A region of central Colombia has been declared a national park, in turn halting all plans for mining in the area, local media reported Tuesday.
What is now known as Santurban National Park produces water for over two million people in the metropolitan area of Bucaramanga.
The area covers just over 28,900 acres; over 2,000 more than what was originally put forward for the plans, reported newspapers El Tiempo.
The move is good news for environmentalists as the Andean region has been attracting a lot of attention from the mining firm Leyhat Colombia who were looking to set up a 6,000 sq meter gold mine in the area in 2012. The moorland is home to hundreds of endangered species in Colombia including the spectacled bear.