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Published by Forest Trends and The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the new report Doubling Down on Nature: State of Investment in Nature-based Solutions for Water Security, 2025 underlines growing confidence in the power of these approaches among investors and policymakers. While the sector is dominated by government funding (97%), the findings highlight the accelerating rate at which private finance is rising while also showing how even major economic slowdowns like the COVID pandemic failed to dampen this growing interest.   

The report explores ten years’ worth of data from across 140 countries, creating a compelling, region-by-region comparison of how the power of nature is increasingly being harnessed—across more than 1,645 individual initiatives—to safeguard drinking water supplies, decrease flood risk and conserve freshwater ecosystems. It also examines efforts to mitigate against hazards, including landslides and floods, via interventions like forest restoration and floodplain management.  

“As the climate and biodiversity crises accelerate, it’s fantastic to see public and private spending recognize the power of nature to safeguard drinking water supplies and shrink the impact of natural disasters,” says Daniel Shemie, The Nature Conservancy’s Global Director for Resilient Freshwater. “More important than talk is money—and, while private finance is still a comparative drop in the ocean—the 30x growth over the past decade and growing momentum behind user-driven investments give reason for optimism, especially as public funding and foreign assistance comes under pressure in many parts of the world.”

While the major economic blocs, China, the European Union, and the United States, accounted for 94% of total investment between 2013-23, notably it was Africa that experienced the fastest growth over this timeframe (5X). Other regions outside the ‘Big Three,’ like Oceania, also gained significant momentum. Rapid growth in user-driven investments—funded by direct beneficiaries of watershed services like utilities, cities, and corporations—was another key trend over the period, while innovative mechanisms, like water funds, debt swaps, and green bonds, continue to proliferate in this space. 

Mitigating flood risk was identified as the most powerful motivation for NbS interventions over this timeframe. Water quality was another key driver behind interventions that typically targeted the protection and restoration of forest and riparian ecosystems, alongside grasslands, shrublands and wetlands.  

The report also makes recommendations for how to diversify and accelerate investment in NbS for water security, from building resilient revenue models and strengthening policy frameworks, to empowering local knowledge and leadership.  

“For the first time in a decade, we have a truly global and comprehensive dataset showing how and where investments in nature for water are growing—and why,” says Gena Gammie, Forest Trends’ Director of the Global Water Initiative. “This report makes clear that NbS are no longer fringe solutions. They are becoming mainstream tools for managing water and climate risks. That gives us a powerful opportunity to focus on what’s working, learn from emerging innovations, and direct resources where they can deliver the greatest impact. Scaling effective solutions has never been more urgent.”

Download the full report, Doubling Down on Nature: State of Investment in Nature-based Solutions for Water Security, 2025.

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Forest Trends is a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1999. Forest Trends works to conserve forests and other ecosystems through the creation and wide adoption of a broad range of environmental finance, markets, and other payment and incentive mechanisms. Forest Trends does so by 1) providing transparent information on ecosystem values, finance, and markets through knowledge acquisition, analysis, and dissemination; 2) convening diverse coalitions, partners, and communities of practice to promote environmental values and advance development of new markets and payment mechanisms; and 3) demonstrating successful tools, standards, and models of innovative finance for conservation. 

The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. The Nature Conservancy is working to make a lasting difference around the world in 81 countries and territories (40 by direct conservation impact and 41 through partners) through a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. 

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A iniciativa será realizada em Terras Indígenas dos biomas Amazônia, Cerrado, Caatinga, Pantanal, Pampa e Mata Atlântica. Seu objetivo é contribuir para que os povos indígenas tenham maior autonomia na gestão de seus territórios, na proteção de seus modos de vida e na participação em soluções climáticas globais, a partir de estratégias desenhadas nos próprios territórios. Este projeto parte do reconhecimento de que os povos indígenas são fundamentais para conservar a biodiversidade, conter o desmatamento e oferecer respostas sustentáveis à crise climática. Desde sua concepção, o projeto vem sendo construído em diálogo com organizações indígenas representativas de base. Essa construção coletiva busca assegurar que as decisões reflitam as demandas e visões dos povos indígenas e que o projeto se adapte às especificidades de cada bioma. O projeto, que está em andamento desde novembro de 2024, já iniciou diálogos com as organizações indígenas regionais para identificação dos territórios de atuação. Algumas das organizações consultadas, além da Articulação dos Povos Indígenas do Brasil (APIB), são: a Comissão Guarani Yvyrupá na Mata Atlântica; no Cerrado, a Arpinsudeste; no Pantanal, o Conselho Terena; no Pampa, a Arpin Sul; e nos biomas Amazônia e Caatinga, as articulações seguem com a COIAB e a APOINME, respectivamente. A identificação dos territórios participantes de cada bioma está em andamento, sendo conduzida pelas próprias organizações regionais, em articulação com o MPI, a Greendata e a Forest Trends, criando uma priorização justa e em concordância com as demandas e estratégicas dos povos indígenas e em com respeito às suas decisões coletivas.

