Tropical Forest Conservation Act (TFCA) Program Descriptions
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| A green forest canopy in Panama. |
Bangladesh
The Arannyak Foundation (the Bangladesh Tropical Forest Conservation Foundation) was officially registered in July 2003. The Foundation will receive approximately $8.5 million over 18 years. In addition, the agreement will save the government of Bangladesh over $10 million.
Bangladesh’s tropical forests cover almost 1.5 million hectares, roughly half of which are in the southwestern Sunderbans region. This area is home to the world’s sole genetically viable population of Bengal tigers, a total of only 400. As the largest mangrove forests in the world, the Sunderbans are also designated wetlands of internationally recognized importance by the Ramsar Convention. Website: www.arannayk.org/
Belize
In August 2001, the governments of the U.S. and Belize, in conjunction with The Nature Conservancy, announced a TFCA debt swap. The $5.5 million in appropriated funds were combined with $1.3 million in private funds raised by The Nature Conservancy to reduce Belize’s official debt to the U.S. by half. Under the agreement, the government of Belize issued new obligations that will generate approximately $9 million in local currency payments to help a consortium of four local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) administer conservation activities in protected areas.
Partner websites:
Belize Audubon: www.belizeaudubon.org
Programme for Belize: www.pfbelize.org
Toledo Institute for Development and the Environment: www.tidebelize.org
PACT Foundation: www.pactbelize.org
Botswana
In October 2006, the governments of the United States of America and the Republic of Botswana signed the first TFCA agreement concluded in Africa. The agreement will reduce Botswana’s debt payments to the United States by over $8.3 million. These funds will be used to support grants that will conserve and restore important tropical forests throughout the country, including such world famous areas as the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park region. The agreement was made possible through a contribution of nearly $7 million by the U.S. government.
The forests covered by the agreements with Botswana include closed canopy tree cover, riverine forests and dry acacia forests. They are home to the fishing owl, leopard, elephant, hippopotamus and many other wildlife species. People living in and around these forests depend upon them for their livelihood and survival, and these agreements will help ensure the sustainability of the forests for future generations.
Brazil
The Governments of the United States of America and the Federative Republic of Brazil signed a Debt-for-Nature Agreement in August, 2010 to reduce Brazil’s debt payments to the United States by close to $21 million through 2015. In return, the Government of Brazil has committed these funds to support grants to protect the country’s tropical forests. Under the Agreement, grants will support activities to conserve protected areas, improve natural resource management, and develop sustainable livelihoods for communities that rely on forests.
Brazil is one of the most biologically-rich countries on earth. Funds generated by the Agreement will help Brazil protect its biodiversity in areas such as the Atlantic Rainforest (Mata Atlantica) as well as the Caatinga and the Cerrado Biomes. Together, the biomes cover approximately 50 percent of Brazil’s territory and are home to some of the world’s most unique wildlife, such as Black-faced Lion Tamarins, Brazilian Gold Frogs, Blue-Bellied Parrots, and the Brazilian rosewood. The Atlantic Rainforest alone contains more than 250 species of mammals, more than 750 species of reptiles and amphibians and nearly 1,000 species of birds.
Website: www.funbio.org.br
Colombia
In April 2004, the governments of the U.S. and Colombia, in conjunction with The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International and the World Wildlife Fund, announced a TFCA debt swap. To carry out this swap, the U.S. government provided $7 million, the three aforementioned NGOs collectively contributed $1.4 million. The agreement should generate approximately $10 million over 12 years for tropical forest conservation.
The proceeds derived from the proposed debt-for-nature swap for Colombia will contribute to the long-term financial sustainability of Colombia’s system of protected areas by using such proceeds in the protected areas and their buffer zones, which will increase connectivity and ecological integrity of tropical forests in Colombia. This will be achieved by providing direct funding for conservation activities and an endowment fund to nine protected areas, both public and private, their buffer zones, and corridors, all of which are located in three biogeographic regions of Colombia: the Tropical Andes, the Caribbean, and the Llanos and cover 11.4 million acres of critical forest lands that overlap with part or all of 12 ecoregions in Colombia.
FPPA Website: www.accionambiental.org
Costa Rica
The Governments of the United States of America and Costa Rica, Conservation International and The Nature Conservancy, concluded agreements in September 2007 to reduce Costa Rica’s debt payments to the United States by $26 million over 16 years. In return, the Central Bank of Costa Rica committed to pay these funds to support grants to non-governmental organizations and other groups to protect and restore the country’s important tropical forest resources.
