Agenda

Following his celebrated Encyclical Laudato Si, the Pope has recently published the Apostolic Exhortation Laudate Deum, which reinforces the need to understand the climate crisis and the social crisis as part of the same challenge of integral human development, in the face of which we must act with urgency, creativity and courage.

In this space there will be a discussion on the book "No one is saved alone: dreams in action from the exhortation Laudate Deum of Pope Francis".

Participants

- Gustavo Beliz, Member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.

- Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University. Chairman of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

- Vera Songwe, Founder and President of the Liquidity and Sustainability Facility. Co-Chair of the Independent High Level Panel of Experts on Climate Action Finance and Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution.

- Alicia Montalvo, Manager of Climate Action and Positive Biodiversity, CAF.

This Economy and Development Report analyzes the challenges and opportunities that climate change and biodiversity conservation imply for Latin America and the Caribbean. It emphasizes three messages of relevance to the region: the importance of adaptation, the need to contribute to global mitigation, and the urgency of preserving natural capital for sustainable development.

In this event we will reflect on the role of the Caribbean as a global marine biodiversity hostpost, and its high environmental, social and economic vulnerability to climate change. We will also analyze the prospects for a sustainable blue economy as an engine of development to achieve the sustainable development goals for the region, and to increase its ecosystem and climate resilience.

Participants

- Edmund Barlett, Minister of Tourism, Jamaica

- Peter Thompson, UN Special Envoy for the Oceans

- Gabriel Yorio González, Deputy Secretary of Finance and Public Credit

- Alicia Montalvo, Manager, Climate Action and Positive Biodiversity CAF -development bank of latin america and the caribbean-

- Cynthia Barzuna, Director, Ocean Action 2030

- Elizabeth Taylor Jay, Vice-Minister of Multilateral Affairs Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia

- Michelle Scobie, Senior Lecture UWI, Institute of International Relations

- Elizabeth McLeod, Global Ocean Director, The Nature Conservancy (TBC)

- Carlos Correa, Senior Fellow, Conservation International and Former Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia

This event will be a space for global dialogue on the relevance that the Biodivercities model can offer to a new development paradigm aligned with international commitments on sustainable urban development and the environment.

Participants

- Jader Filho, Minister of Cities Brazil

- Alicia Montalvo, Manager of Climate Action and Positive Biodiversity of CAF development bank of latin america and the caribbean-

- Ana Lucia Reis, Mayor of Cobija, Bolivia.

- Juan Carlos Orellana, Mayor of Aguarico, Ecuador.

- Wagner Rodrigues Barros, Mayor of Araguaina, Brazil.

- Ángel Cárdenas Sosa, Manager, Urban Development, Water and Creative Economies, CAF development bank of latin america and the caribbean-

- Elkin Velázquez, Representative for Latin America of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).

- Christel Bourbon-Séclet, Director of the C40 Cities Finance Program

- Jaime Pumarejo, Mayor of Barranquilla Colombia.

The páramos are high mountain ecosystems in the northern region of the Andes, characterized by their high biodiversity and endemism, but also by their ecological fragility. They are located between the upper limit of the forest and mountain glaciers, at altitudes of approximately 3500 to 5000 meters above sea level. Despite being remote and with little human activity, the páramos play a crucial role in providing water for a population of approximately 85 million inhabitants in cities such as Bogotá, Quito and Cuenca, as well as being used for agriculture and livestock. These ecosystems cover an extensive area of more than 2.5 million square kilometers in the tropical Andes.

This session will consist of a dialogue between two professionals from leading conservation institutions and experts in the páramo ecosystem.

Participants

- Maria Ines Rivadeneira, Policy and Governance Manager WWF Ecuador (moderator).

- Natalia Acero, Director of Water and Cities, Conservation International (Keynote Speaker)

- Fabio Arjona, Executive Director, Conservation International (Keynote Speaker)

- Carolina Useche, Climate Action Manager (WRI)

- Santiago Sandoval, Secretary of Environment of the Municipality of Quito - Ecuador

Contributing to the value chain of a just energy transition (critical minerals, green hydrogen, electric mobility industry, renewable energy management knowledge).

We will provide several spaces for discussion and analysis on knowledge, trends and state of the art in energy matters, including aspects of transition and, in particular, the contribution that the Latin American and Caribbean region can offer in the framework of solutions to the challenge of climate change.