O projeto integra quatro dimensões complementares de ação:

1. Financiamento Climático e Governança Territorial

• Apoio à implementação da Política Nacional de Gestão Territorial e Ambiental de Terras Indígenas (PNGATI).
• Diálogo interinstitucional para articular recursos e políticas públicas que fortaleçam a governança indígena.

2. Fortalecimento das Cadeias de Valor da Sociobiodiversidade

• Mapeamento participativo de cadeias produtivas (como cacau, castanha, açaí, artesanato).
• Apoio técnico para comercialização, certificações, design de marca e acesso a mercados éticos.

3. Formação de Lideranças Indígenas

• Implementação do Programa de Formação em Governança Territorial Indígena (PFGTI), com seis edições regionais adaptadas por bioma.
• Capacitação de 240 lideranças indígenas — com pelo menos 40% de mulheres e jovens — em temas como mudanças climáticas, Consentimento Livre Prévio e Informado, e bioeconomia.
• Elaboração de Planos Indígenas de Enfrentamento às Mudanças Climáticas com base nos saberes tradicionais e nos contextos territoriais.
  • Os conteúdos e metodologias de formação neste eixo serão definidos conjuntamente com comitês pedagógicos locais e um comitê gestor nacional, com participação direta de representantes indígenas, instituições parceiras e equipe técnica do MPI.

4. Fortalecimento Institucional 

• Formação técnica de servidores do Ministério dos Povos Indígenas (MPI) e da Fundação Nacional dos Povos Indígenas (Funai).
• Produção de materiais formativos sobre salvaguardas socioambientais e governança climática.
• Criação de núcleos técnicos qualificados para apoiar projetos indígenas de forma eficaz.

Todas as atividades do projeto serão realizadas com base nos princípios do Consentimento Livre, Prévio e Informado, garantindo que os povos indígenas participem ativamente da construção das ações que envolvem seus territórios. Processos de escuta e consulta serão realizados de forma contínua, respeitosa e transparente, como forma de fortalecer a autonomia dos povos e assegurar que as decisões reflitam seus interesses coletivos.

A crise climática, a pressão do agronegócio, a expansão da mineração e o enfraquecimento de políticas de proteção territorial colocam em risco a vida, os modos de vida e os territórios dos povos indígenas. Ao mesmo tempo, cresce o interesse por mecanismos de financiamento climático que, se mal estruturados, podem impor contratos injustos, cronogramas irrealistas e centralização da tomada de decisão.

Este projeto atua justamente nesse ponto crítico: visando fortalecer a governança dos povos indígenas para decidir e liderar suas próprias estratégias de desenvolvimento e conservação, com garantias de seus direitos, respeitando suas culturas e sua autonomia. Sua implementação é alinhada à legislação brasileira, como o artigo 231 da Constituição Federal, e aos tratados internacionais aos quais o Brasil é signatário, como a Convenção 169 da Organização Internacional do Trabalho (OIT). 

“A Forest Trends tem a honra de fazer parceria com o Ministério dos Povos Indígenas do Brasil”, diz Beto Borges, nosso Diretor da Iniciativa de Comunidades e Governança Territorial. “Estamos firmes na crença de que os povos indígenas são os melhores guardiões de nossas florestas e estamos entusiasmados em trabalhar com a ministra Sonia Guajajara e sua equipe para proporcionar maior acesso a programas de treinamento personalizados para líderes indígenas e gestores do Ministério”, disse.

Atualmente em fase de mobilização e captação de recursos, o projeto será executado com critérios de transparência e responsabilidade, por meio de parcerias institucionais e aportes de fontes privadas e internacionais. O modelo de gestão foi pensado para assegurar uma execução comprometida com a escuta ativa, a prestação de contas e o envolvimento direto das comunidades. O projeto tem duração de dois anos, previsto até novembro de 2026, e atualmente está em fase de articulação com organizações representativas regionais, seleção dos territórios de atuação e criação dos comitês pedagógicos para início das formações.

