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IDB approves $64.8 million for sustainable development of Acre

The Inter-American Development Bank today announced the approval of a $64.8 million loan to Brazil to finance sustainable development of the state of Acre through investments in conservation, infrastructure and technology and production support and promotion.

The program will regularize land tenure, increase wilderness protected areas and strengthen the capacity of the state government for environmental protection, modernizing the state’s environmental management capacity and ensuring the efficient use of natural resources. The program also promotes and protects indigenous heritage.

Among the infrastructure works will be the paving of 70 kilometers of a section of highway BR-364, which will facilitate the marketing of certified forest products from state forests, as well as improvements on the river network and the installation of 102 solar energy systems.

Investments will also be made in providing technical assistance to producers to promote environmentally and economically viable forestry and agricultural practices, and steps will be taken to help preserve indigenous cultures through establishing an inventory and data base and through the creation of five centers for cultural dissemination to uphold the value and identity of 12 indigenous ethnic groups.

The business sector of Acre will be assisted in expansion through technical assistance programs in marketing and other advisory services and through the creation of linkages among strategic enterprises to increase competitiveness and promote access to external markets.

Three demonstration projects will be financed to show the benefits of modern sustainable forestry and pasture management.

Civil society groups representing all economic and social levels of society are expected to participate in supervising implementation of the project through a Commission for Evaluation and Monitoring.

“This program is unique in that it represents a very broad and integrated approach to development in the Amazon area, combining environmental protection and management, infrastructure investments, economic stimulus, new technology and the preservation of cultural heritage,” commented IDB Project Team Leader Héctor Malarín.

The program reflects the IDB strategy for Brazil of promoting modernization of the state, competitiveness, environmental protection and poverty reduction.

The IDB loan is for a 20-year term, with a four-year grace period, at the variable interest rate, now 6.19 percent. Local counterpart funds total 43.2 million.

The program will be carried out by the state’s Secretariat for Planning and Coordination. *

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