Participants

- Teresa Ribera, Third Vice President of the Government of Spain. Minister of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge

- Dr. Fatih Birol, Executive Director, International Energy Agency (IEA)

- Tomás González, Director, Regional Center for Energy Studies.

- Lucas Ferraz, Secretary for International Business, State of Sao Paulo Mónica Contreras Esper, President TGI - Grupo Energía Bogotá

- Mónica Araya, Executive Director of the International Portfolio, European Climate Foundation

- Ramón Méndez-Galain, Executive Director, Ivy Foundation.

- Claudio Maggi, manager of Strategic Affairs, CORFO

- Gonzalo Sáenz de Miera, Spanish Group for Green Growth (GECV)

The event will have an ignite stage format, in which he will have twenty minutes to give his vision on Latin America and the Caribbean as a Region of Solutions, addressing topics such as clean energy, disaster risk reduction, and the moorlands as a strategic ecosystem. In the next few days, we will be sharing with you the concept of the event and the scheduled timetable.

This Economy and Development Report analyzes the challenges and opportunities that climate change and biodiversity conservation imply for Latin America and the Caribbean. It emphasizes three messages of relevance to the region: the importance of adaptation, the need to contribute to global mitigation, and the urgency of preserving natural capital for sustainable development.

This will be a space for reflection, discussion and analysis on knowledge, trends and state of the art on adaptation, disaster risk management and resilience in the Latin American and Caribbean region, including solutions that can be used in the framework of new strategies to face the challenge of climate change.

Participants

- Marina Silva, Minister of Environment, Brazil (TBC)

- Luis Olmedo Martinez Zamora, Director General, National Parks of Colombia

- Cecilia Nicolini, Secretary of Climate Change, Sustainable Development and Innovation of Argentina

- Mami Mizutori, special representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and Head of United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction

- Jose Manuel Salazar, Secretary General of ECLAC.

- Ángel Cárdenas, Manager of Urban Development, Water and Creative Economies at CAF -development bank of latin america and the caribbean-

- Karina Barrera, member of the UNFCCC Adaptation Committee representing Non-Annex I countries.

- Angela Rivera, advisor Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia

- Jason Spensley, Senior Climate Change Specialist - Global Environment Facility (GEF)

- Pilar Garrido, Director of the OECD Development Co-operation Directorate

- Lucas Di Pietro, Vice chair, Board of the Adaptation Fund

- Alicia Montalvo, Manager of Climate Action and Positive Biodiversity at CAF development bank of latin america and the caribbean-

Argentine and Chilean Patagonia comprises two ecoregions: the steppe and the Patagonian forests. The steppe is a cold and extremely dry area with low shrub and cushion-shaped vegetation, which is in critical danger of conservation due to the decrease in its extension, initially caused by fires for cattle ranching. On the other hand, the Patagonian forests are located in mountainous regions of southern Chile and southwestern Argentina, characterized by a humid and cold climate due to the influence of humid air masses from the Pacific that lose moisture as they cross the Andes Mountains. This ecosystem harbors a high biodiversity with 84 species of native mammals, but faces serious problems due to introduced species that affect plant communities, many of which are endemic.

This session will consist of a dialogue between two ministers from countries with the Patagonia ecosystem: Argentina and Chile. The dialogue will be followed by a conversation with experts.

Participants

- Joel Watson, Vicepresidente Senior del Programa de Conservación Global de Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) (Orador principal)

- Carmen Virasoro, Directora de Soluciones Agroclimáticas

- Christopher Jordan, Director de Rewild Latinoamerica

- Eduardo Sorensen, fotógrafo submarino, Chile

To provide spaces for discussion about 1) LAC’s challenges in increasing its agricultural productivity in a sustainable, climate-smart, and profitable manner; and 2) LAC’s contribution to regional and global food security, as a solution to the impacts of the climate change phenomenon.