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A Forest Trends é uma organização da sociedade civil que trabalha para conservar florestas e ecossistemas naturais, promovendo soluções baseadas na natureza, economias sustentáveis e justiça climática. Por meio de sua Iniciativa Comunidades e Governança Territorial (ICGT), atua há mais de duas décadas em parceria com povos indígenas e povos e comunidades tradicionais, fortalecendo a governança territorial, a valorização cultural e o acesso justo ao financiamento climático. A ICGT tem presença ativa em diversos países da América Latina, com ampla experiência em projetos pioneiros na interface entre conservação, economia da floresta e protagonismo comunitário. 

Por sua vez, a Greendata – Centro de Gestão e Inovação Socioeconômica e Ambiental é uma organização brasileira que desenvolve soluções para a valorização de territórios, saberes e práticas sustentáveis de comunidades tradicionais. Com foco em tecnologias sociais e metodologias participativas, atua na criação de estratégias de desenvolvimento integradas à realidade local, fortalecendo cadeias da sociobiodiversidade, a gestão territorial e a justiça ambiental. Parceira estratégica de implementação de projetos da Forest Trends no Brasil, a Greendata contribui com a execução de projetos que promovem a autonomia, o bem viver e a resiliência das comunidades frente aos desafios climáticos e socioambientais.

Criado em 2023, o MPI – Ministério dos Povos Indígenas é responsável pela formulação e implementação de políticas públicas voltadas à efetivação dos direitos dos povos indígenas no Brasil, para a promoção do bem viver. Sob a liderança da ministra Sonia Guajajara, atua na promoção dos direitos sociais e de cidadania dos povos indígenas; na valorização, fortalecimento e promoção de suas culturas e sistemas de vida; na gestão territorial e ambiental dos territórios indígenas e na proteção territorial e dos povos isolados e de recente contato.

The post Lançamento: Forest Trends, Ministério dos Povos Indígenas do Brasil e Greendata se unem para um projeto histórico appeared first on Forest Trends.

The initiative will be carried out in Indigenous Lands within the Amazon, Cerrado, Caatinga, Pantanal, Pampa, and Atlantic Forest biomes. Its goal is to support Indigenous Peoples in strengthening their autonomy in managing their territories, protecting their ways of life, and engaging in global climate solutions through strategies designed from within their territories. The project is rooted in the recognition that Indigenous Peoples are key to conserving biodiversity, halting deforestation, and providing sustainable responses to the climate crisis.

From its inception, the project has been built in collaboration with grassroots Indigenous organizations, including the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB). This collective process ensures that decisions reflect Indigenous perspectives and that the project adapts to the realities of each biome. Since November 2024, initial dialogues began with regional Indigenous organizations to identify implementation territories. Consulted groups include the Guarani Yvyrupá Commission (Atlantic Forest), Arpinsudeste (Cerrado), Terena Council (Pantanal), Arpin Sul (Pampa), and ongoing discussions with COIAB (Amazon) and APOINME (Caatinga). Territory selection for each biome is being led by regional Indigenous organizations in coordination with MPI, Greendata, and Forest Trends, ensuring a just prioritization process aligned with Indigenous demands and collective decisions.

The project includes four interrelated pillars:

1. Climate Finance and Territorial Governance

• Support for the implementation of the National Policy for Territorial and Environmental Management of Indigenous Lands (PNGATI)
• Inter-institutional dialogue to coordinate resources and public policies that strengthen Indigenous governance

2. Strengthening Biodiversity-Based Value Chains

• Participatory mapping of value chains (e.g., cacao, Brazil nuts, açaí, handicrafts)
• Technical support for commercialization, certifications, brand design, and access to ethical markets

3. Indigenous Leadership Training

• Implementation of the Territorial Indigenous Governance Training Program (PFGTI), with six regionally adapted editions (one per biome)
• Training of 240 Indigenous leaders—with at least 40% women and youth—on topics such as climate change, Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), and bioeconomy
• Development of Indigenous Climate Action Plans based on traditional knowledge and territorial contexts
  • Training content and methodologies will be co-developed with local pedagogical committees and a national steering committee that includes Indigenous representatives, partner institutions, and MPI staff.

4. Institutional Strengthening

• Technical training for MPI staff and the National Foundation for Indigenous Peoples (Funai)
• Production of educational materials on social-environmental safeguards and climate governance
• Creation of specialized technical teams to support Indigenous-led projects effectively

The climate crisis, pressure from agribusiness, mining expansion, and weakened territorial protection policies continue to threaten the lives, livelihoods, and territories of Indigenous Peoples. Meanwhile, the growing interest in climate finance mechanisms—if poorly structured—may impose unjust contracts, unrealistic timelines, and centralized decision making.

