Brazilian Development Banks Commit R$100 Million to Preserve the Caatinga

The investment, made by Banco do Nordeste and BNDES, aims to strengthen environmental restoration efforts in the semi-arid region

By Banco do Nordeste

Banco do Nordeste (BNB) and the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) announced a R$100 million package to support projects for the preservation and recovery of the Caatinga. The investment is part of the Brazil–Northeast Ecological Transformation Plan, officially launched at COP30, and consolidates a coordinated effort between the two development banks to scale up environmental restoration in the semi-arid region.

Of the total, R$50 million was announced by Banco do Nordeste, matched by an equal contribution from BNDES. The announcement was attended by BNDES President Aloizio Mercadante and BNB Planning Director Aldemir Freire.

Freire said the collaboration reinforces the Caatinga’s strategic role in Brazil’s climate agenda. “The synergy between public development banks expands the reach of restoration efforts across the biome. We want every Brazilian real invested to generate lasting environmental benefits and strengthen the communities that depend on it,” he said. Mercadante emphasized that the plan anchors a joint commitment to ecological restoration, job creation, and the strengthening of local productive chains.

The funds will support reforestation, sustainable land management, and the recovery of degraded areas, bolstering the Northeast’s leadership in Brazil’s ecological transition.

Translation: Tadeu Azevedo (POET/UFC)
Proofreading: Michel Emmanuel Félix François (POET/UFC)