Participants

- Alicia Montalvo, Manager, Climate Action and Positive Biodiversity CAF -development bank of Latin America and the Caribbean-

-Ms. Cindy H. McCain, Executive Director, World Food Programme

- Ms. Jhenifer Mojica, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Colombia

- Message from Rattan Lal* (TBC). World Food Prize (2020) and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (IPCC, 2007)

- Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, Former Minister of Environment of Peru and President COP.14 in Lima

- Manuel Otero, General Director Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

- Angela Maria Penagos Concha, President of the Fund for the Financing of the Agricultural Sector (FINAGRO)

- María Helena Semedo (TBC), Deputy Director-General Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - FAO

- Jhenifer Mojica Ministra, Colombia Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

- Jeffrey Sachs, Director Centre for Sustainable Development, Columbia University. President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

- Vanusia Nogueira, Executive Director of the International Coffee Organization (ICO).

- Juan Esteban Orduz, World Coffee Growers Forum.

The purpose of this event is to facilitate an open dialogue with representatives of indigenous communities in Latin America and the Caribbean in order to make visible their enormous relevance in the fight against climate change and the preservation of ecosystems, addressing their vision of nature-based solutions. In this dialogue, it is expected the exchange of opinions that will allow to advance and make known joint solutions to the global problem of climate change.

Participants

- Gunnawia Matilde Chaparro Izquierdo, advisor, Cabildo Arhuaco (Colombia)

- Darío Mejía Montalvo, president of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

- Danilo Villafañe, Governor of the Arhuaco People (Colombia)

- Tania Vera, leader of the Guaraní people (Paraguay)

- Jesús Amadeo Martínez Guzmán, General Coordinator of the Foro Indígena Abya Yala - FIAY and Senior Advisor to CICA

- Helcio Souza, The Nature Conservancy

- Alicia Montalvo, manager of Climate Action and Positive Biodiversity, CAF -development bank of Latin America and the Caribbean-

The event seeks to facilitate a rapprochement between governments, civil society, academia and multilateral banks to understand the socio-environmental problems of the Biogeographic Chocó with the objective of promoting joint cooperation and transnational articulation mechanisms.

The Magdalena River basin, which covers 250,000 km², is home to 233 fish species, with 76% endemism. This watershed is vital for water regulation, and more than 80% of Colombia's GDP depends on its productivity. However, 78% of the basin faces critical erosion and problems such as deforestation, pollution from illegal mining and other environmental factors, which has significantly reduced fishing in the last 40 years. This situation affects the 30 million people living in this strategic ecosystem.

This session will consist of a brief panel with the presence of three leading personalities in the conservation of these ecosystems.

Participants

- Frank Rijsberman, Managing Director, Global Green Growth Institute, Korea

- Elizabeth Gray, Executive Director, Audubon

- Diego Saez Gil, Chief Executive Officer, Pachama, United States of America (tbc)

- Anna Stewart, Executive Director, Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) Uruguay

- Gabriel Quijandría, Regional Director, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). (TBC)

During the event, the country's initiatives and projections for the short and medium term in relation to sustainable and resilient transportation and energy will be presented and disseminated, and inter-institutional collaboration links will be established at the national and international levels.

The purpose of the activity is to present the main actions CAF is developing to mitigate the impact of climate change in Latin American and Caribbean cities and strengthen their capacity to receive migrants, through key urban, social and educational infrastructure projects, within the framework of the Biodiverciudades Network created at the end of 2011 with the objective of incorporating biodiversity in urban planning and management.

It also seeks to raise awareness of the multi-causal migratory crisis that the region is experiencing, focusing on the humanitarian crisis being experienced in the Darien, and to highlight the importance of providing inclusion along the migrants' route to discourage them from crossing the Darien.

The guidelines for the integration of climate change into the environmental assessment of investment projects of the Latin American Network of Environmental Impact Assessment Systems (REDLASEIA in spanish) will be presented to ensure the capacity of projects to deal with potential climate impacts and promote greater resilience and sustainability at all stages of their development.

The Atlantic Forest is the second largest forest formation in the entire Neotropical region, after the Amazon forest. It originally covered an area of 130 million hectares in Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina, of which just under 10% remains. In the 20th century, deforestation reduced the Atlantic Forest to scattered and isolated fragments, making it, according to UNESCO, one of the most threatened biomes in the world.

This session will consist of an intervention in the CAF Talk format, in which the panelist will be asked to briefly (15 minutes) explain the main efforts being made in Argentina to conserve the Parana rainforest.

Participants

- Gervasio Malagrida, Minister of Climate Change of the province of Misiones, Argentina.