This project seeks to respond to this critical moment by strengthening Indigenous Peoples’ governance so they can define and lead their own development and conservation strategies, with full recognition of their rights, cultures, and autonomy. All project activities will be carried out in accordance with the principles of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), ensuring that Indigenous Peoples actively participate in shaping the initiatives that affect their territories. Listening and consultation processes will be ongoing, respectful, and transparent, to uphold the autonomy of Indigenous Peoples and ensure that decisions reflect their collective interests. The Strengthening Indigenous Territories: Governance, Climate Finance, and Biodiversity Value Chains project’s implementation is also aligned with Brazilian law, including Article 231 of the Federal Constitution, and international agreements such as ILO Convention 169.

“Forest Trends is honored to partner with Brazil’s Ministry of Indigenous Peoples,” says Beto Borges, Director of Forest Trends’ Communities and Territorial Governance Initiative. “We firmly believe that Indigenous Peoples are the best stewards of our forests, and we are excited to work with Minister Sonia Guajajara and her team to expand access to tailored training programs for Indigenous leaders and government staff.”

Currently in its resource mobilization phase, the project will be executed with transparency and accountability, supported by institutional partnerships and funding from private and international sources. Its management model was designed to ensure inclusive implementation, participatory oversight, and direct community involvement. The project has a two-year timeline, running through November 2026.

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Forest Trends is a civil society organization that works to conserve forests and natural ecosystems by promoting nature-based solutions, sustainable economies, and climate justice. Through its Communities and Territorial Governance Initiative (CTGI), Forest Trends has worked for over two decades in partnership with Indigenous Peoples and traditional communities to strengthen territorial governance, cultural preservation, and equitable access to climate finance. CTGI has a strong presence across Latin America and extensive experience in pioneering projects that intersect conservation, forest-based economies, and community leadership.

Greendata – Center for Socioeconomic and Environmental Management and Innovation is a Brazilian organization that develops solutions to promote the value of territories, knowledge systems, and sustainable practices of traditional communities. With a focus on social technologies and participatory methodologies, it designs development strategies that are locally grounded, strengthening biodiversity-based value chains, territorial management, and environmental justice. As a key implementing partner for Forest Trends projects in Brazil, Greendata supports initiatives that promote autonomy, well-being, and community resilience in the face of climate and socio-environmental challenges.

The Ministry of Indigenous Peoples (MPI) was created in 2023 and is responsible for formulating and implementing public policies to uphold Indigenous rights and promote well-being. Under the leadership of Minister Sonia Guajajara, MPI works to advance the social rights and citizenship of Indigenous Peoples; to preserve, strengthen, and promote their cultures and lifeways; to manage Indigenous territories and ecosystems; and to protect Indigenous lands, including those of isolated and recently contacted peoples.

The post Release: Forest Trends, the Brazilian Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, and GreenData Join Together for a Historic Project appeared first on Forest Trends.

These dynamics reflect a deeper transformation. EM analysts say the market is undergoing a significant supply-side reboot in response to increasingly sophisticated demand and market shifts towards quality.

“We’re seeing a winding down of a legacy market from older methodologies, and the scaling up of a new phase of the VCM,” said Charlotte Barber, Forest Trends’ Associate Director of the Ecosystem Marketplace. “While supply from new project types takes time to ramp up to meet the needs and demand of this new phase, end-user demand is staying steady, with credit retirements holding steady and increasing demand for some trusted project types.”

The evolution of the VCM is not without its challenges. Market participants say that policy and integrity frameworks developed in recent years will take time to operationalize. Still, these developments are widely viewed as positive steps toward a more credible and high-quality marketplace.

Other key findings from the report include:

