LAIF Projects

With more than 2 million people, the Metropolitan Area of Asuncion (MMA) is the most populated area in Paraguay, with only 30% of the population having access to a sewage network. This means that most of the Paraguayan population suffers from poor sanitary conditions and serious health issues.

In the framework of LAIF, the EU, AECID and IDB have come together with a total investment of 161.230.000 euros to support the Paraguayan government in addressing how essential water and sanitation services are considering the impact of the COVID 19 crisis. This high-priority project is set to build the capacities of the Paraguayan government to find sustainable solutions for people living in vulnerable conditions, water resource and services and adaptation to climate change.

The project has three components:

  • Works: This component includes infrastructure to expand the sewage network and implement progressive solutions to wastewater treatment and reduced water losses. The...
Sector: Water supply & sanitation    |   Total budget: € 161 230 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 10 507 646
Dates: Sep/2022 - Sep/2022    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Paraguay

In addition to factors such as the ageing population, chronic diseases and high-cost treatments, specific factors to Colombia's General System of Social Security threaten its financial stability. These factors range from limited funding in a context of increasing demand for new affiliates and expensive technology, to a fragmented service model with deficiencies in primary care services, health promotion and disease prevention programming; and the recent waves of Venezuelan migrants without health insurance, who receive expensive emergency medical care.

In response to these challenges, the EU mobilised resources through the LAIF, IDB and AECID (totalling 152.112.000 EUR) to support the Government of Colombia in improving the country’s institutional capacities in health planning and management at the territorial level. The project will further serve to better the health outcomes of migrants and host communities by increasing the coverage of affiliation to the SGSSS and improvi...

Sector: Health    |   Total budget: € 152 112 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 14 000 000
Dates: Dec/2021 - Dec/2025    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Colombia

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light how fragile the health system in Peru remained. Large and sudden inflows of Venezuelan migrants/displaced persons in recent years reinforced the pressure on Peru’s health system, ill-adapted to challenges caused by the demographic and epidemiological transition and increased non-communicable diseases.

In the framework of LAIF, the EU has partnered up with AFD, AECID and IDB, through a contribution of 7.392.000 euros, to improve the offer of health care facilities in Lima Norte (Peru). The project will further provide better access to essential health services by the most vulnerable segments of the population, including migrants/displaced persons and refugees.

To achieve this, the project is divided into three main components:

  • Improving the quality of healthcare provided by the public health facilities in San Martin de Porres.
  • Improving planning and coordination of care at the Integrated Health Network Servic...
Sector: Health    |   Total budget: € 113 292 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 7 392 000
Dates: Dec/2021 - Mar/2025    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Peru

This project aims to set up a Regional Fund that will provide Central American Integration System (SICA) countries with funds to run projects that both address and prevent natural disasters.

This is done in a context of the region’s vulnerability to climate change. To that end, the EU is putting together € 4 925 000 (out of € 1 705 495 000 as total investment with lead partner CABEI) towards the setup of a Regional Fund. These investments will contribute to the mitigation of the impact by extreme events, while improving capacity to deal with climate change. For these reasons, the Fund will serve as a catalyst to ensure focused action is maintained at national and international levels.

More specifically, the Fund aims to help build SICA countries’ capacities in the development of viable climate change projects by providing technical assistance for project preparation. It will do so by facilitating:

  • Climate risk assessment and studies...
Sector: General Environment Protection    |   Total budget: € 1 705 495 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 4 925 000
Dates: Dec/2021 - Dec/2026    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama

MSMEs represent 95% of all private enterprises and provide jobs for up to 45% of the regional labour force and are, as such, an important driver of Central American economies and competitiveness.

In order to promote equitable and sustainable socio-economic development through the support of MSME, the EU collaborates with KfW and CABEI -through LAIF- to the implementation of a regional initiative, DINAMICA III. This initiative, amounting to a total investment of 71.720.000 euros, was preceded by two earlier phases DINAMICA I and DINAMICA II.

The DINAMICA III Initiative is therefore the continuation of a multi-country project promoting entrepreneurial and private sector development for employment and income generation in order to contribute to economic development and poverty reduction in Central America.

More specifically, the initiative aims to facilitate access to appropriate financing and technical assistance for newly founded, young and/or innovative MSME intere...

