The World Bank Group’s current portfolio in the Amazonia includes projects in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Suriname.
The projects focus on forest management, land use planning, promotion of climate-smart agriculture, strengthening business environment and access to finance, as well as critical investments in basic infrastructure, health and education systems.
These are some of The World Bank Group signature projects:
The World Bank's support of Guardians of the Forest (previously known as Bolsa de Floresta) is part of the First Amazonas Fiscal and Environmental Sustainability Programmatic Development Policy Financing. With a $200 million loan, Amazonas restructured its public finances, increased administrative transparency, strengthened environmental conservation, and prepared for a REDD+ system and forest concessions. The funds also helped extend the Guardians of the Forest's reach to 14,500 families, up from 9,602, and supported the development of community infrastructure, such as small river ports, throughout the state.
The Heart of the Amazon project is part of the Amazon Sustainable Landscapes (ASL) Program, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), implemented between the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, SINCHI Research Institute, National Natural Parks of Colombia, IDEAM, Corpoamazonia, CDA, Natural Heritage Fund, and with the World Bank support. The project aims to strengthen institutional and community forest governance, conserve forests and promote sustainable management in the Colombian Amazon.
This project aims to expand the area under legal protection, improve the management of protected areas, and increase the area under restoration and sustainable management in the Brazilian Amazon. With financing of $80 million the project is the largest in the history of the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The project intervenes in nine states of the Amazon, and supports the Amazon Regional Protected Areas Program, the world’s largest tropical forest conservation initiative. The project implementation is led by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change in partnership with state environmental agencies of Acre, Amazonas, Pará, and Rondônia; the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, ICMBio); Brazilian Forest Service (Serviço Florestal Brasileiro, SFB); with Fundo Brasileiro de Biodiversidade (FUNBIO), Conservação International-Brazil and Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV) serving as executing agencies.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) will invest in Natura’s Bond to promote the bioeconomy in the Amazonia and contribute to the protection and regeneration of the Amazonian Forest. IFC's investment will also contribute to boost local economy and communities and support agroforestry sustainable supply chains in the forest.
BBVA and the IFC issued a US$15 million first tranche of the world's first biodiversity bond that will amount to US$70 million, with the objective to finance projects that address the key drivers of biodiversity loss, particularly focused on reforestation, regeneration of natural forests on degraded lands, climate-smart and regenerative agriculture, restoration of wildlife habitats, among others.
The MIGA-guaranteed loan will be usedto support BdB’s local lending operations for Micro, Small and Medium (MSME) farmers engaged in no-till agriculture, which is considered a climate-smart practice.
More than 2,300 indigenous families and forest users from Peru are the main beneficiaries of this project that aims to recover 380,500 hectares of forestlands, with US$12.2 million in financing.
The US$280 million Sustainable Human Development Project in the State of Pará will help the State improve social services and food security, enhance learning, and promote forest conservation in a region where livelihoods depend directly on natural resources. About 550,000 people in 144 municipalities are expected to benefit directly from these activities.
