Asunción, Agencia IP.- The «Forest4Life» project was presented at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE) to support conservation and forest preservation efforts, combat deforestation and fires, and promote sustainable forest management.
The project is the first of the cooperation programs between the Paraguayan Government and the European Union for 2021-2025. It will receive non-reimbursable financing of EUR 12 million, with a 5-year implementation period.
The initiatives will be led by the Ministry of the Environment (Mades) and the National Forestry Institute (Infona) with the aim of «building a green and resilient economy,» said Chancellor Rubén Ramírez.
Among the goals of «Forest4Life» are the reduction of the incidence and extent of external forest fires, addressing threats to ecosystems, improving the management of forest conservation and other vital ecosystems, and promoting sustainable forestry, livestock, and agricultural practices.
The project also aims to consolidate three protected areas that are part of Paraguay’s national system of protected areas and promote sustainable, productive activities in the buffer zones of protected areas.
The representative of the European Union, Javier García de Viedma; the President of Infona, Cristina Goralewski; and the Director of Biodiversity at Mades, Dario Mandelburguer, attended the presentation event.
Forest4Life Paraguay is part of the European Union’s investment strategy, Global Gateway, which promotes investments to meet infrastructure needs in partner countries in the digital, energy, and transportation sectors and to strengthen health, education, and research systems.