Sector: Support to SMEs    |   Total budget: € 71 720 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 8 800 000
Dates: Dec/2021 - Dec/2027    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: -Regional Central America-, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama

This project aims to build the capacities of Brazil’s Minas Gerais Development Bank (BDMG) in its efforts to finance projects with a positive impact on post-covid 19 economic recovery. This project comes in a context where the pandemic has exacerbated short term social and economic tensions, as well as structural environmental and climate tensions. In Brazil, federated states-owned banks have played a relevant counter-cyclical role throughout the pandemic. In Minas Gerais (MG), the BDMG has been particularly involved in the financing of emergency-response-related sectors and economic recovery policies. 

To that end, the EU has invested € 3 175 000 (out of a total of € 74 175 000, together with AFD). The LACIF grant feeds the purpose of providing partial financing, through grants and/or green investment projects to BDMG’s most vulnerable clients and all sectors with the highest climate/environmental and social co-benefits.

The main objective of the project is...

Sector: Reconstruction Relief & Rehabilitation    |   Total budget: € 74 175 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 3 175 000
Dates: Dec/2021 - Dec/2023    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Brazil

The development of Peru's energy market has been rife with challenges and opportunities in recent years. The Peruvian government thereby supports the implementation of sustainable energy projects to meet their commitments to greenhouse emission reduction, which were submitted as part of the COP21 climate change negotiations in Paris.

As of 2019, the country’s power generation capacity was based on a mix of contributions from natural gas, hydro, wind, biomass and solar facilities. Large hydroelectric stations and natural gas provided around 95% of the power generation, while wind, biomass, solar and small hydro produced the remaining 5%. It’s worth noting that around 1.4 GW of the national power capacity is thermal based and dedicated to stand-alone systems in remote geographies, such the Amazon region, with high generation costs.

This project consists of climate action activities, primarily in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors, located throughout the...

Sector: Sustainable energy    |   Total budget: € 702 500 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 4 224 000
Dates: Nov/2021 - Nov/2026    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Peru

This project aims to upgrade and enhance the capacities of three Cuban public health institutions (namely IPK, INHEM, and INEF) by contributing to the upgrading of their equipment and material, and by providing immediate support to the current COVID-19 outbreak.

Sector: Health    |   Total budget: € 30 392 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 5 992 000
Dates: Oct/2021 - Oct/2024    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Cuba

Costa Rica has set out to implement a very ambitious National Plan for Decarbonization 2018-2050 (Plan Nacional de Decarbonización, PND). In order to assist Costa Rica in achieving its carbon neutrality objectives, the EU -through LAIF- partnered with AFD and the National Bank of Costa Rica (BNCR) and decided to dedicate a total of 83.600.000 euros to this aim.

This project aims at catalysing the financing of the low carbon transition in Costa Rica. This will be achieved via the mobilisation of the banking sector; by promoting investments and key infrastructures in priority areas for sustainable socio-economic development including SMEs, private sector development, e-mobility, energy, water and environment with a focus on climate change mitigation and adaptation.

More specifically, the project will strive to support electric mobility schemes though a dedicated technical assistance, given that the transport sector is the main source of CO2 emission in the country.

...
Sector: Transport    |   Total budget: € 68 410 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 3 210 000
Dates: Apr/2021 - Oct/2025    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Costa Rica

 

LAGREEN is the first green bonds fund in Latin America. Its main purpose is twofold: to finance climate- and resource-friendly investments and to mobilise local and international private capital towards the issuance of more green bonds in Latin America.

The specific objectives of this fund are:

  • to mobilise additional funding for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) implementation;
  • to push local capital market development towards a transition to sustainable finance – thereby fostering transparency and long-term commitments in financial and economic activity;
  • to reach a substantial greenhouse gas emissions mitigation and / or climate change adaption impact.
...
Sector: Sustainable energy    |   Total budget: € 450 450 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 16 050 000
Dates: Dec/2020 - Dec/2035    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: -Regional Central America-, -Regional Latin America-, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama, Peru

The objective of the program is to improve the infrastructure and institutional capability of beneficiary municipalities to help both migrants and their host communities through the implementation of performance-based management systems.

