Priming Financial and Land Use Planning Instruments to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation Ecuador

The interim evaluation of the PROAmazonía project in Ecuador shows a mixed progress record as of December 2019. While the project is highly aligned with national policies and has made significant strides in land-use planning (Component 1) and REDD+ operational instruments (Component 4), it has struggled with the implementation of financial incentives and sustainable production transitions (Component 2). Budget execution stands at 31% (US$ 12,939,253 of US$ 41,172,739), hampered by high staff turnover and bureaucratic delays in ministerial approvals. Sustainability is rated as moderately likely, threatened by Ecuador's fiscal adjustment plan and political instability, though the project has successfully integrated gender strategies and established critical territorial coordination platforms.

• The project is highly aligned with Ecuador's national policies, including the National REDD+ Action Plan 2016-2025 and the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), and is the first program to follow all guidelines of the UNDCCC REDD+ Warsaw Agreement.
• As of December 31, 2019, the project had executed 31% of its total budget, amounting to US$ 12,939,253 out of US$ 41,172,739, despite 50% of the project duration having elapsed.
• Component 1 has achieved satisfactory progress, particularly in updating Development and Territorial Planning Plans (PDOT) and strengthening forest control, including the official presentation of the certificate of wood of origin in November 2019.
• Component 2 is rated as unsatisfactory due to slow progress in implementing tax incentives and green credit lines, as well as a lack of an official definition for 'Sustainable Production' and 'deforestation-free' commodities.
• Component 4 has made positive progress in operationalizing REDD+ instruments, including the submission of the second Forest Emission Reference Level (FREL-2) to the UNFCCC on January 6, 2020.
• Project implementation was delayed by 7 to 10 months initially due to the slow recruitment of the 76-person project team and frequent changes in political leadership.
• Sustainability is rated as moderately likely, with high risks stemming from Ecuador's fiscal adjustment plan to reduce public deficit and the lack of total empowerment of the program at the ministerial level.
• The project has integrated a gender approach through a Gender Diagnosis and a Gender Action Plan, and has established a partnership with UN Women to support these efforts.
• The project's organizational structure is criticized for being too centralized in Quito, leaving provincial staff without decision-making authority and fragmented across components.

APA

Green Climate Fund (2020). Priming Financial and Land Use Planning Instruments to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation Ecuador. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/fp019-interim-evaluation-report-pub.pdf

Chicago

Green Climate Fund. Priming Financial and Land Use Planning Instruments to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation Ecuador. 2020. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/fp019-interim-evaluation-report-pub.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green Climate Fund |title=Priming Financial and Land Use Planning Instruments to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation Ecuador |date=February 2020 |url=https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/fp019-interim-evaluation-report-pub.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greenclimatefund2020priming, author = {{Green Climate Fund}}, title = {{Priming Financial and Land Use Planning Instruments to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation Ecuador}}, institution = {Green Climate Fund}, year = {2020}, month = feb, url = {https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/fp019-interim-evaluation-report-pub.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }