Protected Areas in the Caatinga (ARCA) will allocate nearly USD 10 million to the country’s least protected biome

The Caatinga is a uniquely Brazilian biome. The largest semi-arid region in the world, home to over 600 endemic species, including the endangered Spix’s macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii), will benefit from ARCA, the acronym in Portuguese for Protected Areas of the Caatinga, an unprecedented conservation project for the biome. The project will be funded with nearly USD 10 million from the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF), managed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). This initiative will strengthen approximately 4.5 million hectares of Protected Areas (PAs) in Bahia, Paraíba, Pernambuco, and Piauí.

ARCA will also support the creation of new PAs in the Caatinga. Furthermore, it will promote the biodiversity survey of the country’s least known biome through techniques such as environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis, in order to identify priority areas for conservation and the establishment of new PAs and ecological corridors. The announcement was made on June 20 during the GEF Council meeting in Washington, DC.

Currently, according to the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MMA), only 9.16% of the Caatinga is protected by PAs. ARCA will support an area that corresponds to approximately 50% of the total protected area in the biome. With a duration of four years, it is part of the first wave of initiatives approved by the GBFF. MMA’s project is managed by the Brazilian Biodiversity Fund (FUNBIO) and implemented by the GEF Agency WWF-US.

“ARCA inaugurates a new initiative by the MMA and the National Secretariat for Biodiversity, Forests, and Animal Rights (SBio) to seek resources for the creation and implementation of new Protected Areas in all Brazilian biomes. This project in the Caatinga represents the beginning of an effort that, in addition to the Amazon – traditionally the focus of the ARPA program – will extend to other biomes in the country,” says Rita Mesquita, SBio secretary at the MMA.

The project’s resources will be allocated to activities such as the development of management plans, which are key documents based on the objectives established during the creation of the PAs.

“GEF, through GBFF, is very pleased to support ARCA in creating and strengthening the management of protected areas in this unique and globally important biome, building on the successful support of the GEF to a similar program in the Amazon, the Amazon Protected Areas Program (ARPA, the acronym in Portuguese). The investment in ARCA includes targeted support and capacity building for Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Communities for territorial management and the recognition of their vital contributions to the conservation and sustainable use of the Caatinga,” says Claude Gascon, Director of Strategy and Operations at the GEF.

It is estimated that the Caatinga harbors more than 500 bird species, nearly 180 mammal species, and 221 bee species. ARCA will support the National Action Plans for Species Conservation (PANs, the acronym in Portuguese), developed by the government to mitigate/reverse the risk of extinction.

The Caatinga is the main biome of the Northeast, home to 27 million inhabitants, some of whom depend on natural resources for their livelihood. Challenges such as unregulated wood extraction for charcoal production and the impact of climate change threaten the biome.

“The allocation of these resources for the creation and strengthening of protected areas is essential for the maintenance of these spaces for the conservation of the Caatinga’s biodiversity. The project also supports the recovery of threatened species and contributes to the maintenance of the biome’s biodiversity,” says Fernanda Marques, Project Development Advisor at FUNBIO.

ARCA follows the model of the successful ARPA – Amazon Region Protected Areas – Program, the largest tropical forest protection initiative in the world. ARPA supports 120 protected areas, with 60 under sustainable use and 60 under full protection. Launched in 2002, ARPA is a project of the Brazilian Government, coordinated by the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, under the responsibility of SBio, with FUNBIO serving as the financial manager and executor.

In addition to ARCA, another Brazilian initiative announced to receive resources from the GBFF is the Biodiversity Conservation in Indigenous Lands project, led by the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, with implementation by the GEF-FUNBIO Agency and execution by the International Institute of Education of Brazil (IEB). This initiative will benefit 61,000 Indigenous people in the Amazon, Pantanal, Cerrado, Caatinga, and Atlantic Forest. It will focus on the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in approximately 6.4 million hectares across 15 Indigenous Lands (ILs) inhabited by nine Indigenous peoples: Kayapó, Munduruku, Kadiwéu, Terena, Kinikinau, Guarani Kaiowá, Pataxó, Pankararu, and Tremembé. Support will be provided over five years through four pillars: consolidation of the ILs, sustainable production, territorial governance, project management, and knowledge management.

ABOUT FUNBIO

The Brazilian Biodiversity Fund (FUNBIO) is a national private non-profit financial mechanism that works in partnership with governmental sectors, businesses, and civil society to ensure that strategic and financial resources are allocated to effective biodiversity conservation initiatives. Since its inception in 1996, FUNBIO has supported over 400 projects benefiting more than 300 institutions across the country. Its main activities include financial management of projects, designing financial mechanisms, conducting studies on new sources of funding for conservation, and procuring and contracting goods and services.

ABOUT THE GEF

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a family of multilateral funds dedicated to addressing biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution, while supporting the health of land and oceans. These funds enable developing countries to tackle complex challenges and work towards achieving international environmental goals. The partnership includes 186 member governments, along with civil society, Indigenous peoples, women, and youth, focusing on integration and inclusion. Over the past three decades, the GEF has provided nearly $25 billion in funding and mobilized an additional $138 billion for priority projects defined by the countries themselves. The family of funds includes the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF), the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), the Nagoya Protocol Implementation Fund (NPIF), and the Capacity-building Initiative for Transparency Fund (CBIT).