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) loan operation will contribute to improve fiscal and urban sustainability in 5 metropolitan areas through investments in institutional strengthening and infrastructure. The complementary EU-LAIF grant will enhance this objective by strengthening the capacity of Colombian metropolitan areas that are receiving Venezuelan migrants to integrate newcomers effectively.  And, grant funds from the Korean Poverty Reduction Fund (KPRF) will help to design an integrated migrant assistance model (MAM) based on baseline and diagnostic studies of existing management systems utilized by subnational governments to support migrant integration. 

Specifically, the program will finance the consolidati...

Sector: Urban development    |   Total budget: € 147 200 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 10 200 000
Dates: Nov/2020 - Dec/2023    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Colombia

Ecuador is a highly urbanised country, with more than 70% of the population living in cities, as a result of migration from rural areas.

In a bid to curb down the impact of rural migration, LAIF and AECID decided to invest a total of 109,211,053 euros on improving the living conditions of the rural population of the Portoviejo Canton (Ecuador). They aim to do so by promoting the effective realisation of the human rights to water and sanitation of the rural population of the Portoviejo Canton.

More concretely, the project will make the population’s access to safe drink water and sanitation facilities both better and sustainable. The project will also strengthen the operation and maintenance of the water and sanitation facilities in sustainable conditions.

Sector: Water supply & sanitation    |   Total budget: € 109 211 053    |   LAIF contribution: € 10 400 000
Dates: Nov/2020 - Dec/2024    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Ecuador

The TIF Program will have a three-pillar framework (financial, social and environmental, known as Triple Bottom Line) and a twofold objective: downscaling financial services -being more inclusive tackling at the bottom of the pyramid- and promoting climate-smart finance. 

The TIF Program aims at bringing together the tools, actors and financing necessary to improve access to finance for low-income populations whilst reducing climate risk and vulnerability, especially in the case of smallholder farmers. More specifically, this initiative seeks to reduce climate risk in lending portfolios of Financial Service Providers and scaling up climate-smart lending, especially to urban and rural micro, medium and small-sized enterprises with no or limited access to the formal financial sector, including also small to medium and smallholder farmers.

TIF will provide support to Financial Service Providers serving MSMEs through the provision of long-term loans (Debt Facility) and ...

Sector: Banking and financial services    |   Total budget: € 59 450 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 6 050 000
Dates: Oct/2020 - Oct/2025    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: -Regional Central America-, -Regional Latin America-

This program will contribute to the achievement of the Brazilian goal of universalization of basic water and sanitation services and to socially-inclusive development in the rural areas of one of the poorest states of Brazil, the State of Ceará. Ceará has an estimated population of 9.0 million, 4% of Brazil’s total population, and shares only 2% of nation al GDP. Ceará is located in a semi-arid region where high average temperatures, low precipitation and recurrent droughts are characteristic, and where water and sanitation infrastructure is insufficient. Only one third of the households in rural areas have access to safe and piped drinking water.

The program’s overall objective is to strengthen the resilience of the rural population towards water scarcity, and improve access to drinking water, sanitation and sewage treatment. For this, the program will strengthen the capacities of the SISARs (the local operating companies – Integrated Rural Sanitation Systems) and co...

Sector: Water supply & sanitation    |   Total budget: € 69 900 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 7 400 000
Dates: Jun/2020 - Jun/2026    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Brazil

The aim of the Facility is to establish a strategic partnership between the European Commission, AECID and other LAIF-assessed financial institutions, to channel the Commission’s resources towards the identification and design of projects aimed at increasing the sustainability and resilience of cities in Latin America. The strategic Facility will finance project identification activities and the different steps leading to the design of comprehensive investment projects, capacity building activities and knowledge management, to build up bankable projects.

Sector: Urban development    |   Total budget: € 306 200 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 5 200 000
Dates: Dec/2019 - Aug/2024    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: -Regional Latin America-, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru

The objective of this project is to improve island-wide the quality and efficiency of the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (Instituto Nacional de Recursos Hidráulicos - INRH) water and wastewater services and to increase the resilience to extreme climate events (hurricanes, droughts) of this entity, its associated companies, and, thereby, of the population. On the one hand, the project will work for the rehabilitation of the infrastructure affected by Hurricane Irma in 2017, and on the other, the strengthening of the capacities of the companies in charge of the operation and maintenance of these services.

