo, the official presentation of the Jaguar Parade, an event that brings together artists from around the world to raise funds and awareness of the urgent need to conserve jaguars and their habitats, will take place.
All activities around Jaguar Month will be in alliance with Parque Explora, Jaime Duque Park, Sonic Design, Jaguara, Herencia Ambiental, Jaguar Parade, ISA INTERCOLOMBIA, ISA TRANSELCA, ISA REP, ISA CTEEP, Expo Dubai, Panthera and South Pole.