- Alexis Leroy, Founder & CEO of the ALLCOT Group

- Frineia Rezende, Executive Director of TNC

- Manuel Frávega, Partner, Environmental Law & Climate Change, Beccar Varela

We will present some experiences on the application of NBS in projects related to Water Security and how they can be combined as part of the traditional (gray) infrastructure, providing adequate, integral, efficient and environmentally friendly solutions, which in turn have the advantage of improving the urban environments where they are implemented.

Participants

- Ángel Cárdenas, Manager of Urban Development, Water and Creative Economies, CAF -development bank of Latin America and the Caribbean-

- Andrea Erickson, Global Director of Water Security, The Nature Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy

- Teodoro Estrela, Director General of Water, Ministry for Transition and Demographic Challenge, MITERD, Spain

- Anna Dupont – Senior Policy Analyst, OECD

- Aziza Akhmouch, Director of Cities, Urban Policies, and Sustainable Development, OECD, Spain

- Ivo Ferreira Gomes, Mayor, Sobral, Brazil

- Carla Correia, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Aguas de Portugal Internacional, Portugal

This Economy and Development Report analyzes the challenges and opportunities that climate change and biodiversity conservation imply for Latin America and the Caribbean. It emphasizes three messages of relevance to the region: the importance of adaptation, the need to contribute to global mitigation and the urgency of preserving natural capital for sustainable development.

The objective of this event is to explore the challenges and opportunities presented by climate action for people with disabilities in reducing the negative effects of climate change on the most vulnerable individuals and social groups, while ensuring that the benefits and costs of climate action are equitably distributed.

Participants

- Alicia Montalvo, Manager of Climate Action and Positive Biodiversity, CAF

- Javier Güemes, Director of International Relations, ONCE Social Group, Spain

- Elham Youssefian, International Disability Alliance (TBC)

- Benjamin Schachter, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (TBC)

- Natalia Guala Beathyate, Technical Director of International Relations Grupo Social ONCE

The Amazon generates between 16% and 20% of the planet's freshwater, contains 25% of terrestrial biodiversity, more fish species than any other river system, 6,000 species of animals and at least 40,000 species of plants. Yet the biome is disappearing. The most conspicuous symptom is the accelerated deforestation caused mainly by the advance of the agricultural frontier in southeastern Brazil. However, the diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems are being affected in all the countries that share the biome. The intensification of climate change in turn has repercussions on the accumulated loss of forests and the decrease in their resilience would alter the water cycle and generate irreversible changes in the functioning of the Amazon.

This session will consist of an intervention in the CAF Talk format, in which the panelist will be asked to briefly (15 minutes) tell us about their experience in financing conservation projects in Brazil, especially in the Amazon.

Participants

- Javier Peña, CEO Hope (moderator)

- Eleonora Betancourt, Director of the Presidential Agency for International Cooperation of Colombia, APC Colombia

- Karina Pinasco, SDSN Coordinator, Amazon, Peru

- Belén Paez, Executive Director, Fundacion Pachamama, Ecuador

- Domingo Peas, Territorial Coordinator, Iniciativa Cuencas Sagradas, Ecuador

- Alicia Montalvo, Climate Action and Positive Biodiversity Manager, CAF -development bank of Latin America and the Caribbean-

The objective of this side event is to identify the gaps and analyze the opportunities represented by the implementation of environmental asset markets in LAC, based on the experience and lessons learned from carbon markets, in their planning, regulation, operation and supervision. To this end, CAF's new roadmap on the subject will be presented, focused on guaranteeing the integrity, institutionality, transparency and impact of these markets. The first result of this strategy will also be presented: the policy brief High Integrity Voluntary Carbon Markets in the Global South: Options for policymakers in Latin America and the Caribbean, prepared by CAF in partnership with ICVCM, VCMI and IIF.

Participants

- Alicia Montalvo, Manager of Climate Action and Positive Biodiversity, CAF

- Alex Saer, CEO Cercarbono

- Katie Sullivan, Director General, International Emissions Trading Association, IETA

- Valérie-Noëlle Kodjo Diop, Director of Innovation and Sustainable Development West African Development Bank, BOAD

- Ignacio Lorenzo Arana, Director of Biodiversity and Climate Technical Advisory, CAF

- Jeremy McDaniels, Associate Director, Sustainable Finance, Institute of International Finance, IIF

This event will be hosted by CAF as an open dialogue with international financial institutions, investment fund as and green funds to highlight their role in Latin America and the Caribbean and analyse the impact of their requirements in the region. The dialogue will focus on opportunities for scaling-up resources and collaboration among the funds and regional entities.

