Amazon Nations Launch $1 Billion Facility to Build Resilient Cities and Clean Energy Future

The initiative was spearheaded by the Amazonia Network of Ministers of Finance and Planning and formalized through a joint declaration signed by member states.

At the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, the countries of the Amazon basin — Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Suriname — launched the Amazonia Forever Facility for Cities and Resilient Infrastructure, a groundbreaking regional initiative that aims to mobilize over US$1 billion to accelerate investments in water security, clean energy, and sustainable urban infrastructure.

The facility represents a historic regional alliance designed to drive inclusive and climate-resilient urban development, addressing one of the region’s most pressing challenges: building livable, sustainable cities in harmony with the Amazon’s fragile ecosystems.

A Regional Commitment for a Sustainable Amazon

The initiative was spearheaded by the Amazonia Network of Ministers of Finance and Planning and formalized through a joint declaration signed by member states. It is supported by the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group) under its flagship Amazonia Forever program and backed by multilateral climate funds, bilateral donors, and local governments.

The facility’s goal is to promote a multisectoral, territorial approach to development — integrating urban planning, energy, water management, and climate resilience to improve living conditions while preserving the environment.

“This important tool will enable us to take action not only on forest and water resources, but also on urban challenges, since cities are home to the vast majority of the Amazonian population,” said Simone Tebet, Brazil’s Minister of Planning and Budget, who formalized the launch in her role as chair of the Network. “In this way, we are strategically complementing efforts on these two fronts of the region’s environmental challenges.”

Linking Urban Livelihoods and Forest Conservation

The Amazonia Forever Facility underscores the intrinsic connection between urban well-being and forest protection. With more than 70% of the Amazon’s population — around 60 million people — living in cities and peri-urban areas, the region faces growing pressures from poor sanitation, waste management, inadequate mobility, and climate risks such as flooding and droughts.

A recent IDB study involving over 60 experts found that addressing these urban challenges is essential to both improving quality of life and reducing deforestation. By creating economic opportunities in cities, the initiative seeks to curb the migration of rural populations into environmentally sensitive zones and foster sustainable livelihoods that protect the forest.

“This facility is a practical example of what Amazonia Forever is all about,” said Ilan Goldfajn, President of the IDB Group. “Providing people with livelihoods and jobs in the region’s cities is the best way to preserve the forest. And building resilient infrastructure helps protect around 60 million people who call the Amazon home.”

Innovative Financing and Global Partnerships

The Amazonia Forever Facility will leverage innovative financial mechanisms to maximize its impact. These include blended financing, performance-based concessionality, exchange-rate risk mitigation, and credit-substitution guarantees — tools designed to attract both public and private investment while ensuring long-term sustainability.

Technical assistance will also be provided for project design and implementation in key sectors such as water supply, sanitation, clean energy, mobility, and disaster resilience.

The initiative has already received strong backing from international partners, with several major commitments announced at COP30:

• Denmark, Norway, and Sweden will work toward signing a guarantee agreement enabling the IDB to increase its lending capacity by US$800 million for clean-energy projects within the Amazonia Forever and América en el Centro programs.

• The IDB’s Water Security and Climate Resilience Program in Amazonia, in partnership with the Green Climate Fund (GCF), will deploy US$162 million in concessional finance and technical assistance for water, sanitation, drainage, and solid-waste management projects, as well as early-warning systems and cross-border cooperation initiatives.

• The Clean Energy Access Accelerator in the Amazon, supported by the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), will contribute US$215 million in grants and concessional financing to expand universal access to clean energy and cooking solutions while promoting emerging technologies such as solar microgrids and bioenergy.

• The Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) has provided €6 million to the IDB’s Spanish Cooperation Fund for Water and Sanitation in Latin America and the Caribbean, with a specific focus on projects in the Amazon.

Building Resilient Cities for the Future

The Amazonia Forever Facility reflects a paradigm shift in how development and conservation are approached in the region. Instead of treating the Amazon solely as a forest to be protected, the initiative recognizes that sustainable cities are key to preserving the rainforest — ensuring that human development and environmental stewardship progress together.

By improving urban infrastructure, increasing access to clean energy, and strengthening climate resilience, the Facility will help reduce the socio-economic vulnerabilities of Amazonian populations while advancing regional and global climate goals.

It also aligns closely with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to sustainable cities (SDG 11), clean water (SDG 6), affordable and clean energy (SDG 7), and climate action (SDG 13).

A Cornerstone of the Amazonia Forever Program

The Facility is one of the major pillars of the IDB’s Amazonia Forever program — a long-term regional platform promoting sustainable, inclusive, and climate-resilient development across the nine Amazonian nations. Through partnerships like this, the IDB aims to mobilize public and private capital to protect biodiversity, empower local communities, and strengthen governance for sustainable growth.

As the Amazonia Network of Ministers of Finance and Planning leads implementation, the Facility will serve as a catalyst for broader cooperation — aligning national policies, multilateral funding, and local action toward a shared vision of resilient, green, and equitable Amazonian cities.

“The Amazonia Forever Facility embodies what collective climate action should look like,” said an IDB representative. “It brings governments, development banks, and donors together to create a living example of sustainable development — one that works for people, cities, and the planet.”