The Amazon Basin, one of the world’s largest reservoirs of biodiversity and carbon, is facing growing pressures that threaten its ecological integrity and global climate stability. In recent decades, agricultural expansion, illegal logging, informal mining, and the effects of climate change have accelerated degradation, putting at risk both ecosystem services and the wellbeing of the millions of people who depend directly on the forest.

Tropical forests, such as those of the Amazon, are essential for the stability of global processes like the carbon cycle, water regulation, and biodiversity conservation. Mitigating the effects of the climate crisis is therefore key to achieving sustainable development at a global scale.
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Location

  • Rio de Janeiro

Client

  • Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID)

A study to promote new forms of conservation

In response to these challenges, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) commissioned WSP to carry out a study analyzing the potential of Public-Private Synergies (PPS) to strengthen the conservation of Amazonian environmental assets in six countries of the region.

The analysis—conducted by multidisciplinary teams in Brazil, Colombia, Panama, and Peru—sought to identify how collaboration between the public and private sectors can help protect key ecosystems, energize local economies, and mobilize new mechanisms for sustainable financing.

The study also assessed: 

  • The technical, regulatory, and institutional feasibility of implementing PPS for environmental assets.
  • A portfolio of existing and potential initiatives related to conservation, ecotourism, sustainable forest management, and restoration.
  • Risks and gaps that must be addressed to enable responsible investments.
  • Strategic recommendations for governments across the region.

The methodology combined document review, comparative analysis, and 52 interviews with authorities, specialists, communities, multilateral organizations, and private-sector representatives.

A diverse landscape with clear opportunities

The assessment identified 154 projects related to conservation and the management of natural assets in Amazonian countries, 58% of which correspond to active initiatives. The main areas of intervention include:

  • Sustainable forest management
  • Ecotourism and nature-based tourism
  • Conservation and restoration of environmental assets

Although the region shares structural challenges—such as the need to strengthen institutional capacities, improve governance, and create space for sustainable investment, the study also highlights differentiated progress among countries, reflecting diverse regulatory frameworks, capacities, and priorities. 

Building a sustainable and inclusive model

Based on this analysis, the study proposes recommendations to strengthen PPS implementation for conservation efforts, including:

  • Explicitly integrating the conservation of environmental assets into PPP/PPS frameworks to ensure technical and financial sustainability.
  • Creating incentives that encourage private-sector participation, especially in projects with high environmental and social impact.
  • Actively involving local communities and Indigenous peoples.
  • Strengthening public-sector capacities to oversee and sustain longterm initiatives.

The study reaffirms that the Amazon is not only an invaluable natural heritage, but also an opportunity to transform the relationship between development and conservation. Strengthening PPS will allow progress toward more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable models capable of addressing climate challenges and promoting a future in which communities, ecosystems, and the economy can thrive in balance.

For the region—and for WSP—the commitment is clear: to collaborate, innovate, and act to protect one of the most important ecological systems on the planet.

Meet the Visioneers

Led by Rafael Ugaz, our Regional Advisory Leader, the team—composed of Earth & Environment and Advisory specialists from Brazil, Colombia, Panama, the Caribbean, and Peru—drives innovative solutions for the conservation and sustainable management of Amazonian environmental assets, combining applied science, strategic vision, and multisector collaboration to strengthen territorial resilience and enhance the wellbeing of the communities who live in and with the forest.

 
References

Lembo, C., Suárez-Alemán, A., Hincapié Salazar, D., Saraiva, B., Chirinos Herrera, A., Veprinsky Mehl, A., Ugaz, R., Carrillo, C., & Oliva, M. (2025). Perfil de sinergias público-privadas de activos ambientales: el caso de la Cuenca Amazónica. https://doi.org/10.18235/0013484 

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