Projects in Latin America/Caribbean

3Ps Ecuador Pilot Project: Enhancing the Yasuní Biosphere Reserve and its Contributions to People

This project contributes to the long-term vision that natural capital approaches will become an integral part of Ecuador’s environmental governance, climate resilience, and sustainable development planning.

Promoting Nature-Positive Development through Integrating Natural Capital

This project will identify where the most important ecosystem services are located in three different key macro-zones in Chile.

3Ps Uruguay Pilot Project: Mainstreaming Natural Capital Assessment for Wetland Conservation in Uruguay

This project will conduct a natural capital assessment and valuation of Uruguay’s wetlands to support their zoning and prioritization. 

3Ps Colombia Pilot Project: Advancing Ecosystem Accounting for Financing Protected Areas

This pilot within the People, Planet, Prosperity project will support the economic valuation of the contributions of nature to the energy, agriculture, forestry, and tourism sectors, and to high income/population municipalities.

3Ps Chile Pilot Project: Contributions of Natural Capital Approaches to Implementation of Public Policy in Chile

This project will involve conducting a natural capital assessment of the River Bueno Basin in Chile.

3Ps Belize Pilot Project: Monitoring Progress Toward a Prosperous, Sustainable Future

Securing and monitoring Belize’s natural capital to achieve results-based financing targets

Innovations in Climate Resilient Coastal Zones - Overview (The Caribbean)

Working across the Caribbean to incorporate diverse values of ecosystems into natural capital assessments.

Strong Coasts: Reducing Climate Risks with Equitable, Nature-Based Solutions (Florida, USA)

NatCap is part of the five-year NSF CoPE (Coastlines & People) “Strong Coasts” project, led by the University of South Florida.

PRO-Agua: Resilience and sustainable planning for water in the Amazon, Madre de Dios, Acre, Pando

Using integrated watershed management for resilient development in Latin America.

Integrated Coastal Zone Management (Belize)

The Belizean government used InVEST to engage stakeholders and devise a plan that improves coastal protection, tourism and lobster revenues, while also reducing human impacts on coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds.

Sustainable Development Plan for the Caracol-Mountain Pine Ridge-Chiquibul Complex, Belize

Developed an ecosystem-based, sustainable management plan for a key biodiversity region in the west of Belize.

Natural and Cultural Heritage, Chiloé, Chile

Using ecosystem service information to zone various activities to preserve natural and cultural heritage values on Chiloé island.

Coastal Zone Planning, Barbados

Incorporated ecosystem services into coastal zone planning.

Co-benefits of Shade-Grown Coffee, Costa Rica

Evaluated various scenarios of shade-grown coffee implementation throughout Costa Rica.

Land use change and landscapes of vector-borne disease, Madre de Dios, Peru

We are working to better understand the impacts of land use and climate on the risk of vector-borne diseases, and especially mosquito-borne disease, in Latin America.

Optimizing Forest & Landscape Restoration

Identified reforestation areas based on ecosystem services and their benefits to people.

Investments in Watershed Conservation, Quito, Ecuador

Co-developing guidelines and implementing monitoring programs to understand how investments in watershed conservation and restoration are improving ecosystem services and livelihoods.

Understanding Climate Change Effects With ClimateWise, Brazil

Through the ClimateWise project, we improve our understanding of how land use and climate change affect water resources in the northern Andes and in the Atlantic Forest Region of Brazil.

Investment Tool for Watersheds (RIOS)

Developed a new tool (RIOS) for targeting investments in watershed conservation and restoration (water funds) to improve services for the most people.

Investments in Watershed Conservation, Lima, Peru

Co-developing guidelines and implementing monitoring programs to understand how investments in watershed conservation and restoration are improving ecosystem services

RIOS Watershed Planning, Nicaragua

Technical support to apply the RIOS watershed planning tool to guide climate adaptation planning.

Promoting Sustainable Development, Andros Island, The Bahamas

In a participatory process, the Office of the Prime Minister brought in the Natural Capital Project to design an island-wide future scenario that supports environmental, social, and economic objectives.

Mining and Mitigation, Cesar Department, Colombia

Developing and applying an expanded mitigation approach to account for and compensate the negative impacts communities experience as a result of environmental degradation due to development.

National Coastal Hazard Assessment, The Bahamas

Assessed risk from coastal hazards along the entire coast of The Bahamas

Investments in Watershed Conservation, Brazil

Co-developing guidelines and implementing monitoring programs to understand how investments in watershed conservation and restoration are improving ecosystem services.

Responsible Road Development, Peru

Assessing the potential for the Pucallpa-Cruzeiro do Sul road to be developed with no net loss of natural capital and for mitigation measures to secure ecosystem services for local communities in a socially equitable way.

Road Planning and Investments, Latin America

Developing guidance and approaches for incorporating natural capital information into road planning and investments in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Financing Natural Capital in Colombia

NatCap mapped the mangroves, sea grasses, coral reefs, and forests in the Gulf of Morrosquillo and quantified their benefits to people

Financial Incentives & Rangeland Management, Cañete Basin, Peru

Working to prioritize investments in their new national Rewards for Environmental Services program, a financial incentives system aiming to improve rangeland management to promote freshwater services and livestock productivity.

Ecosystem Services Return on Investment, Cauca Valley, Colombia

Targeting conservation and restoration to maximize ecosystem services under climate change conditions, monitoring and evaluating the real benefits of these programs, and calculating return on investment.

Designing Payments for Ecosystem Services, San Jose, Costa Rica

Using NatCap tools for targeting conservation and restoration to maximize ecosystem services, calculating return on investment, and building capacity.

Decision Support Software, Colombia

Created a customized decision support software tool (MAFE-T) to account for ecosystem services and terrestrial biodiversity.

Coastal Zone Planning, Barbados

Incorporated ecosystem services into coastal zone planning.

Coastal Ecosystems & Risk Reduction, Colombia

Assessed role of coastal ecosystems in reducing risk from coastal hazards along Caribbean coast of Colombia.

Coal Mines & Water Quality, Colombia

Assessing the impacts of coal mine expansion on drinking water quality regulation services

Co-developing a vision for sustainable development in the Llanos de Moxos, Bolivia

This 18-month project employs NatCap's well-tested participatory process to build support for a more sustainable development pathway by co-producing knowledge of ecosystem services and the benefits they bring to communities.

Climate Adaptation for the Mesoamerican Reef (MAR), Latin America

This project, known as Smart Coasts, worked to strengthen the adaptive capacity of local governments and communities dependent on coastal and marine areas, in countries bordering the Mesoamerican Reef.

Nature-Based Climate Responses (Belize)

NatCap used coastal vulnerability, lobster fishery, blue carbon, and tourism InVEST models to quantify the greenhouse gas and co-benefits of alternative target areas and locations for mangrove protection and restoration.

Innovations in Climate Resilient Coastal Zones (The Bahamas)

NatCap is co-producing new science in conducting spatial development planning for greater ecosystem support of livelihoods and climate resilience.