ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author summarizes his ongoing research of the development potential of the Choco region. He visits the Colombian part on 6 occasions, 5 of them in the Department of Choco, in response to missions requested by the Colombian authorities, all linked with land use and forestry research and training projects, and all of them intended to provide guidance for development projects. The Choco Region’ of Colombia is possibly the world’s most extreme case of a large area with very high rainfall. The forests of Choco have an unusual degree of species endemism. It is generally considered that these lowland pluvial forests are the most species rich plant communities of the world. As in other regions of Colombia, several different agencies formulate development projects. Prominent among them is the Corporación de Desarollo del Choco. A number of these regional corporations cover either a province or other units such as large valleys.