Sector: Water supply & sanitation    |   Total budget: € 65 150 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 6 400 000
Dates: Dec/2019 - Dec/2022    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Cuba

The objective of this project is to support the socioeconomic development of the rural population of Panama by expanding the access to sustainable energy; strengthening the planning and managerial capacities of the Office of Rural Electrification (OER) to structure, review, implement and supervise rural electrification projects.

Sector: Sustainable energy    |   Total budget: € 116 240 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 10 400 000
Dates: Dec/2019 - Feb/2024    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Panama

The National Sustainable Urban Transport Program aims to improve sustainable urban mobility by supporting the reform of public urban transport in Peru's main cities. The LAIF contribution co-finances the Technical Assistance component to support central and local governments and to develop a pipeline of feasible and bankable projects.

Sector: Transport    |   Total budget: € 463 400 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 5 800 000
Dates: Sep/2019 - Dec/2024    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Peru

This project wil consolidate the ongoing means to offer an increased access to affordable yet formally certified “sustainable” quality social housing (10 500 households beneficiaries) by ensuring the transfer of the interest rate subsidy to the final beneficiaries; introducing new and more stringent sustainability criteria in the Mivivienda Verde Program; incorporating green criteria in mainstream operations of the Fund Mivivienda Verde (FMV); developing and, if possible, introducing urban planning measures; reducing the environmental impact and the vulnerability of the current Peruvian development path (ex. reduction in CO2 emissions and in electricity and water consumption, evolutions in the banking sector aiming at better taking into account environmental and social risks).

Sector: Sustainable energy    |   Total budget: € 398 400 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 10 400 000
Dates: Mar/2019 - Apr/2023    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Peru

This project aims at supporting the identification and financing of investments in agriculture, livestock breeding and agroforestry and at underpinning their implementation in order to promote sustainable practices based on agroecological principles while mainstreaming climate change mitigation and adaptation into the agriculture and livestock sectors.

Specific objectives of the project are:

a) To extend agroecological and agro-sylvo-pastoral technologies, tackle environmental and social risks and bring institutional support to the main stakeholders of the PRODEGAN project (cooperatives, agro-industries, decentralized service providers, local authorities, producers associations, research institutions) in Camagüey, the main animal production area in the country;

b) To enable the most adapted investment for a modern integrated carbonization/cogeneration plant by a private investor (5 candidates identified by Cuban authorities) as a part of an overall clean...

Sector: Sustainable agriculture    |   Total budget: € 89 231 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 7 821 000
Dates: Jan/2019 - Jan/2024    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Cuba

The envisaged Seed Capital Risk Financing component addresses the bottlenecks identified in the Central American region, specifically regarding the accessibility of new and innovative enterprises to finance solutions in order to start their operations, be consolidated and grow.

By doing this, the new component contributes to developing entrepreneurship and innovation and is therefore an ideal complement to the DINAMICA initiative.

Sector: Support to SMEs    |   Total budget: € 75 290 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 12 350 000
Dates: Dec/2018 - Dec/2025    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: -Regional Central America-, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama

The Green MSMEs lnitiative aims at reducing carbon emissions in the Central American Region by ensuring the provision of financial and non-financial services to support renewable power generation and energy efficiency measures in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. In order to do so, the lnitiative contains three main components:

  • Technical Assistance for MSMEs as well as Participating Financial lntermediaries,
  • Partial Risk Guarantees for MSMEs,
  • Financing (loans) for Environmental lnvestments for MSMEs.

This lnitiative represents a continuation of the "Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy programme for SME in Central America". The mentioned Program has been successfully implemented and the achievements and lessons learnt constitute the basis for this Initiative.

Sector: Support to SMEs    |   Total budget: € 62 480 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 14 380 000
Dates: Dec/2018 - Dec/2034    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: -Regional Central America-, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama

Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay are shareholders of Fonplata, a regional multilateral financial institution established to foster inclusive development within the River Plata Basin and surrounding regions. The project has the objective of supporting multi-sector initiatives centered on climate mitigation and adaptation, in sectors such as the provision of basic services in rural and urban areas, urban renewal, and improvement of climate change resilience in the Basin. Small-sized projects with a focus on social deprivation and climate resilience will be targeted.

