Private Enterprise and Financial Markets > Environment
Forestry and Biodiversity Conservation and Management
Latin America has about one quarter of the world's existing forests and more than half of its tropical forests, which contain a wealth of products that are in growing demand, including local and global environmental benefits. The Bank's forest policy, approved 1991, was the result of a long process of consultation that took place between 1981 and 1992. The policy is relatively broad, allowing a spectrum of activities such as institutional strengthening and research, alongside investments in forest conservation, rehabilitation of degraded natural forests, agroforestry, reforestation and appropriate use of products and services from sustainably managed forests.
Current priority areas of action include the analysis of sectoral policies (especially in agriculture and rural development) that affect the protection and sustainable management of forest resources; the generation of innovative approaches to rural development in tropical forest areas that lead to sustainability and curb deforestation; the preparation of a strategy and Bank guidelines for urban greening; the evaluation of financial mechanisms in reforestation programs; and support for the identification of appropriate technologies in natural forest management and agroforestry systems in Bank programs.
Biodiversity's relevance for the survival of indigenous peoples and for those who depend upon wildland resources is well known. New uses or applications adopted from indigenous knowledge of wild plants and animals, are entering a growing market in essential oils, natural pesticides, wild fibers, latex products, pharmaceuticals and veterinary products, ornamental plants and exotic fruits. At the same time, growing interest in visiting wildland areas, from rain forests to Patagonian glaciers, is fueling an expanding ecotourism industry, providing a source of revenue for rural communities and a potential ingredient for sustainable development strategies.
While much biological diversity can be conserved within parks and reserves, the ecology of many plants and animals requires that they be maintained beyond the boundaries of established protected areas. The Bank will support the consolidation of national systems of protected areas, helping the countries of the region to establish management and financing arrangements that ensure effective long-term protection, and at the same time make biodiversity an integral element of rural development initiatives.
To attain these objectives, the Division will (i) explore new avenues for technical support and investment in biodiversity conservation and rational utilization; (ii) support initiatives that link the stewardship of biological resources with the cultural heritage of native peoples; (iii) promote the development of ecotourism tied to the management of protected areas as an integral component of sustainable development efforts; (iv) integrate biodiversity assessment in project design and execution, and (v) support interinstitutional cooperation leading to the implementation of the Biodiversity Convention, the revitalization of the Western Hemisphere Convention and the achievement of the objectives of international agreements designed to preserve the natural and cultural heritage of Latin America and Caribbean.
