Challenge
The Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape, which spans 200 million hectares in Central and South America—including Colombia—is home to 1.8 million people, 15 percent of whom are employed in fisheries-related jobs. However, overfishing has threatened fish stocks and jobs in the fishing and tourism sectors.
In addition, despite having nearly 45 percent of its area under legal protection, the Amazon—which extends across multiple countries in South America including Peru—faces accelerating deforestation due to agricultural expansion, road development, and extractive industries. Other critical ecosystems in Central and South America are similarly at risk due to human activities.
Solution and Impact
In collaboration with USAID, DFC will provide a $10 million loan portfolio guaranty to Conservation International Ventures LLC (CI Ventures) to mobilize investments designed to advance conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of critical ecosystems in Mexico, Colombia, and Peru.
CI Ventures is an impact-first investment facility that supports the protection of critical landscapes and seascapes around the world. With DFC’s guaranty, CI Ventures will accelerate investments that have the potential to deliver conservation impact alongside financial returns, maximizing environmental and social outcomes while unlocking additional finance for conservation impact.
The project aims to advance climate adaptation and resiliency, combat the climate crisis by mitigating deforestation, advance food security and agriculture, generate jobs, and improve livelihoods across the Western Hemisphere.