Context
The Amazon region is home to the largest contiguous tropical rainforest in the world, covering more than 550 million hectares. This vast ecosystem plays a crucial role in maintaining regional and global climate stability, contributing to the regulation of weather patterns, carbon storage, and the protection of biodiversity. Yet, this ecological treasure is under constant threat from deforestation, illegal mining, and commercial exploitation. The projects supported by PROGREEN support preserving the Amazon and the development of sustainable economic opportunities for local communities.
In response, countries in the Amazon Basin—primarily Brazil and Guyana, along with Colombia, Suriname, Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador—have recognized the urgent need for cross-border cooperation to protect these vital forests. Promoting the integration of Amazon countries seeks to enhance coordination and resources for sustainable forest management and restoration. These efforts are also tied to achieving net-zero deforestation and promoting the well-being of local communities living within the Amazon.
PROGREEN’s projects in the region focus on building the capacity of key institutions, helping them develop the tools and knowledge to make informed decisions about forest management. This includes bolstering efforts to restore degraded land, manage tropical forests sustainably, and explore the potential of a bioeconomy that benefits both the environment and local populations.
Approach
Working at the forefront of tropical forest conservation and sustainable management in the Amazon region, PROGREEN’s approach to forest conservation in the Amazon is built on collaboration, capacity-building, and knowledge exchange. By supporting cross-regional initiatives and fostering collaboration among countries with vast tropical forests, PROGREEN is helping strengthen the knowledge base for informed decision-making and driving innovations in forest conservation and bioeconomy. Key actions include:
1. Promoting Knowledge Exchange
PROGREEN organizes South-South knowledge exchange events, which bring together government officials and stakeholders. These events foster collaboration and allow for the sharing of best practices in forest restoration, conservation, and sustainable land use.
2. Strengthening Institutional Capacity
By offering technical support and capacity building, PROGREEN helps countries in the Amazon region and beyond to design and implement policies for sustainable forest management, biodiversity conservation, and restoration of critical ecosystems.
3. Supporting the Bioeconomy
PROGREEN also emphasizes the role of the bioeconomy in promoting sustainable economic opportunities. By focusing on sustainable resource use, PROGREEN seeks to ensure that local communities can derive long-term benefits from forest conservation, helping them meet the dual goals of economic development and ecological preservation.
Results
PROGREEN’s programs in the Amazon have yielded significant outcomes, both regionally and globally:
1. Supporting Reforestation Initiatives
PROGREEN has directly contributed to the creation of the World Bank Group Amazon Reforestation Outcome Bond, an innovative financing model designed to provide upfront funding for reforestation projects. This bond supports large-scale reforestation efforts by organizations like Mombak, a Brazilian company focused on forest restoration.
2. Increased Knowledge and Capacity
Through its knowledge exchange programs, including South-South dialogues and events, PROGREEN has enabled over 80 government officials from across the Amazon region and tropical forest countries to engage in meaningful discussions about scaling forest restoration and securing financial resources for sustainable development.
3. Innovative Financing Mechanisms
The Amazon Reforestation Outcome Bond represents a major innovation in financing large-scale environmental restoration. This bond is a model for blending private and public investments and is poised to inspire similar initiatives in other forest regions around the world.
Through these efforts, PROGREEN is helping ensure the long-term protection and sustainable management of the Amazon, contributing to global efforts to combat climate change and preserve biodiversity for future generations.
4. South-South Cooperation
The Amazon activity supports south-south cooperation in the region by supporting the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) in the implementation of the Belem Declaration.
Extending Cooperation Beyond the Amazon
Recognizing Brazil’s status as one of the three largest tropical rainforest nations, alongside the DRC and Indonesia, PROGREEN also supports the Tropical Tripartite Agreement between these nations. As noted above, the partnership fosters South-South knowledge exchange (SSKE), enabling these rainforest giants to share strategies, best practices, and resources in sustainable forest management. By linking the Amazon with tropical forest regions in Africa and Southeast Asia, PROGREEN is expanding its impact, contributing to global climate goals, and reinforcing collaboration among the world’s leading forest nations.