Latin America & The Caribbean Programme
In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), desertification affects about 28 percent of the land - drylands, arid and semi-arid lands and sub-humid areas – that is home to 125 million people, including 60 percent of the poorest people in the region. It has been estimated that the economic losses resulting from desertification-related problems in LAC countries amount to USD 1 billion per year. This figure increases to USD 4.8 billion if drought-related losses are included.
On the whole, the region’s technical and institutional capacities have enabled them to make significant progress towards UNCCD implementation. The GM and its partners support the countries and organizations of the region strategically and systematically through the delivery of GM’s main products and services.
Integrated financing strategies
With the ultimate objective of putting in place an integrated investment framework in line with UNCCD’s Ten-Year Strategy and the country’s mid-term investment framework budget allocations, the GM is supporting the development and implementation of integrated financing strategies (IFSs) in Argentina, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala Nicaragua and Peru. Read more...
Cross-cutting activities
In the context of IFS development, the GM and its partners are undertaking the following cross-cutting activities to further strengthen national, sub-regional activities that can help establish an integrated investment framework:
• Harmonization of public polices
• Economic assessment of land degradation
• Engagement of civil society organizations Read More...
Identifying innovative financing opportunities
The LAC region is well known for its experience in designing and implementing innovative financing mechanisms to help preserve ecosystems, ensure sustainable livelihoods and compensate natural resource stewards. The GM is supporting initiatives at national and subregional levels that can tap into funding sources such as compensation for ecosystem services, and climate change mitigation/adaptation and market-based mechanisms.
South-to-south collaboration to strengthen processes
The GM is helping establish south-to-south cooperation exchanges between LAC countries, taking advantage of their knowledge, their experience in UNCCD implementation, and their desire to help other countries that are initiating and/or consolidating their UNCCD implementation processes. Together with the Government of Portugal and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) the GM is initiating south-to-south collaboration between Brazil and the Portuguese-speaking countries of Africa.
Subregional platforms to promote investment
The GM is designing and implementing SLM investment promotion platforms at the subregional level in Mesoamerica, Mercosur countries and the English-speaking Caribbean. The platforms seek to attract the broad participation of bilateral and multilateral agencies, in order to provide a framework to enhance UNCCD implementation at the national level by translating subregional policies and programmes into national actions.
Designing integrated financing strategies (DIFS)
In LAC the GM delivered two DIFS sessions in Mexico and Costa Rica in October 2008 for ten countries: Central America, Cuba and the Dominican Republic. In 2009, subregional DIFS sessions are being held for Mercosur countries, the Andean region, and the English-speaking Caribbean. The two sessions in the Caribbean are being organized in conjunction with FAO, UNEP and UNDP.
For more information
Mr Alejandro Kilpatrick
Programme Coordinator, Latin America and the Caribbean
Tel. +39 06 5459 2524
a.kilpatrick(at) ifad.org
Related Links
Read more about the Climate Change Finance Programme