CAF and GEF Join Forces to Protect Vital Large Marine Ecosystems across Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) and CAF—Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean—announced a major collaboration to implement the project “Enhancing Transboundary Cooperation and Capabilities for Managing Marine Biodiversity in the Southwest Atlantic’s Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs).” This joint effort aims to lay the groundwork for effective cross-border cooperation and coordinated action to ensure the long-term sustainability of the vital ecosystems along the coasts of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay.

The Southwest Atlantic’s LMEs are critically important at the national, regional, and global levels. They provide food security, livelihoods, and recreational opportunities for millions of people, support key maritime industries, and play a pivotal role in global climate regulation. However, they face growing threats from overfishing, invasive species, coastal development, land-based pollution, and the impacts of climate change.

Recognizing the interconnectedness of these LMEs and the urgency of addressing these threats, Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay will establish a regional framework to foster transboundary cooperation and coordinated action. This initiative will promote the long-term sustainability of ecosystem services and marine biodiversity in the South Brazil Shelf LME and northern area of the Patagonian Shelf LME.

“These seas are not only a vital source of resources and opportunities for millions but also crucial to our planet’s health. Through this CAF-GEF project, we are investing in the blue economy to preserve the region’s natural wealth and drive sustainable development,” said Sergio Díaz-Granados, Executive President of CAF.

“This foundational GEF International Waters investment will support Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay as they come together to agree on and implement institutional, regulatory and policy reforms and needed investments to catalyze lasting transformation in the Southwest Atlantic Large Marine Ecosystems”, said Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, GEF CEO and Chairperson.

Key actions under the project include:

· Conducting a joint Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) to assess the status and functioning of the LMEs, identifying threats, root causes and barriers, and developing sustainability indicators.

· Building consensus on a long-term vision and key priority joint actions to address the TDA findings (Strategic Action Program), while establishing a coordination mechanism for ongoing collaboration and dialogue.

· Strengthening capacities in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Marine Spatial Planning (MSP), aiming to improve management of 615,000 hectares of MPAs and develop action plans to conserve threatened species across 4.5 million hectares.

· Promoting a sustainable marine economy through coordinated fisheries management, targeting the recovery of 225,000 metric tons of overexploited fisheries and improved practices across 2 million hectares of marine habitat.

· Improving the science to policy interface and enhancing knowledge management and outreach by creating and operationalizing a trinational ocean data platform, generating and disseminating marine information, and conducting training and awareness activities, with an estimated direct impact on 200,000 beneficiaries.