• The volume of credits retired (an indicator of end-user demand) from the ten largest standards has plateaued at an elevated level since 2021, with 182 million tons of credits retired in 2024.
• 2024 posted the lowest transaction volume since 2018, but market value is 1.9x higher than 2018, on the strength of relatively buoyant credit prices.
• On average, credits representing emissions removals were 381 percent more expensive than emissions reduction credits in 2024—up from 245 percent in 2023. (“Removals” credits come from actions that take greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere and store them, such as through reforestation projects or direct air capture (DAC). “Reductions” credits prevent or reduce emissions compared to the status quo, including projects like improving fuel efficiency or protecting forests at risk of destruction.)
• Buyer preference for credits from recent vintages reached unprecedented levels. There was a 217 percent premium for credits with vintage from the last five years, compared to a 53 percent premium in 2023.
• The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market’s (ICVCM) Core Carbon Principles (CCPs) are beginning to affect market demand. However, the effect on transaction volume was isolated to project types with existing supply in 2024, and overall market impact was relatively minimal since ICVCM only approved a small number of project types in 2024. In market segments where CCP-approved credits were available to buyers, transaction volumes and prices were markedly higher:
  • Waste Disposal transaction volume transactions grew over 3x, driven by demand for CCP-approved Landfill Gas credits.
  • The average price of Landfill Gas credits increased by 35 percent from the first half of the year to the second half of the year (following ICVCM approval) with 3.1M credits traded—a 149 percent increase in volume from 2023.

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Ricardo Bayon, Partner and Co-founder of Encourage Capital, says: “Long have reports on the death of carbon markets been exaggerated. This is a market that goes through lots of ups and downs and we have seen our share of cycles. We must be in the 5th or 6th such cycle of rapid growth, decline, rapid growth. This year is a down year. But for those who are paying attention, that decline is only around the “loosely rational exuberance”  that surrounds this market.

“The underlying fundamental indicator of demand, the retirements, continue to grow and they have been growing on a pretty constant trend since the market was created. Those companies and individuals who are buying carbon and retiring them are still doing so undeterred; chastened but not deterred. And so the market continues to grow (maybe not as rapidly as its most fervent acolytes would like), and I believe it will once again boom when issues of trust and integrity are dealt with. And they are being dealt with. Buckle up. What goes down, can also go up.”

Eron Bloomgarden, CEO of Emergent, the coordinator of the LEAF Coalition, says: “There is certainly a shortage of the types of higher integrity credits that companies are increasingly demanding, and this is one of the key contributors to lower trading volumes.

“Jurisdictional REDD+ credits are one such example. Many countries have been working for several years to put in place robust jurisdictional programs and are now working to bring these credits to market. We continue to see strong interest in purchasing these credits, once issued, from both LEAF Coalition corporates and other buyers, such airlines looking to purchase credits for CORSIA. We expect to see significant increases in volumes traded as forest countries bring these to market and sign agreements with Emergent and other buyers.

“But high-integrity supply alone will not scale the market to where we need to be to tackle the climate crisis. More work is still needed on the demand side, working with companies to build stronger business cases and standard setters to ensure they send a clearer signal that compensation for emissions via removals and reductions is vital for the millions of tonnes of carbon companies will continue to emit as they progress towards net zero.”

Alexia Kelly, Managing Director, Carbon Policy and Markets Initiative, High Tide Foundation says: “This year’s report demonstrates a market that is transitioning to higher quality, higher prices, and still steady retirements. Committed market participants aren’t backing away, but this market is still in its infancy. Strong demand signals and continued focus on quality and market reform are fundamental to increasing trust, growth and impact.”

María Alejandra Cantuarias, Head of Conservation and Carbon Markets at Bosques Amazónicos says: “The development of a more transparent, robust, and credible carbon market is a shared goal across all stakeholders. Data such as that provided by Ecosystem Marketplace enables a more accurate characterisation of voluntary market dynamics, supports trend analysis, identifies bottlenecks and highlights priority areas for improvement. Such information is critical for addressing structural barriers, enhancing decision-making, and scaling effective climate action in line with global climate commitments.”

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Download the full report, State of the Voluntary Carbon Market 2025: Meeting the Moment – Renewing Trust in Carbon Finance.

The post Benchmark Report Finds the Voluntary Carbon Market in Transition: Demand Holding Steady as Turnover Stabilizes appeared first on Forest Trends.

This online hub fills a critical gap in the complex landscape of climate and conservation finance, as it will provide IPs & LCs with resources necessary for accessing funding opportunities. The Resource Center provides a comprehensive library of reports, videos, guidance documents and more—all tailored to help communities effectively engage with climate and conservation finance and leverage financial tools to protect their lands, cultures, and livelihoods.

“This initiative is an essential step in ensuring Indigenous and local communities have the opportunity to engage with climate and conservation finance on their own terms,” said Beto Borges, Forest Trends’ Director of the Communities and Territorial Governance Initiative. “We are proud to partner with GreenData to provide clear, accessible resources that support these communities’ longstanding environmental stewardship efforts.”

The Resource Center is currently available in Portuguese, with additional languages and materials coming in the future.

Visit the resource center HERE.

