Debt-for-nature swaps: A lasting investment in nature and people

Debt-for-nature swaps allow countries to refinance debts in exchange for redirecting funds toward conservation. Through the US Tropical Forest and Coral Reef Conservation Act (TFCCA), these agreements are on pace to invest over $380 million across 14 countries to protect tropical forests and coral reef ecosystems. Examples include a 2002 agreement in Peru to preserve 27.5 million acres of forest and a 2004 agreement in Colombia to protect regions such as the El Tuparro Biosphere Reserve.

• The Tropical Forest and Coral Reef Conservation Act (TFCCA), established in 1998 and renamed in 2019, enables countries to refinance debts to redirect funds toward conservation. These partnerships are expected to invest more than $380 million in 14 countries to protect coral reef ecosystems and critical tropical forests.
• In Peru, a 2002 agreement involving the US and Peruvian governments and NGOs provided $14 million to preserve 27.5 million acres of tropical forests, helping to combat unsustainable logging and agricultural land conversion. A subsequent September 2023 agreement will reduce Peru's debt payments to the US by over $20 million over 13 years to protect the Peruvian Amazon rainforest and support the Natural Legacy initiative.
• A 2004 debt-for-nature swap reduced Colombia's debt to the US by more than $10 million over 12 years. This funding supported local conservation projects in the Andean Corridor of Oak Forests, the Serranía de los Yariguíes region in Santander, and the El Tuparro Biosphere Reserve in the Orinoco River Basin.

APA

Marcos, C. (n.d.). Debt-for-nature swaps: A lasting investment in nature and people. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/explainers/debt-for-nature-swaps-a-lasting-investment-in-nature-and-people/

Chicago

Marcos, Cristina. Debt-for-nature swaps: A lasting investment in nature and people. WWF International, n.d. https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/explainers/debt-for-nature-swaps-a-lasting-investment-in-nature-and-people/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Marcos |first1=Cristina |title=Debt-for-nature swaps: A lasting investment in nature and people |publisher=WWF International |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/explainers/debt-for-nature-swaps-a-lasting-investment-in-nature-and-people/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{marcosnddebtfornature, author = {Marcos, Cristina}, title = {{Debt-for-nature swaps: A lasting investment in nature and people}}, institution = {WWF International}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/explainers/debt-for-nature-swaps-a-lasting-investment-in-nature-and-people/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }