Last Saturday, May 10, we took part in the Informative Meeting for the Nyctibius Exploratory Drilling Area in the PUT-8 Block, convened by the National Environmental Licensing Authority (ANLA) as part of the project’s environmental licensing process.
The meeting was held simultaneously in two locations in Puerto Asis: the Plaza de Ferias in the urban area, and the Community Center in the village of Narino, in a rural area. More than 209 people attended in person, and some 300 people followed the live broadcast through ANLA’s official social media.
Together with the ANLA technical team, at the meeting we presented the technical scope of the project, its main characteristics, the environmental impacts identified and the measures we have proposed to prevent, mitigate, correct or compensate for these impacts. The meeting was open, participatory and transparent, and we received and answered more than 41 concerns raised by citizens.
“We are pleased to have participated in this meeting, where the high interest from communities to participate actively and transparently in these licensing processes mean that the balance was positive. We are grateful for the accompaniment of institutions, the attendance of hundreds of people and the concerns expressed in this meeting, which allows us to improve our project,” our Nature and Neighbors manager Anibal Fernandez de Soto said after the meeting.
This process will continue with the Environmental Public Hearing on May 31 at the same locations as the Informative Meeting. People wishing to actively participate can register through ANLA channels until 5:00 p.m on May 27.
As well as being part of the formal licensing process, for us these meetings are also an opportunity to speak openly with our neighbors and listen to them. We firmly believe that the best projects are built through participation and dialogue.
