Projects in Latin America/Caribbean

People, Planet, Prosperity 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

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.

Optimizing Forest & Landscape Restoration, Costa Rica

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

Optimizing Forest & Landscape Restoration, Espirito Santo, Brazil

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

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, Colombia (Cartagena, Medellín, Cali, Bogotá, Bucaramanga, Cucuta)

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

Investments in Watershed Conservation, Balneário Camboriú, Brazil

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

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.

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.

Optimizing Forest & Landscape Restoration, El Salvador

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

Investments in Watershed Conservation, Rio de Janeiro, 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.

Investments in Watershed Conservation, São Paulo, Brazil

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

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

Coastal Ecosystems & Risk Reduction, Colombia

Coal Mines & Water Quality, Colombia

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

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

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.