Patricia Raccah

Colombian environmentalist who pioneered urban reforestation and founded Latin America's largest green initiative network

Patricia Raccah (b. 1950) is a Colombian environmentalist whose innovative approaches to urban ecology have transformed Latin America's approach to sustainability. As founder of the Green Cross Colombia in 1989, she created the continent's first network of urban reforestation programs, planting over 10 million trees across 14 countries by 2020. Her work addresses both ecological restoration and community development through participatory planting initiatives.

Raccah's methodology combines scientific rigor with grassroots engagement, training local communities in agroforestry techniques while addressing climate change mitigation. Her Amazonia 2020 project pioneered carbon sequestration strategies that inspired UN climate frameworks. She developed the 'Green Cities Index' used by cities like Bogotá and Quito to measure urban sustainability progress.

In 2005, she launched the Eco Schools Network, integrating environmental education into 500 schools across Latin America. Her work has been recognized by the Goldman Environmental Prize (2012) and the UNEP Champions of the Earth award. Raccah's TEDx talk 'Why Cities Need Forests' has become a foundational resource for urban planners.

Her legacy includes influencing Colombia's National Reforestation Policy and establishing the COP26 Urban Greening Task Force. Raccah's strategies are documented in Urban Canopy: Building Green Cities from the Ground Up (2018) and Latin America's Green Revolution (2021). She continues to advise global initiatives like the WWF and Rockefeller Foundation.