CIF Endorses $143 Million for Nature in Brazil, Kenya, and Zambezi River Basin

• Nearly $1 billion co-financing expected across three investment plans
• Private sector-led restoration efforts in Amazon and Cerrado supported by Brazil plan
• Vital ecotourism sector in Kenya, worth 8% of GDP, boosted by CIF funding
• Fifty-one million people in six countries to benefit from regional plan in Zambezi Basin

Washington, DC - The governing board of the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) endorsed $143 million in funding for Africa’s Zambezi River Basin Region (Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zambia), Brazil, and Kenya. The three country-led investment plans, part of CIF’s Nature, People, and Climate program (NPC), pioneer nature-based solutions for sustainable development. They are expected to generate almost $1 billion in co-financing, with strong private sector engagement in restoring and protecting ecosystems, rehabilitating forests, and enhancing wildlife habitats and biodiversity on land and in water.

Brazil’s $250 million investment plan, including $47 million in CIF funding, will promote large-scale restoration of degraded forest areas bridging the Amazon and Cerrado biomes. This marks the first ever CIF investment in Brazil’s Amazon forest, while also continuing CIF’s long-standing support for the Cerrado region. Harnessing innovative tools, investments will help restore 54,000 hectares of forest within the Tocantins-Araguaia Basin; create 21,000 jobs; and address illegal deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, and agricultural vulnerability.

CIF funding will be combined with $100 million in existing Brazilian Development Bank credit lines and $100 million in World Bank financing to support private sector borrowers in the market for environmental services payments. 

In Kenya, where nature-based tourism alone is estimated to be worth over $1 billion per year, accounting for 8.2% of GDP, the NPC plan will support iconic wildlife and Indigenous Peoples such as Maasai communities, focusing on the Lake Victoria South and Ewaso Ng’iro North areas. Private sector investments in nature-based solutions will be boosted. Implemented by the African Development Bank and the World Bank Group, Kenya’s investment plan will help build up natural capital, livelihoods, and entrepreneurship and support ecosystems and regenerative agriculture with $35.66 million in CIF funding and $108 million in expected co-financing.

The $60.35 million investment plan for Africa’s Zambezi River Basin Region is expected to mobilize over $10 in co-financing for every $1 invested by CIF. It will engage the private sector, promoting voluntary carbon markets. Implemented by the African Development Bank and the World Bank, and anchored in the Zambezi Watercourse Strategic Plan, the NPC plan will support five riparian countries (Namibia, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia) to address challenges across eight priority hotspots, supporting sustainable forest restoration, high carbon stocks protection, ecosystem restoration, and alternative livelihoods for forest-adjacent communities. Land use planning will address wildlife connectivity and human-wildlife conflicts. 

In Brazil, Kenya, and the Zambezi region, CIF’s Dedicated Grant Mechanism (DGM) will additionally channel a total of $15 million in funding directly to Indigenous Peoples and local communities, enabling them to implement community-led sustainable development.  

CIF's $400 million Nature, People, and Climate investment program supports the development of nature-based solutions in low- and middle-income countries. It funds initiatives that recognize the interdependence of land use, climate-change mitigation and adaptation, and the improvement of livelihoods for rural communities and Indigenous Peoples. NPC features direct funding to Indigenous Peoples and local communities through DGM, a proven mechanism that empowers communities to decide what they want to fund, how, and when.

To date, almost $300 million has been committed as part of NPC - with the Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Zambia receiving endorsements in 2024.

Tariye Gbadegesin – CEO, Climate Investment Funds
"This $143 million is expected to attract almost $1 billion in total, showing how the right funding at the right time can open up exciting new opportunities. All three investment plans intend to get the private sector working for the benefit of local communities, through sustainable green markets such as ecotourism and carbon credits. It's a smart move, because it rewards people for protecting their forests, waterways and wildlife, for the continued health and wellbeing of all."