LAIF contributes with technical assistance to support Fonplata in improving its policies and procedures in areas that were identified as priorities. The main focus of this support is to upgrade environmental and social safeguards in line with EU standards.

...
Sector: Rural development    |   Total budget: € 102 390 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 2 390 000
Dates: Dec/2018 - Dec/2023    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: -Regional Latin America-, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay

The project consists of the new construction, extension, rehabilitation and equipment of 21 Technical and Technological Institutes (TTIs), classified at the post-secondary level of education. It is part of a national educational reform programme aimed at introducing and enlarging the dual system of vocational, technical and professional education in Ecuador. This dual system is based on modules of formal instruction in classrooms combined with training on the job through apprenticeships with private companies.

Sector: Education    |   Total budget: € 191 627 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 11 577 000
Dates: Nov/2018 - Nov/2023    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Ecuador

This is regarded as a pilot operation of European cooperation to support the peace process in Colombia, through a common initiative to boost investment in post-conflict municipalities. This pilot operation is the result of discussions with the Colombian Financial Corporation for the Territorial Development S.A - FINDETER and the experience accumulated through the first LAIF program with FINDETER. The operation consists of a credit facility to finance territorial development in post-conflict areas. This will be accomplished through the structuring of projects (technical assistance) and investments (investment grants) in priority areas which have been selected by the Colombian government through the local Development Programs with a Territorial Focus  (PDET - Programas de Desarrollo con Enfoque Territorial).

Sector: Urban development    |   Total budget: € 291 910 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 10 340 000
Dates: Nov/2018 - Dec/2021    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Colombia

This program supports the implementation of an integrated waste management system for the collection, treatment and disposal of municipal solid waste generated in the province of Jujuy, Argentina. The integrated management system is phasing out the dumping of untreated waste, by recovering both energy and material through anaerobic digestion and a better recycling performance.

At the same time, the program is ensuring that targeted municipalities develop and implement specific integrated waste management policies, create jobs related to waste treatment, optimize waste collection and have adequate disposal facilities.

Sector: Waste management    |   Total budget: € 88 100 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 11 700 000
Dates: Dec/2017 - Dec/2024    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Argentina

This project aims at expanding and improving the access to water and sanitation services for more than 200 000 people while enhancing sector governance in Bolivia. Furthermore, national policy for integrated water resources management will be strengthened, reducing the impact of climate change on the poorest segments of Bolivian society.

Sector: Water supply & sanitation    |   Total budget: € 125 555 556    |   LAIF contribution: € 15 500 000
Dates: Dec/2017 - Sep/2024    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Bolivia

This project consists of a multisector framework loan given by the EIB to finance reconstruction of small-scale infrastructure damaged by the earthquake of 16 April 2016 in the province of Manabí, particularly in the city of Portoviejo, which was the most affected. The socioeconomic level of the province is lower than the national level. Poverty and extreme poverty are 31.3% and 6.3% of the total population, compared to 25.8% and 5.7% at national level.

The technical assistance provided by LAIF supports national and local authorities to ensure the effective and transparent execution of the project, the development and implementation of an Environmental and Social Management Plan and a Stakeholders’ Engagement Plan, and the strengthening and enforcement of Ecuador’s Building Code (2015). 

Sector: Reconstruction Relief & Rehabilitation    |   Total budget: € 163 280 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 7 280 000
Dates: Dec/2017 - Dec/2023    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Ecuador

This program aims at financing priority wastewater projects in selected cities in Costa Rica. LAIF contributes with preparatory studies that will close a significant information gap and allow investments in improved wastewater infrastructure. The objective is to improve the environmental conditions and to create positive impacts in public health.

Sector: Water supply & sanitation    |   Total budget: € 121 320 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 3 670 000
Dates: Jul/2017 - Dec/2022    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Costa Rica

The aim of the facility is to finance activities such as feasibility or pre-feasibility studies relating to investment projects likely to be financed by the IFIs in Cuba. The expertise that will be provided could consist of specific sector support (in the field of energy, transport, water, etc.) but could also contribute to improving the compliance of the investment projects with international standards in environmental, social, gender or climate issues. The selected projects will be the ones considered as priorities by the Cuban Government, in particular in the sectors of energy, water and sanitation, urban rehabilitation, agriculture and transportation, and that are likely to be bankable. All the projects will have an expected positive contribution to the country’s adaptation to climate change or to the reduction of GHG emissions.