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Forest Trends works to conserve forests and other ecosystems through the creation and wide adoption of a broad range of environmental finance, markets, and other payment and incentive mechanisms.

Forest Trends’ Communities and Territorial Governance Initiative supports indigenous and forest communities’ ability to thrive in their homelands. Doing so is one of the most effective safeguards against deforestation and is essential for climate resilience.

GreenData specializes in the management and execution of socioeconomic and environmental projects and programs, providing advice on the consolidation of biodiversity value chain businesses.

The post Release: Forest Trends and GreenData Launch Resource Center to Support Indigenous and Local Communities in Climate and Conservation Finance appeared first on Forest Trends.

The report, China’s Tropical Deforestation and Emissions Footprint From Its Agricultural and Timber Imports, estimates that nearly 70 percent of this deforestation was illegal. China’s “embedded emissions” from these imports reached an average of 200 million tons of CO₂ per year—comparable to 20–30 percent of China’s domestic agricultural emissions and over one percent of its total national emissions, which is more emissions than the entire annual fossil fuel emissions of a mid-sized country like Spain.  

“While China is a global leader in domestic reforestation and renewable energy, this report highlights a critical blind spot of the environmental cost of its imported agricultural and timber commodities,” says Kerstin Canby, Director of Forest Trends’ Forest Policy, Trade, and Finance Initiative. 

A Global Footprint Tied to Key Commodities and Countries 

The report finds that four commodities—palm oil, beef, soy, and plantation timber—account for most of the impact. These products are largely sourced from Indonesia, Brazil, Malaysia, and several West African countries, where deforestation rates remain high and governance challenges persist. Notably, Brazil’s soy and beef exports to China account for nearly one-third of the country’s embedded deforestation emissions. 

International Relevance Amid Policy Shifts 

The findings come at a critical time, as China positions itself as a champion of “ecological civilization” and renews its commitments under international agreements, such as the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests, the China–Brazil Joint Statement on Climate Change, and the 2023 Sunnylands Statement with the United States. 

Meanwhile, trading partners are tightening regulations: the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) takes effect in 2024, the US Lacey Act is increasingly used to prosecute illegal forest product imports, and the UK Environment Act is targeting supply chains linked to illegal deforestation. These developments place pressure on Chinese companies and policymakers to demonstrate sustainable sourcing practices—or risk trade barriers and reputational damage. 

“China faces a strategic choice between proactively leading on sustainable sourcing or risking falling behind as global markets shift toward legal and deforestation-free commodities,” says Michael Richards, the report’s lead author. “There are clear opportunities to act, including working with a handful of companies and geographies responsible for most of the impact.” 

Momentum for Change—But More Is Needed 

Encouragingly, some progress has already begun. The Tropical Forest Alliance Taskforce on Green Value Chains for China, launched in 2023, has brought together major companies like COFCO, Mengniu Dairy, Nestlé, and Cargill. In 2024, the first deforestation-free soybean shipment from Brazil to China was completed under this initiative. 

However, as the report notes, scaling up these efforts will require more robust regulatory frameworks, supply chain transparency, and cross-border collaboration—including stronger engagement from Chinese industry and enforcement by producing countries. 

Download the report, China’s Tropical Deforestation and Emissions Footprint From Its Agricultural and Timber Imports.

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Forest Trends works to conserve forests and other ecosystems through the creation and wide adoption of a broad range of environmental finance, markets, and other payment and incentive mechanisms. 

Forest Trends’ Forest Policy, Trade, and Finance Initiative aims to promote policies which harness the power of market incentives for the legal, sustainable, and equitable trade in timber and other commodities harvested from forest landscapes. 

The post Release: New Report Reveals China’s Significant Role in Tropical Deforestation Through Agricultural and Timber Imports appeared first on Forest Trends.

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On February 26, Forest Trends received notice that our Natural Infrastructure for Water Security (NIWS) project was terminated as part of the sweeping foreign aid cuts by the Trump administration. Since NIWS’ inception in 2017, we have been proud to provide critical support to Peruvian institutions and communities to address their ongoing water crisis and scale-up effective, sustained investment in natural infrastructure for water security.