Participants

- Alicia Montalvo, Manager of Climate Action and Positive Biodiversity, CAF

- Diego Mesa, Deputy Division Chief, Climate Policy Division, IMF

- Paula Ellinger (TBC) Director of Climate Action, Avina Foundation

- Pascal Martinez, Sr. Environmental Specialist, Global Environment Facility

- Manuel Otero, Executive Director, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IAICA)

- María Gabriela García Sociedad, International Cooperation and External Financing (CABEI)

- Hector Morales, Managing Director, President Latin America, Macquarie Capital

- Héctor Morales Managing Director, President Latin America, Macquarie Capital

- Diego Mesa Deputy Chief of the Climate Policy Division, IM

In this event, the challenges and opportunities in the development of climate institutions will be analyzed. Its objective is to promote the climate policies developed in the country to confront the climate crisis.

During the event he "Sonora Sustainable Energy Plan" will be presented to the global community. This initiative represents the dedication of the Mexican government to establishing a Sustainable Ecosystem, fostering the growth of strategic industries such as electromobility, automation, and semiconductors. 

 

Mangroves are highly productive coastal-marine ecosystems that support the estuarine food chain and play a critical role in the lives of approximately 70% of marine organisms. These forests provide ecosystem services worth at least US$1.6 billion annually and sustain coastal communities. In Latin America and the Caribbean, most mangroves have some form of protection, representing 72% of the mangrove area in South America. This exceeds the global percentage of mangrove protected areas, which is 42%.

This session will consist of an intervention in the CAF Talk format, in which the panelist will be asked to briefly (15 minutes) expose the main challenges and opportunities for the development of projects for the conservation of this ecosystem and tell us about the Global Mangrove Alliance (Global Mangrove Alliance).

Participants

- Alicia Montalvo. Manager of Climate Action and Positive Biodiversity at CAF -development bank of Latin America and the Caribbean-.

- Enric Salas, Director of the Pristine Seas Program, National Geographic.

- Carlos Eduardo Correa, Ambassador "The Mangrove Breakthrough" and former Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Colombia

- Ignacio Lorenzo, Director, Biodiversity and Climate Technical Advisory, CAF -development bank of Latin America and the Caribbean-.

- Ousmane Fall Sarr Group CEO, African Resilience Company, Holding SUARL

- Alex Saer, Chief Executive Officer Cercarbono; Climate Change and Circular Economy Expert

- Ignacia de la Rosa, Community Leader Vida Manglar project, Colombia

- Eric Schwaab, Senior Vice President, People and Nature Environmental Defense Fund, Colombia

The objective of the event is to create a space for dialogue to reflect on the importance of the mangrove ecosystem for the maintenance of global biodiversity, climate change mitigation, food security, resilience of coastal communities, and the blue economy. Likewise, to learn about experiences, perspectives and trends on Blue Carbon projects, as an opportunity to conserve and restore mangrove ecosystems with the participation of coastal communities.

At this event, we will discuss the challenges and trends in regulation, financial and fiscal instruments and policies to increase investment for climate action in Latin America and drive the transition to an equitable, low-carbon and resilient development model.

Costa Rica has the most robust agricultural production per capita in Latin America, its agricultural production has net zero emissions and is produced free of deforestation, now the country is preparing to produce free of agrochemicals. In this event, the progress of the Sustainable Agro-landscapes project will be presented.

This side event, convened by CAF and Ocean Conservancy,  will together representatives from multilateral banks, governments, industry, and civil society to discuss the need for concessional finance mechanisms to promote offshore wind deployment to deliver on climate and conservation targets.  

The Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (MBC) is a region that connects natural areas of Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and some southern states of Mexico. The area acts as a natural land bridge from South America to North America, which is important for species that use the bridge in migration. Because of the extensive and unique habitat types, Mesoamerica contains 7-10% of the world's terrestrial species. To care for this Natural Heritage, we must work with local populations to sustainably take advantage of the ecosystem services provided by this strategic ecosystem.

