Andean Forest and Climate Change Programme (ANFOR) – Phase II

Project completed

The second and last phase of the Andean Forest and Climate Change Programme (ANFOR) will consolidate, share and scale-up validated best practices on how to safeguard mountain forest ecosystems to further shape national forest policies aiming at enhanced resilience of Andean mountain forest ecosystems and increased human wellbeing. The Programme will inform the concerned regional and global dialogue and contribute to an effective implementation of national policies related to environmental integrity.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Andean Region
Climate change and environment
Forestry policy
Environmental policy
Biodiversity
01.09.2019 - 05.06.2022
CHF  2’050’000
Background Andean forest ecosystems directly regulate the water supplies for some 70 million people, and they provide numerous further ecosystem services on which inhabitants rely. There remain approximately 300 million hectares of Andean mountain forests that are characterized by a high endemic biodiversity. These forests are subject to high levels of degradation and deforestation – and less than 25% of the original forest cover remains. In 2015, the international community agreed on a number of global agreements such as the SDGs, the Paris Agreement and others key action plans aimed at putting the world on track to avoid further ecosystem degradation and a climate collapse. Several global forest-related initiatives emerged since and the United Nations General Assembly recently declared 2021-2030 the United Nations Decade for Ecosystem Restoration. Despite the urgency of the matter and all these efforts, global attention on degradation and forest cover loss in Latin America largely remains on the biome of the Amazon – while the loss and degradation of Andean forest ecosystems continues tacitly.
Objectives

In a context of climate change and increased pressure on Andean forest ecosystems, the goal of the programme is “to enhance the conservation and management of Andean forests in the tropical Andes through consolidation and up-scaling of successful policies and tools required to implement innovative conservation mechanisms, while improving adaptation and mitigation strategies for climate change in the Andean region”.

The second phase will seek to further improve enabling conditions fostering collaborative actions for the consolidation, replication and scaling up of good practices and knowledge management for a more sustainable management of Andean mountain forest landscapes and the resilience of people and ecosystems in the Andean region.

Target groups Policy makers at sub-national and national governmental institutions; professional organizations working on topics related to the restoration of mountain forest ecosystems; private entrepreneurs; researchers.
Medium-term outcomes

Outcome 1: Generation, socialization and use of knowledge, influencing policies for the consolidation, replication and scaling-up of good practices of Andean mountain forest management at the national regional and global scales.

Outcome 2: Strengthening of policy instruments and finance mechanisms for the consolidation, replication and scaling-up of good practices of Andean mountain forest management at national and regional scales.

Results

Expected results:   Consolidation of regional research networks and further sharing and dissemination of acquired knowledge in prioritized thematic areas at the national, regional and global levels. This information will inform and influence the technical-political dialogue and support shaping respective policies. Application of a consolidated set of key incentive mechanisms and new financing schemes for sustainable management of Andean forest landscapes. Further outputs aimed at: increased South-South collaboration and scaled-up application of validated good practices with public and private partners.


Results from previous phases:   With some 400 publications and communication products developed, the first phase marked a major effort by strengthening regional research and knowledge networks and by raising scientific awareness about the important role of Andean forest ecosystems. Moreover, incentive mechanisms for safeguarding mountain forests have been developed and successfully tested at landscape intervention level in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. In Peru, governance structures of forest management were improved: social aspects were included into decision-making processes at the level of learning sites, institutional capacities were strengthened at local and regional levels, and awareness raised within the society about the importance and value of Andean forests.


Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
Credit area Development cooperation
Project partners Contract partner
International or foreign NGO
Private sector
  • Foreign private sector South/East


Coordination with other projects and actors Global Partnership for Forest Landscape Restoration (GPFLR), regional forest landscape restoration initiative LAC (20x20), national forest programmes, BioCarbon Fund Initiative for Sustainable Forest Landscapes (BioCF-ISFL), ASFCC, AFF, SDC bilateral programme Bolivia Andean Mountain Initiative (IAM), IDB FOMIN, UN-REDD, World Bank, CIFOR, WRI.
Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF    2’050’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF    2’017’835 Total project since first phase Swiss budget CHF   7’665’667 Budget inclusive project partner CHF   26’700’000
Project phases

Phase 2 01.09.2019 - 05.06.2022   (Completed)

Phase 1 01.11.2011 - 31.12.2019   (Completed)