With our partners, the Consortium for the Sustainable Development of the Andean Ecoregion (CONDESAN), the Peruvian Society for Environmental Law (SPDA), Imperial College London, Descosur, and EcoDecision, we mobilized investments in natural water infrastructure and strengthened the governance of natural infrastructure for water security. Our results were far ranging, strategically utilizing joint investments by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Government of Canada to develop over 80 projects with more than 240 communities across 14 Peruvian regions. Our work created a market transformation, resulting in a roughly USD $370 million water security project pipeline with funding from Peruvian water users, public disaster risk mitigation funds, subnational governments, and private companies. With all of you, we also:

• Mobilized USD $39 million in investments in natural infrastructure for water, including securing the approval and implementation of the first watershed investments by SEDAPAL, Lima’s water utility and SEDAPAR, Arequipa’s water utility; significant investments by subnational governments in the regions of Ayacucho and Piura; and investments in nature by the private sector including Coca-Cola and Anglo-American Quellaveco.
• Increased credibility and clarity for decision-makers regarding the water benefits of natural infrastructure interventions through scientific research, publication in prestigious peer reviewed journals, and accessibly sharing this with decision-makers.
• Strengthened the capacities of more than 7,100 professionals from national and subnational governments, water companies and civil society to design, monitor, and manage natural infrastructure projects
• Created a suite of over 30 innovative tools to guide the identification, design, and management of effective, equitable, and sustainable interventions in natural infrastructure. Over 700 people from diverse public and private institutions report using information disseminated by the NIWS project, especially HIRO and CUBHIC.
• Bolstered institutions and leaders to strengthen the sustainability and effectiveness of natural infrastructure investments and water management by quantifying information on the participation of women and men in decision-making in the water sector and supporting critical institutional changes, including to ensure that women secure recognition of their legal access to water rights.
• Strengthened the capacity of institutions to develop and implement natural infrastructure projects, such as the 73% reduction in the time between idea and approval for these projects by Lima’s water supply company.
• Trained and connected more than 100 women leaders through the Women in Water Management Leadership Program.
• Developed and secured regulatory changes and national policies and plans that accelerate investments in natural infrastructure and strengthen multi-sectoral water management, working closely with our partners, including Peru’s Ministry of Environment (MINAM), the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (MIDAGRI), the Ministry of Housing, Sanitation and Construction (MVCS), the National Infrastructure Authority (ANIN), the National Water Authority of Peru (ANA), and the national water utility regulator (SUNASS). For example, we helped to develop, justify and support implementation of a new Supreme Decree for the protection of wetlands that helped to address illegal peat extraction for commercial purposes.

While we are disappointed by the early closure of the NIWS project, we know the work doesn’t end with our project’s termination. After all, our own journey to support investments in nature for water in Peru began many years before NIWS, with the Incubator for Watershed Investments launched in 2012 with MINAM, CONDESAN, EcoDecision, and the support of Swiss cooperation, which helped local initiatives overcome critical bottlenecks and supported key policy changes that laid the groundwork for the growth and breadth of investments we see today.

Advancing nature-based solutions for water and climate resilience has always been a collaborative endeavor. Over the past decade, a diverse coalition of civil society organizations, local communities, international donors, researchers, private sector leaders, and public sector pioneers has joined this movement. We call on all our allies to continue building on this strong foundation—to bring our shared vision to reality, harvest the fruits we’ve sown together, and transform how we manage water and landscapes so that our future can be water-secure and resilient.

El 26 de febrero, Forest Trends recibió la notificación de que nuestro proyecto Infraestructura Natural para la Seguridad Hídrica (NIWS) había sido cancelado como parte de los drásticos recortes de ayuda exterior por parte de la administración Trump. Estamos orgullosos de los avances y múltiples logros alcanzados, así como de haber brindado apoyo crítico a entidades públicas, privadas, organismos no gubernamentales y comunidades peruanas para abordar su permanente crisis hídrica, incrementar las inversiones efectivas y sostenibles en infraestructura natural para la seguridad hídrica y la resiliencia frente a los eventos climáticos extremos.

Con nuestros socios, el Consorcio para el Desarrollo Sostenible de la Ecorregión Andina (CONDESAN), la Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental (SPDA), el Imperial College de Londres, Descosur y EcoDecisión, movilizamos inversiones en infraestructura natural y fortalecimos la gobernanza de los recursos hídricos. Nuestros resultados fueron de gran alcance, utilizando estratégicamente inversiones conjuntas de la Agencia de los Estados Unidos para el Desarrollo Internacional (USAID) y el Gobierno de Canadá para desarrollar más de 80 proyectos con más de 240 comunidades en 14 regiones en Perú. Nuestro trabajo creó una transformación del mercado, lo que dio lugar a una cartera de proyectos de seguridad hídrica de aproximadamente 370 millones de dólares con financiación de los usuarios peruanos del agua, fondos públicos de mitigación de riesgos de desastres, gobiernos regionales, y empresas privadas. También logramos, junto con ustedes:

