By Oliver Griffin, Reuters

BOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombian President Ivan Duque is confident his administration can cut the country’s deforestation rate in half by the end of his four-year term, though it will be impossible to stop it completely, he told Reuters.

Speaking in an interview for Reuters Events Responsible Business USA, Duque said deforestation in the Andean country has been slashed by almost 20% during his first two years in office.

According to the government, deforestation has fallen in part due to policies promoting sustainable use of natural resources, as well as paying thousands of rural and indigenous families to assist in conservation efforts.

“We have set the goal of reducing (deforestation) by 50% by the end of our administration,” Duque said.

“Obviously, I would like to say we have to bring it to zero, but we have to consider that there are activities that have produced so much damage,” he added, referring to the impact of drug trafficking, illegal logging, and other illicit enterprises.

Government plans to plant 180 million trees by August 2022 will offset some destruction, he added. Some 38 million trees have been planted so far this year, and Duque said he was confident of meeting the final target.

In 2018 and 2019 Colombia lost 356,053 hectares (around 880,000 acres), while the millions of new trees are expected to cover some 300,000 hectares (741,300 acres).

Duque said he would keep fighting illegal logging and mining, drug trafficking and unauthorized clearing of land for cattle rearing, which all contribute to environmental destruction.

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