The debt for nature program was made possible through contributions of over $12.6 million by the U.S. Government under the Tropical Forest Conservation Act of 1998 and a combined donation of over $2.5 million from Conservation International and The Nature Conservancy.
The funds will help conserve several important forest areas in Costa Rica. The Osa Peninsula is home to the scarlet macaw and many other bird species, as well as to the the squirrel monkey and jaguar. The La Amistad region contains the most extensive tract of untouched forest in the country, and is the source of much of Costa Rica’s fresh water. The Maquenque Wildlife Refuge area is home to the great green macaw, while the Tortuguero region contains a rich variety of forest ecosystems. The area north of Rincon de la Vieja contains rich dry forests, and the Nicoya Peninsula’s dry forests and mangroves are important to the preservation of water resources in the region.
The Governments of the United States of America and the Republic of Costa Rica, and The Nature Conservancy, concluded a second TFCA deal in October, 2010, that will provide more than $27 million over 15 years for tropical forest conservation in Costa Rica. Together with a previous TFCA program established in 2007, these agreements make Costa Rica, one of the most biologically-diverse countries on earth, the largest beneficiary under the TFCA, with more than $50 million generated for the conservation, restoration, and protection of tropical forests.
The new agreement was made possible by the contribution of over $19.6 million by the U.S. Government under the TFCA, as well as a donation of more than $3.9 million from The Nature Conservancy. This second TFCA program will support the efforts of the Costa Rican Government, working with the Forever Costa Rica project, a new conservation initiative, to develop and sustainably finance a complete and integrated system of protected areas. TFCA grants will benefit areas such as the Osa Peninsula, including the Terraba-Sierpe mangrove swamps, the Naranjo/Savegre River complex, which contains some of the highest levels of biodiversity in Costa Rica, as well as the La Amistad International Park, home to one of Central America’s largest and most diverse ecosystems.
Websites: www.canjeusacr.org, www.costaricaporsiempre.org
El Salvador
The TFCA debt reduction agreement was signed in July 2001 as an additional debt relief mechanism that added an account to the existing El Salvador Enterprise for the Americas Initiative Fund (FIAES). The TFCA account should generate over $14 million dollars over 26 years. To date, the account has been used exclusively for providing grants for protected area management, primarily through community-based organizations. Activities range from land surveys and baseline inventories to ranger training and the development of management plans.
FIAES Website: www.fiaes.org.sv
Guatemala
In September of 2006, the governments of the United States of America and the Republic of Guatemala, together with The Nature Conservancy and Conservation International, concluded one of the largest agreements the U.S. Government has entered to date with any country in the history of the TFCA. The deal will reduce Guatemala’s official debt to the United States and generate $24 million to conserve tropical forests in Guatemala. The government of Guatemala has committed these funds over the next 15 years to support grants to non-governmental organizations and other groups to protect and restore the country's important tropical forest resources. The agreements were made possible through contributions of over $15 million by the U.S. government under the TFCA program and $2 million total from Conservation International and The Nature Conservancy.
Tropical forest conservation programs will work primarily in four geographic areas whose combined area constitutes approximately 40 percent of the entire territory of the Republic of Guatemala: the Motagua-Polochic-Caribbean Coast, the Western Volcanic Chain, the Cuchumatanes region and the May Biosphere Reserve. The latter is largest continuum of protected areas in Guatemala and Mexico with over two million biologically important hectares in Mesoamerican Biological Corridor and 19 ecosystems that are vital habitats for species including the jaguar, tapir, scarlet macaw, harpy eagle and many migratory bird species.
Indonesia
The Governments of the United States of America and the Republic of Indonesia, together with two environmental NGOs, Conservation International and Yayasan Keanekaragaman Hayati Indonesia (KEHATI), signed agreements in June, 2009 for the largest debt-for-nature swap under the Tropical Forest Conservation Act (TFCA) since its passage in 1998. The agreements will reduce Indonesia’s debt payments to the United States Government by nearly $30 million over eight years. In return, the Government of Indonesia committed these funds to support grants to protect and restore the country’s tropical forests.
Indonesia is one of the most biologically-diverse countries on earth. Funds generated by this program will help protect several forest areas on the island of Sumatra. These forests are home to species found only in Indonesia, including the endangered Sumatran tiger, elephant, rhino and orangutan. In addition, these forests provide important ecosystem services such as maintaining the quality and quantity of freshwater supplies and carbon sequestration.
The swap is made possible through contributions of $20 million by the U.S. Government under the TFCA and a combined donation of $2 million from Conservation International and KEHATI. Grants provided under the TFCA program will support activities such as conserving protected areas, improving natural resource management and supporting the development of sustainable livelihoods for communities that rely on forests.
Jamaica
In September 2004, the governments of the United States and Jamaica and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) concluded a debt-for-nature swap which will generate $16 million over 20 years for tropical forest conservation. There are seven priority sites for the funds throughout the island, from the Blue and John Crow mountains National Park in the East to the Negril Protected Area in the West. The swap was made possible by a contribution of $6.5 million from the U.S. government and $1.3 million from TNC.
Website: www.jpat-jm.com
Panama
In July 2003, the governments of the United States and Panama, together with The Nature Conservancy (TNC), signed a first set of debt-for-nature swap agreements under the TFCA, which will generate $10 million to improve management of the Upper Chagres Riger Basin in the Panama Canal Watershed. The watershed provides 50% of the water needed to operate the Panama Canal and 80% of the water needed for human consumption in the region. The swap was made possible by a contribution of $5.6 million from the U.S. government and $1.2 million from TNC.
In August 2004, the governments of the United States and Panama and TNC concluded a second debt-for-nature swap, which will generate $11 million over 12 years to help conserve 1.4 million acres (579,000 hectares) of the exceptionally rich forests of the Darien National Park bordering Colombia. The park forms a unique land bridge between North and South America and is home to such rare species as jaguar, harpy eagle, wild dog and tapir. The swap was made possible by a contribution of $6.5 million from the U.S. government and $1.3 million from TNC.
Fundación Natura Website: www.naturapanama.org
Paraguay
The United States of America and the Republic of Paraguay concluded agreements, in June 2006, to reduce Paraguay’s debt payments to the United States by nearly $7.4 million. In return, Paraguay has committed these funds over the next 12 years to support grants to conserve and protect high value tropical forests in the southern corridor of the Atlantic Forest of Alto Parana. This work includes consolidating and enhancing protected areas within the San Rafael National Park Reserve, which contains the richest diversity of native plants and animals in Paraguay. The program will also support grants to protect the Caazapa National Park, Ybyturuzu Managed Resources Reserve, Tapyta Private Nature Reserve, Ybycui National Park, and Ypeti Private Nature Reserve. This debt-for-nature agreement was made possible through a contribution of nearly $4.8 million by the United States under the TFCA program.
Website: www.fondodeconservaciondebosques.org.py
Peru
Peru is party to two debt-for-nature agreements with the U.S. Under the first agreement, signed in June 2002, TNC, CI and the World Wildlife Fund together committed a total of over $1 million. The U.S. government allocated $5.5 million to cancel a portion of Peru’s debt to the U.S. As a result, Peru will save about $14 million in debt payments over the next 16 years and will provide the local currency equivalent of approximately $10.6 million toward conservation over the next 12 years. The government of Peru will fund tropical forest conservation activities through local NGOs. For every $1 of U.S. funds, almost $2 will be spent on conservation activities in Peru.
The agreement gives priority to ten forested areas within the Peruvian National System of Protected Areas that cover more than 27.5 million acres of the Peruvian Amazon: Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, Apurimac Reserved Zone, Manu Reserved Zone, Manu National Park, Machu Picchu Historical Sanctuary, Bahuaja Sonene National Park, Tambopata-Candamo Reserved Zone, Amarakaeri Reserved Zone, Alto Purús Reserved Zone, and the Cordillera Azul National Park. Other forest land in Peru can receive grant funding by a majority vote of the Oversight Committee in accordance with the terms of the Forest Conservation Agreement.
Completed in September 2008, the second debt-for-nature agreement will generate more than $25 million over the next seven years. In return, the government of Peru has committed these funds to support grants to protect tropical rain forests of the southwestern Amazon Basin and dry forests of the Central Andes. These areas are home to dense concentrations of endemic birds such as the Andean Condor and Parakeet, primates including the Peruvian Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey and Howler Monkey, other mammals such as the Jaguar, Amazonian Manatee, Giant Otter, Spectacled Bear and Amazon River Dolphin, and many unique plants. Rivers that flow from these forests supply water to downstream communities who depend on them for livelihood and survival. This agreement will complement the United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement, which includes a number of forest protection provisions.
Websites: TFCA I, TFCA II
Republic of the Philippines
The governments of the United States and the Republic of the Philippines concluded a debt reduction agreement under TFCA in September 2002, which will generate $8 million for small grants for forest conservation activities over 14 years. While the funds may be used for a variety of protection and management purposes, the agreements identify conservation of coastal forests, especially mangroves, as a priority.
Website: www.ptfcf.org
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