• Movilizar 39 millones de dólares en inversiones en infraestructura natural para el agua, lo que incluye la aprobación y la implementación de las primeras inversiones en cuencas por parte de SEDAPAL, la empresa de agua de Lima, y SEDAPAR, la empresa de agua de Arequipa; inversiones significativas por parte de gobiernos regionales de Ayacucho y Piura; e inversiones en la naturaleza por parte del sector privado, incluidas Coca-Cola y Anglo-American Quellaveco.
• Aumentar la credibilidad y claridad para quienes toman decisiones con respecto a los beneficios hídricos de las intervenciones de infraestructura natural a través de la investigación científica, la publicación en revistas prestigiosas revisadas por pares y el intercambio accesible de esta información con quienes toman decisiones.
• Fortalecer las capacidades de más de 7100 profesionales peruanos de gobiernos nacionales y regionales, empresas de agua y la sociedad civil para diseñar, monitorear y gestionar proyectos de infraestructura natural
• Crear de un conjunto de más de 30 herramientas innovadoras para orientar la identificación, el diseño y la gestión de intervenciones eficaces, equitativas y sostenibles en infraestructura natural. Más de 700 personas de diversas instituciones públicas y privadas afirman utilizar la información difundida por el proyecto NIWS, especialmente HIRO y CUBHIC.
• Fortalecer las instituciones y líderes para reforzar la sostenibilidad y la eficacia de las inversiones en infraestructura natural y la gestión del agua mediante la cuantificación de la información sobre la participación de mujeres y hombres en la toma de decisiones en el sector del agua y el apoyo a cambios institucionales críticos, entre ellos garantizar que las mujeres obtengan el reconocimiento de su acceso legal a los derechos de agua.
• Fortalecer el desempeño institucional para desarrollar e implementar proyectos de infraestructura natural, como la reducción del 73% en el tiempo entre la idea y la aprobación de estos proyectos por parte de la empresa de suministro de agua de Lima.
• Formar y conectar a más de 100 mujeres líderes a través del Programa de Liderazgo de Mujeres en la Gestión del Agua.
• Desarrollar y conseguir cambios regulatorios, políticas y planes nacionales que aceleran las inversiones en infraestructura natural y fortalecen la gestión multisectorial del agua, trabajando en estrecha colaboración con nuestros socios, entre ellos el Ministerio del Ambiente (MINAM), el Ministerio de Agricultura y Riego (MIDAGRI), el Ministerio de Vivienda, Saneamiento y Construcción (MVCS), la Autoridad Nacional de Infraestructura (ANIN), la Autoridad Nacional del Agua (ANA) y el regulador nacional de servicios de agua (SUNASS), el Servicio Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas (SERNANP), Fondo Nacional para Áreas Naturales Protegidas por el Estado (PROFONANPE) . Por ejemplo, ayudamos a desarrollar, justificar y apoyar la implementación de un nuevo Decreto Supremo para la protección de los humedales que ayudó a abordar la extracción ilegal de turba con fines comerciales.

Aunque estamos desilusionados por el cierre anticipado del proyecto NIWS, sabemos que el trabajo no termina con la finalización de nuestro proyecto. Después de todo, nuestro propio viaje para apoyar las inversiones en la naturaleza para el agua en Perú comenzó muchos años antes de NIWS, con la Incubadora de Inversiones en Servicios Ecosistémicos Hídricos lanzada en 2012 con MINAM, CONDESAN, EcoDecisión y el apoyo de la cooperación suiza, que ayudó a las iniciativas locales a superar cuellos de botella críticos y apoyó cambios políticos clave que sentarían las bases para el crecimiento y la amplitud de las inversiones que vemos hoy.

El avance de las soluciones basadas en la naturaleza para la resiliencia hídrica y climática siempre ha sido un esfuerzo colaborativo. Durante la última década, una coalición diversa de organizaciones de la sociedad civil, comunidades locales, donantes internacionales, investigadores, líderes del sector privado y pioneros del sector público se ha unido a este movimiento. Hacemos un llamado a todos nuestros aliados para que continúen construyendo sobre esta base sólida, para hacer realidad nuestra visión compartida, cosechar los frutos que hemos sembrado conjuntamente y transformar la forma en que gestionamos el agua y los paisajes para que nuestro futuro pueda ser seguro y resiliente.

The post Update from the NIWS Project / Actualización del proyecto NIWS appeared first on Forest Trends.