Project profile — Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund - International Biodiversity - program 2024 to 2026

• Bolivia (12.50%)
• Brazil (33.33%)
• Colombia (12.50%)
• Ecuador (12.50%)
• Cambodia (12.50%)
• Laos (2.09%)
• Peru (12.50%)
• Thailand (2.08%)

• Environmental policy and administrative management:
Environmental policy and administrative management (41010) (10.00%)
Biosphere protection (41020) (30.00%)
Bio-diversity (41030) (40.00%)
Site preservation (41040) (10.00%)
Environmental education/training (41081) (10.00%)

• Biodiversity (principal objective)
• Gender equality (principal objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (principal objective)
• Climate Change Adaptation (significant objective)
• Climate change mitigation (significant objective)

This project aims to improve the health of biodiversity and ecosystems that are managed and enjoyed by people living in vulnerable communities in the biodiversity hotspots of the Cerrado (Brazil), Indo-Burma (Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Thailand) and Tropical Andes (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru). Project activities include: (1) training for local civil society organizations on community-based approaches to conservation and the sustainable use of biodiversity; (2) providing grants to local civil society organizations for gender-responsive conservation projects; and (3) providing leadership training for women in the conservation sector. The project benefits Indigenous Peoples and local communities living in and around key biodiversity areas, their natural resource management bodies, and the civil society organizations that partner with them to conserve and sustainably manage biodiversity.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) improved gender-responsive management practices applied in key biodiversity areas; (2) increased gender equality in decision-making positions in civil society organizations engaged in biodiversity conservation; and (3) strengthened integration of best practices for the gender-responsive conservation of key biodiversity areas into the policies and tools of the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund.

Results achieved at the end of the project (December 2025) include: (1) 1,281,013 hectares of Key Biodiversity Areas with reduced threats to biodiversity, significantly exceeding the target by more than 100%. Also, 88 globally threatened species with reduced threats to key populations, an improvement of over 70% of the target; (2) the number of women in decision-making positions related to the conservation of globally important biodiversity rose from the baseline of 904 to 1,000. This is an increase of over 10% with 96 positions that include 57 technical roles, 17 supervisory roles, and 22 leadership roles; and (3) 10,767 people (6,862 women, 3,387 men and 518 others) received training to increase their capacity to design and implement community-based conservation projects. Also, a total of 180,867 people (89,454 women and 91,413 men) received non-cash benefits such as improved land tenure, increased food security, and increased access to water, among others.

• Proactive disclosure