Analisis comparativo de tres proyectos agroforestales en America central a fin de contribuir a la definicion de una estrategia de ecodesarrollo en la region

Ecuador is one of the world’s 17 megadiverse countries, with rich fauna and flora. However, economic reliance on non-renewable resources and unsustainable agricultural practices have threatened its biodiversity. Sustainable entrepreneurship offers an alternative to align economic activities with environmental protection. Yet, low-income women, youth, and other vulnerable groups face barriers in accessing credit to start small businesses.

Amid this situation, the National Corporation of Popular and Solidarity Finance (CONAFIPS) of Ecuador, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)’s Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN), developed a Social and Environmental Risk Management System (SARAS) tool: a free and automated software that enables credit unions to screen loan applications against social and sustainability criteria.

As of August 2024, credit unions approved USD 804 million in green credit using SARAS, fostering a nature-positive economy, conserving biodiversity, and supporting women and the youth.

The jaguar (yaguareté) is the largest feline in the Americas and a national symbol in Argentina, yet fewer than 250 remain nationwide, about 90 in Misiones. Habitat loss and declining prey have increased jaguar predation on livestock and pets, harming farmer’s income and driving retaliatory killings. To transform conflict into coexistence, the Government of Misiones, UNDP (BIOFIN and IRFF), the insurer Río Uruguay Seguros, and the NGO Aves Argentinas developed the world’s first jaguar-protection insurance. 

Purchased by the province of Misiones and offered free of charge to residents, the insurance provides prompt compensation to producers for verified jaguar predation. Launched in April 2025, the scheme verified five claims in its pilot phase in Comandante Andresito and has since expanded to other municipalities affected by human–jaguar conflict. By protecting rural livelihoods, the insurance discourages retaliation and protects the jaguar. 

In the context of accelerating global climate change, public awareness and participation in climate action across China remains limited. To address this, Friends of Nature launched the “Citizen Climate Action – Linglong Program” in 2021, with support from the Energy Foundation, the Beijing Xianfeng Changtian Foundation, and Partnerships for community Development. The program aims to identify and support individuals who already have a certain professional foundation but are at an early stage of engaging with climate issues. Through structured knowledge-building, mentorship, community support, and small grants, Linglong Program helps fellows design and implement citizen-led climate actions. By cultivating climate leaders and long-term change makers, the program establishes replicable and scalable models of climate action that inspire broader public engagement.

The Cross-Sector Taskforce (CSTF) was established in 2015 to coordinate Rwanda’s response to the Bonn Challenge and enhance Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) efforts. Comprising 35 member organizations, including government bodies, NGOs, private sector actors, and research institutions, the CSTF fosters collaboration, shares technical knowledge, and harmonizes FLR monitoring systems. It provides a platform for addressing deforestation, land degradation, and biodiversity loss while aligning restoration efforts with national and international strategies like the Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy (GGCRS), AFR100, and the Paris Agreement. Recent meetings have focused on integrating FLR with sustainable food systems, improving monitoring tools, and incentivizing local farmers. By facilitating knowledge exchange and improving governance, the CSTF enhances restoration efforts and strengthens Rwanda’s ability to meet its target of restoring 2 million hectares of land by 2030.

Sri Lanka, though small in size, is part of a global Biodiversity Hotspot due to its rich biodiversity and increasing threats from habitat encroachment, unsustainable resource use, pollution, and invasive species. While 28% of the country is covered by Protected Areas (PAs), many critical ecosystems exist outside these zones. Recognizing this, the Ministry of Environment and UNDP, with funding from the GEF, implemented a co-management approach in Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs) landscapes with high biodiversity and ecosystem service value outside formal PAs. The approach engaged public and private sectors, along with local communities, to conserve biodiversity while sustaining the ecological and socio-economic benefits essential to surrounding populations. It promoted inclusive and sustainable management practices, balancing conservation with responsible resource use, and enabling collaborative agreements between communities and the government. This approach is vital to safeguard Sri Lanka’s unique biodiversity.

As the government agency responsible for conserving Taiwan’s terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity, our Branch has long collaborated with the Indigenous Amis Makotaay (Gangkou) Village in Hualien County, beginning with terraced landscape restoration in 2009 and biodiversity monitoring in 2016. Building on this foundation, in 2021 we partnered with National Dong Hwa University to conduct community-based resilience assessment workshops, aiming to gain a comprehensive understanding of sustainability challenges facing the Gangkou landscape–seascape. These workshops identified 43 priority issues requiring urgent action. In March 2022, we co-established the Gangkou Forest-River-Village-Ocean Initiative (Gangkou ILSA), along with its cross-sector, multi-stakeholder platform and action plan. Since then, the Initiative has advanced ocean-friendly farming, restored coastal wetlands, strengthened community-based ocean and forest patrols, documented Amis knowledge and culture, and developed innovative youth-led eco-tourism.