The Caatinga, the largest semi-arid region in the world, home to over 600 endemic species, including the endangered Spix’s macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii), will benefit from ARCA, the acronym in Portuguese for Protected Areas of the Caatinga, an unprecedented conservation project for the biome. The project will be funded with nearly USD 10 million from the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF), managed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). This initiative will strengthen approximately 4.5 million hectares of Protected Areas (PAs) in Bahia, Paraíba, Pernambuco, and Piauí.
ARCA will also support the creation of new PAs in the Caatinga. Furthermore, it will promote the biodiversity survey of the country’s least known biome through techniques such as environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis, in order to identify priority areas for conservation and the establishment of new PAs and ecological corridors. The announcement was made on June 20 during the GEF Council meeting in Washington, DC.
Currently, according to the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MMA), only 9.16% of the Caatinga is protected by PAs. ARCA will support an area that corresponds to approximately 50% of the total protected area in the biome. With a duration of four years, it is part of the first wave of initiatives approved by the GBFF. MMA’s project is managed by the Brazilian Biodiversity Fund (FUNBIO) and implemented by the GEF Agency WWF-US.
The project’s resources will be allocated to activities such as the development of management plans, which are key documents based on the objectives established during the creation of the PAs.
It is estimated that the Caatinga harbors more than 500 bird species, nearly 180 mammal species, and 221 bee species. ARCA will support the National Action Plans for Species Conservation (PANs, the acronym in Portuguese), developed by the government to mitigate/reverse the risk of extinction.
The Caatinga is the main biome of the Northeast, home to 27 million inhabitants, some of whom depend on natural resources for their livelihood. Challenges such as unregulated wood extraction for charcoal production and the impact of climate change threaten the biome.
ARCA follows the model of the successful ARPA – Amazon Region Protected Areas – Program, the largest tropical forest protection initiative in the world. ARPA supports 120 protected areas, with 60 under sustainable use and 60 under full protection. Launched in 2002, ARPA is a project of the Brazilian Government, coordinated by the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, under the responsibility of SBio, with FUNBIO serving as the financial manager and executor.
StatusIn Progress |
Starting year2024 |
BiomeCaatinga |