Ivan Oliveira - Deputy Secretary of Foreign Affairs at the Ministry of Finance, Brazil
“Brazil’s NPC Investment Plan is an important step in our efforts to combat deforestation and restore degraded lands in the Amazon and Cerrado. By shifting from the Arc of Deforestation to the Arc of Restoration, we are addressing one of the country's main sources of emissions while promoting sustainable economic opportunities. This plan is also groundbreaking as the first in CIF’s Strategic Climate Fund to be entirely focused on the private sector—reflecting Brazil’s commitment to innovative financing solutions. By blending CIF funding with BNDES credit lines and World Bank co-financing, we are reducing the cost of capital and unlocking large-scale private investment in restoration. This initiative will not only strengthen climate resilience and expand the use of nature-based solutions but also generate local jobs and income, reinforcing Brazil’s leadership in sustainable development.”

Hon. Aden Bare Duale, Egh - Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry, Kenya
“Today marks an important milestone for Kenya as we receive Approval for Kenya’s Investment Plan for the Nature, People and Climate Program by the Climate Investment Funds. This approval is significant as it unlocks additional resources for the Country to leverage on its natural resource conservation agenda targeting the two critical landscapes of Lake Victoria South and Ewaso Ngiro North. The resources bolster the Government of Kenya’s plans and efforts for landscape restoration and climate adaptation and mitigation as envisioned in the National Landscapes and Ecosystem Restoration Strategy 2023 -2032, the National Climate Change Action Plan III 2023- 2027 and Kenya’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution. I am grateful to the Climate Investment Funds for this grant and the three implementing Multilateral Development Banks- the World Bank, African Development Bank & the International Finance Cooperation who shall play the co-financing and implementation roles, and for their support in the investment plan development. I also commend the National Environment Trust Fund (NETFUND) for leading the development of this Investment Plan.”

Hon. Collins Nzovu - Minister of Water Development and Sanitation, Republic of Zambia
"The Nature, People, and Climate Zambezi Region Investment Plan is a critical step toward building sustainable, climate-resilient communities in our region. As Zambia, we are honoured to have submitted this investment plan on behalf of ZAMCOM, recognizing the critical role of coordinated regional efforts in safeguarding the livelihoods of millions who depend on the Zambezi River. With support from the Climate Investment Funds, this initiative will enhance our adaptive capacity, promote sustainable economic opportunities, and strengthen community resilience across the basin. We look forward to working with all stakeholders to drive impactful solutions that balance nature, people, and climate in this vital transboundary ecosystem."

Felix Mosi Ngamlagosi – Executive Secretary, Zambezi Watercourse Commission (ZAMCOM)
"On behalf of ZAMCOM, I extend our deepest gratitude to the Climate Investment Funds for their continued support and endorsement of the Nature, People, and Climate programme Zambezi Region Investment Plan. This crucial step marks a significant milestone in our collective efforts to build a sustainable and resilient future for the Zambezi River Basin. We are setting the foundation for the implementation of nature-based solutions that will help mitigate the impacts of climate change and human activities on the natural resources. We are confident that by integrating environmental, social, and economic considerations, the interventions will not only safeguard the region’s ecosystems but also improve the livelihoods of the communities that depend on them. This endorsement represents a pivotal moment in our shared commitment to sustainable development across the Zambezi River Basin, and we look forward to continued collaboration with all stakeholders to turn this vision into reality".

Anthony Nyong - Director of Climate Change and Green Growth, African Development Bank
“The approval of the Nature, People, and Climate investment plans for Zambezi River Basin and Kenya mark a significant step toward harnessing nature-based solutions for climate resilience and sustainable development across the African continent through climate finance investments. As the lead MDB for the Zambezi River Basin Project and a key partner in Kenya’s investment plan, the African Development Bank is committed to working with partners to restore critical ecosystems and support sustainable livelihoods. These investments will help protect biodiversity, strengthen communities, and drive Africa’s climate resilience and green growth agenda.”

Mary Porter Peshka – IFC Regional Director for Eastern Africa, World Bank Group
“IFC is excited to strengthen its partnership with the Government of Kenya through its CIF NPC Investment Plan, focusing on nature-based tourism, reforestation, and sustainable agribusiness. This initiative will help stimulate private sector investments in renewable natural resources and improve livelihoods of the Kenyan people. By engaging the private sector, IFC aims to unlock investments that drive inclusive growth and build long-term resilience in Kenya.”

Learn More:

CIF Nature, People and Climate investment program