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Friends and colleagues,

We are reaching more milestones with the conservation work in our region as time passes on. This month highlighted the protection of the Amazon biome, at the political level as well as in the local and the financial sectors.

In the Oceans practice, the transboundary Smart Coasts project presented progress in the support provided to coastal communities and countries against climate change.

In relation to Freshwater, the salmon industry is progressively closing its production centers in Chile’s lakes.

In Forests, a conservation milestone was registered in Peru, where 140 million dollars will be destined to the protection of the Amazon. Meanwhile, sustainable Brazil nut production was enhanced by a generous donation of equipment to the Barra de São Manoel community by WWF-Brazil. In the same sense, WWF-Bolivia promoted the production of acai as a form of sustainable development that helps to conserve the Manuripi Reserve. On its behalf, Paraguay presented the audiovisual production "The Reconquering of the Forests" about yerba mate cultivation and the conservation of the Atlantic Forest.

With regards to Wildlife, the new episode of the "Residents of the Forest" series by WWF-Brazil managed to capture unprecedented footage of two Amazonian birds, the White-Winged Trumpeter and the Spix’s Guan.

In Climate and Energy, WWF-Mexico launched a platform for companies to buy electricity from renewable sources. In addition, Ecuador presented a financial proposal to the Green Climate Fund to mitigate the effects of climate change in Galapagos. Argentina also held the first plenary meeting of the Alliance for Climate Action.

Finally, in Governance, WWF-Colombia and its partner OPIAC’s work with indigenous people is a model for compliance of the SDGs related to the environment.

Enjoy this new edition,

Roberto Troya

Vice president & Regional Director

WWF-LAC

“Smart Coasts” transboundary project presents progress

The Smart Coasts project was created to integrate climate-smart marine protected areas and to improve coastal management in the Mesoamerican Reef region, shared by Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras.  It is being implemented by WWF and its partners, with the support of the International Climate Initiative. A year after its launch, the project has developed different actions to support governments and coastal communities in the four countries to adapt to the potential consequences of climate change.

Salmon industry begins to say goodbye to lakes in southern Chile 

The salmon industry in Chile is beginning to close its production centers within lakes, a demand that WWF-Chile has pushed forward for more than a decade, due to scientific information that warned about the impact of this activity on the aforementioned bodies of water.

AquaChile, the largest national producer and the second largest worldwide, closed all its operations in lakes, and the entire industry is expected to move in this direction.

Peru secures long-term funding to protect nature

The Government of Peru, WWF and partners announced a commitment of $140 million USD to expand and effectively manage almost 17 million hectares of protected areas in the Amazon, where the largest water reserve, biodiversity and an important part of the culture of Peru is conserved.

Sustainable production: community receives equipment to increase its Brazil nut production

With the aim of promoting Brazil nut production in the community of Barra de São Manoel –a small riverside village on the banks of the Tapajós river, in the Amazon rainforest – WWF-Brazil has, in the recent weeks, donated equipment to the families of Brazil nut harvesters in that area. The dozens of donated products add up to 4 tons of cargo and investments of over $56,000 USD to benefit more than 1,200 riverside families.

Wild fruits contribute to the Bolivian Amazon conservation

With the goal of strengthening sustainable production activities that promote the value of forests and reduce illegal activities, WWF-Bolivia and the National Service of Protected Areas, support the use of non-timber resources in the Manuripi National Wildlife Reserve through the collection and production of Acai pulp. Currently, an industrial plant has been established and it is considered a reference model for its rapid growth.

Documentary promotes Yerba mate and Atlantic Forest conservation

WWF-Paraguay presented the short documentary “The Reconquering of the Forests.” The material shows the work in five Atlantic Forest communities in Paraguay, with small-scale producers, through the MATE Project (Market Access and Territorial Empowerment), whose purpose is to strengthen community work, establish a connection to their land and consolidate other economic alternatives for conservation agriculture.   

Residents of the Forest: Amazonian birds episode

The latest video from the “Residents of the Forest” series, promoted by WWF-Brazil since last year, focuses on two Amazonian birds: the White-Winged Trumpeter (Psophia leucoptera) and the Spix’s Guan (Penelope jacquacu). They are threatened by hunting, loss and degradation of their habitats and the illegal trade of wild animals. The previously unseen images, were captured in the Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve (Resex), in the Brazilian state of Acre. 

WWF launches a platform to transition companies to renewable energies

WWF-Mexico launched an innovative platform that promotes the purchase of electricity from renewable sources for the industrial and commercial sector in Mexico. The Ren mx platform was inaugurated in the framework of the IX edition of MirecWeek, the most important renewable energy event in the country, held in the Mexico City from May 20 to 22.

Ecuador presents financial proposal to the Green Climate Fund for Galapagos 

To secure the future of the Galapagos Islands, an important biodiversity reserve, the Ministry of Environment and strategic partners such as WWF-Ecuador, announced a funding proposal for the UN Green Climate Fund for the "Galapagos compatible with climate" program, which seeks to strengthen the resilience capacity of the islands adaptation through climate practices.

The Argentina Climate Action Partnership takes its first steps 

The first plenary meeting of the Argentina Climate Action Partnership took place, initiating the process of strengthening the initiative and shaping the work plan, for joint actions that contribute to the accelerated compliance of the Nationally Determined Contribution of the country, in line with the Paris agreement.

This alliance is a movement involving key actors to generate knowledge and opportunities that contribute with the implementation of global agreements.

Indigenous people from the Amazon: strategic allies for achieving SDGs 

Recently, the alliance between WWF and the Organization of Indigenous Peoples (IPs) from the Colombian Amazon (OPIAC) was included in the United Nations database on good practices, success stories and lessons learned in the implementation of the SDGs, because of the accomplishment of SDG 13 and SDG 15. Since 2018, they have been working together to demonstrate the key contribution of IPs.