Written by: Álvaro J Rodríguez and Verónica Muriel
Political Constitution: There are numerous articles of the 1991 Colombian Political Constitution addressing the environment. Among them, article 79 established the right of all the persons to a healthy environment.
This right has been considered a collective right, so it can be enforced through collective actions. In addition, article 80 establishes the duty of the state to plan the management of natural resources and the environment to ensure sustainable development, their conservation and restoration, and to prevent and control factors of environmental deterioration.
Code of Natural Resources – Decree-Law 2811 of 1974: This code establishes detailed norms about the management of certain natural resources such as the forests, the soil, the water and the atmosphere. According to this code, anyone who uses or affects the renewable natural resources must have a previous permit granted by the competent environmental authority…