The North Andean Regeneration Fund and the power of territorial alliances to sow the future
- María Cecilia Restrepo Hernández
- Apr 24
- 3 min read
The collective birth of a fund with purpose
We had already told you that last March 6, at the National Meeting of Territorial Foundations held in Bogota and El Rosal, the Bioregional Fund for North Andean Regeneration was officially born. However, we were indebted to share more details of this powerful initiative, in whose gestation the Barichara Regenerative Foundation has played a key role, along with TerritoriA and other territorial foundations in the country.
This fund was designed to restore ecosystems, strengthen communities and generate autonomy in resource management, under two fundamental approaches: regenerative and bioregional.
Regenerating with Bioregions in mind
The regenerative approach seeks to maximize the health and vitality of ecosystems and the human fabric over time, understanding that each territory has its own ecological and cultural context and unique potential. In this vision, human beings are not only mitigators of damage, but active agents in the evolution of territories, in reciprocal relationships with nature.
Moreover, the bioregional approach proposes planning territories on the basis of living systems rather than political-administrative divisions. Thus, it promotes governance based on ecological connections. In the case of Fundación Barichara Regenerativa, it is the bioregion, framed -from the hydrological and climatic perspective- by the basins of the Fonce, Chicamocha and Saravita (Suárez) rivers.
Axes for territorial regeneration
The fund works along four thematic axes: Environmental regeneration, Regenerative economy, Regenerative education and Regenerative culture and territorial healing. From ecological restoration and integrated water management, to strengthening community governance and protecting cultural memory, each line of action see
A local alliance with local projection
This fund connects the local with the global by being made possible through the collaboration of strategic partners committed to community regeneration, such as The NoVo Foundation, Humanity United and CUSO International.
The resources channeled, which so far amount to USD 164,000, support regenerative initiatives, collective learning and the creation of collaborative networks at the national level. This articulation of efforts between private, public and social actors in the territories is key to building shared visions of regenerative development.
What's coming in 2025
This year, the fund will advance in the allocation of resources to mapped initiatives, using mechanisms based on trust and flexibility. In addition, a funding campaign will be launched to increase available resources and thus benefit new territories in the process of incorporation. Another key step will be the strengthening of collaborative budgets and participatory territorial planning, with the aim of consolidating the fund in the North Andean region and expanding its reach to other territories in the country. Finally, a monitoring, evaluation and learning framework will be implemented to provide a transparent account of the impact achieved and the use of resources, thus feeding a process of continuous improvement and collective knowledge building.
Territorial and local approach
The heart of this fund lies in its territorial approach, which values the knowledge and decision-making capacity of local communities. Collaboration and collective participation are fundamental principles, where the Territorial Foundations lead and define priorities and investments. These types of alliances strengthen our local processes, opening up a range of possibilities for new ways of inhabiting and caring for our territory, based on reciprocity and solidarity.
A lighthouse in times of crisis
In a context of ecological and climate crisis, this initiative becomes much more than a source of funding, it is a beacon that illuminates regenerative paths for our territories and can inspire others to join this urgent and necessary transformation. With passion for life and territorial commitment, we are sowing together a more resilient and regenerative future for generations to come.
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