This session will consist of an intervention in the CAF Talk format, in which the panelist will be asked to speak briefly (15 minutes) about the experiences of the Heifer Impact Capital fund in the countries of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor.

Participants

- Jorge Barrigh, Regional Director, Impact Capital Americas, Heifer Impact Capital

- Christopher Jordan, Latin America Director, Re:Wild

- Edwin Castellanos, Director of Science, Inter-American Institute for Climate Change Research

- Jeremy Radachowsky, Mesoamerica and Caribbean Regional Director, WCS

- Jessica Jacobs, Chief Executive Officer, Sureco and Partners (TBC)

The scope and operation of this Fund in Latin America and the Caribbean will be presented, which also recognizes as integral guidelines the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters, together with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 adopted at the Third United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction on March 18, 2015.

This event seeks to make visible climate empowerment by Venezuelan youth and the policy of Youth Brigades against the Climate Crisis in Venezuela.

The Humboldt Current upwelling zone is one of the richest marine environments on the planet, and is the reason why Peru and Chile are among the top ten fishery producing countries globally. This ecosystem provides more than 20% of the fish catch and supports more than 1000 species. Given the high biological productivity and its coastal location, there is a high human intervention in this region due to industrial and artisanal fishing, oil activity and a high development of population centers near the coast.

This session will consist of an intervention in CAF Talk format, in which the panelist will be asked to briefly (15 minutes) present his or her experience working on ecological restoration projects on islands off the coasts of Chile, Peru and Ecuador.

Participants

- Max Bello, Policy Advisor, Mission Blue

- Sylvia Earl, Explorer Inresidence National

- Jose Julio Casas, Secretary Pro-tempore CMAR

- Daniel Saldias, Circular Economy Director, Midas Chile

- CAF Representative, CAF-GEF Project in Galapagos

The objective of the event is to build capacity on the concepts of just transition and green, decent and quality jobs, foster collaboration to work together towards a just transition in the region and share good practices and policies to promote multi-sectoral articulation in the region.

The Gran Chaco, a vast tropical dry forest that spans Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina, is one of the most diverse ecosystems in the region. It is home to an abundant variety of plant and animal species, many of which are endemic and endangered. It also provides crucial ecosystem services, such as climate regulation, water purification and carbon sequestration in its biomass and soils, making it a vital carbon reservoir. This ecosystem is also fundamental to indigenous communities whose cultures and ways of life are intrinsically linked to the biodiversity of the Chaco.

The Pantanal, the largest freshwater wetland on the planet, spans Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. It is home to an astonishing diversity of plant and animal species, including endangered species such as the jaguar. The Pantanal plays a crucial role in regulating water flow, water purification, climate regulation and flood protection, making it a natural buffer against extreme weather events and an essential habitat for migratory and resident birds. Its conservation is fundamental for the protection of this important ecosystem.

This session will consist of a CAF Talk, in which the panelist will be asked to speak briefly (15 minutes) about multinational efforts to conserve these ecosystems.

Participants

- Florencia Mitchel, Climate Change Expert

- Ian Davidson, Regional Director, Americas, BirdLife International (TBC)

- Mailin Saluzzio, International Program Manager, Aspresid

- Jorge Quiroga, Universidad Mayor de San Andres

- Rolando de Barros Barreto, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Paraguay

The Gran Chaco, a vast tropical dry forest that spans Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina, is one of the most diverse ecosystems in the region. It is home to an abundant variety of plant and animal species, many of which are endemic and endangered. It also provides crucial ecosystem services, such as climate regulation, water purification and carbon sequestration in its biomass and soils, making it a vital carbon reservoir. This ecosystem is also fundamental to indigenous communities whose cultures and ways of life are intrinsically linked to the biodiversity of the Chaco.

The Pantanal, the largest freshwater wetland on the planet, spans Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. It is home to an astonishing diversity of plant and animal species, including endangered species such as the jaguar. The Pantanal plays a crucial role in regulating water flow, water purification, climate regulation and flood protection, making it a natural buffer against extreme weather events and an essential habitat for migratory and resident birds. Its conservation is fundamental for the protection of this important ecosystem.

This session will consist of a CAF Talk, in which the panelist will be asked to speak briefly (15 minutes) about multinational efforts to conserve these ecosystems.