Brazil and Portugal announce major environmental funding programs

Brazil’s Tropical Forest Fund (TFFF) is set to receive new contributions from two European countries, according to Ambassador Mauricio Lyrio, who said announcements are expected in the coming months. Brazil initially seeded the fund with a US$1 billion and previously secured US$5.7 billion in pledges from Norway, Indonesia, Germany and France.

The state of Rondônia released more than R$29 million to strengthen environmental management, modernise monitoring technology and protect state conservation units through its Special Environmental Protection Fund.

A digital diagnosis shows that around 5,000 ha of degraded land in Rondônia – roughly 7,000 football fields – are under ecological restoration, driven largely by civil‑society organisations such as Ecoporé in partnership with Petrobras.

The Brazilian “Redes pela Conservação” network, backed by German funding, unites NGOs, communities and research bodies to protect biodiversity across the Cerrado, Caatinga, Pantanal, Atlantic Forest and Pampa, aiming to help Brazil meet its zero‑deforestation target by 2030.

In Portugal, the Ministry of Environment and Energy approved €3 million for 18 co‑management projects in protected areas nationwide, covering biodiversity conservation, nature‑based tourism, environmental education and greater community participation. Minister Maria da Graça Carvalho highlighted the initiative as a model for sustainable area management.

Separately, Portugal’s nature‑guarding agency ICNF faces a staffing shortfall, with only 286 guards against a target of 800, prompting professional associations to call for urgent recruitment and career‑grade reforms.