Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of

Combating Land Degradation in the Arid and Semi-Arid Zones of Falcon and Lara States

Context: The Caribbean coast of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has been identified by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change as one of the regions in South America that is most affected by land degradation.

The states of Falcon and Lara contain the largest arid and semi-arid areas in the country. Their natural resources are subject to land degradation processes that undermine the integrity and stability of key ecosystems, accentuating rural depopulation and increasing poverty.

Global benefits: Restoration of ecological balance in fragile ecosystems of global significance on the Caribbean coast of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Strategy: Achieve sustainable land management through investments in the areas of technical assistance, financial support, planning, research and educational programmes.

IFAD-GEF synergies:

This project will be closely linked to the PROSALAFA II initiative, which is largely funded by IFAD. The baseline focuses on reducing extreme poverty in rural communities in semi-arid zones through the economic and political empowerment of poor rural communities and the sustainable use of natural resources. The initiative has a special focus on soil and water conservation.

The GEF initiative has the aim of conserving and re-establishing the functional integrity of ecosystems in the arid and semi-arid zones of the states of Lara and Falcón and promoting sustainable land management principles as a guide to productive activities.

Source: IFAD