The World Bank’s Board of Directors has approved a new project aimed at protecting forests and promoting sustainable development in the Lower Xingu region of Pará, Brazil. Developed in partnership with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, the Government of Pará, the Brazilian Forest Service, and the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), the initiative will support conservation across more than 11 million hectares and benefit over 6,000 people, including Indigenous Peoples and traditional communities. The project seeks to safeguard one of Brazil’s most important ecosystems, which faces growing pressures from deforestation, illegal land grabbing, and climate change.
The project focuses on strengthening the management of forests and conservation areas by training local managers, providing technical support and equipment, and involving Indigenous, Quilombola, and traditional communities in monitoring and decision-making. In parallel, it promotes sustainable livelihoods through community-based forest management, small-scale enterprises, and local bioeconomy initiatives such as seed collection, agroforestry, and ecotourism, with particular attention to women’s participation and leadership.
In addition, the initiative works with local governments and communities to improve land-use practices by supporting forest restoration, recovering degraded areas, and establishing fairer and clearer rules for managing land and natural resources. Education and knowledge-sharing are also key components, with the project creating platforms for environmental learning, producing local communication content, and connecting schools, youth, and community organizations to exchange experiences and strengthen their role in conservation.
The Xingu project is part of the Amazon Sustainable Landscapes Program (ASL), a regional initiative financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) aimed at conserving forests, restoring degraded areas, and strengthening sustainable value chains across the Amazon. With a total cost of US$8.56 million, the project builds on lessons from previous ASL phases, applying an integrated landscape management approach to enhance national biodiversity and climate policies in coordination with the state of Pará and local municipalities.
Carlos Eduardo Marinello, Acting National Secretary for Biodiversity, Forests and Animal Rights, highlighted that the project strengthens public policies through community-driven approaches. Jorge Coarasa Bustamante, Interim Country Director for Brazil at the World Bank, emphasized that empowering local communities helps protect the forest while improving livelihoods. The initiative aligns with Brazil’s environmental and climate commitments, including the Paris Agreement and the Global Biodiversity Framework, reinforcing the country’s leadership in Amazon conservation.
