Brazil's Amazon Fund Quadruples Annual Project Approvals
The Amazon Fund – managed by Brazil’s Ministry of Environment and the BNDES – has sharply increased its pace of project approvals since the fund’s governance was restored in 2023. The average annual financing rose from roughly R$ 300 million (2009‑2018) to about R$ 1.3 billion for the 2023‑2026 cycle, with 153 projects approved and total donations reaching R$ 5.3 billion.
Annual disbursements for 2023‑2025 averaged R$ 224 million, above the R$ 206 million average of 2010‑2018. Projects focus on deforestation prevention, monitoring, forest restoration, land‑regularisation and sustainable production. To date the fund supports more than 650 organizations, 169 indigenous territories, 192 conservation units and around 260 000 people.
The United Kingdom became the fund’s second‑largest donor, announcing a £40.7 million contribution. BNDES officials attribute the growth to the re‑activation of governance, restructuring of the fund’s operating unit and new strategic guidelines aligned with Brazil’s forest‑protection policies.