Sector: Sustainable agriculture    |   Total budget: € 3 700 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 3 150 000
Dates: Jun/2017 - Jun/2022    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Cuba

The eco.business Fund is a joint initiative of investors intent on supporting the promotion of business and consumption practices that contribute to biodiversity conservation, the sustainable use of natural resources, climate change mitigation and adaptation to its impact. In providing financing to the Fund’s target group for investing in activities that conserve nature and foster biodiversity, the eco.business Fund seeks investments that yield both financial and environmental returns. The financing can be provided directly or through local financial institutions. In addition, final beneficiaries and local lending institutions can count on high impact technical assistance provided by the eco.business Development Facility.

Sector: Support to SMEs    |   Total budget: € 295 550 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 16 410 000
Dates: Dec/2016 - Feb/2033    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru

The objective of the project is to improve the income of small and medium producers through the promotion of production based on the rational and climate-smart use and management of natural resources, especially efficient irrigation. National capacities will be strengthened in the design and management of parcel irrigation systems, through the training of experts and irrigation professionals who will contribute to the improvement and modernization of agricultural production systems, the efficient management of irrigation water, improved access to markets and the resilience of the Ecuadorian farming sector to climate change.

Sector: Sustainable agriculture    |   Total budget: € 126 938 773    |   LAIF contribution: € 8 408 773
Dates: Dec/2016 - Aug/2023    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Ecuador

Ecuador’s PROSANEAMIENTO program aims to expand and improve access to basic water, sanitation and waste disposal services while strengthening the capacity of water and waste service providers. The LAIF contribution supports efforts to increase the sustainability of the 12 beneficiary municipalities and their public utilities, and to improve their management capacity in the preparation of pre-investment studies, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the program.

Sector: Water supply & sanitation    |   Total budget: € 123 200 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 10 300 000
Dates: Dec/2016 - Jan/2023    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Ecuador

This is Bolivia’s first large-scale photovoltaic project. It entails the construction of a 50 MW photovoltaic (PV) power plant in the Altiplano region, in the highlands of western Bolivia, and its connection to the Bolivian national grid. The PV plant boosts electricity generation by approximately 100 GWh/year and contributes to the diversification of the Bolivian energy mix, reinforcing Bolivia's national strategy to develop renewable energies (wind and solar), which are expected to reach 70% of installed capacity in 2025.

Sector: Sustainable energy    |   Total budget: € 89 350 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 11 850 000
Dates: Dec/2016 - Jun/2023    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Bolivia

The Project assists the Government of Colombia in its policy shift to a more social and greener economy in order to improve the revenues and livelihoods of the population, notably in the Orinoquia basin and more generally in Colombia, while reducing their vulnerability and mitigating their contribution to climate change. More specifically, the project supports the “Green Growth” strategy, which strengthens the capacities of local authorities and stakeholders in the Departments of Meta and Vichada in the formulation and development of their planning instruments to develop investment taking into account climate change impacts and mitigation opportunities. It also promotes investment in "climate-smart" activities in farming and forestry through adapted land-use management.

Sector: Rural development    |   Total budget: € 665 870 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 7 340 000
Dates: Dec/2016 - Jun/2024    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Colombia

This project aims to support Peru’s main financial instrument for agriculture, Agribanco, to fulfil its mission of developing the country’s sustainable agriculture.  This project has been designed against a backdrop where more than a third of the Peruvian population lives in rural areas and 50% of its revenues come from agriculture, a very vulnerable sector to climate change (drought, flood, Nino and Nina phenomenon, etc.) Agricultural techniques in Peru cause deforestation and considerable degradation. In addition, the use of irrigated water is not effective due to leaks and overwatering and does not thus encourage water savings.

Through LACIF, and together with AFD, the EU is offering a contribution of 5 325 000 euros to support Agrobanco in mainstreaming climate change mitigation and adaptation in the agricultural sector in Peru.  

The LACIF contribution will finance the following:

I) A Technical Assistance (TA) program t...

Sector: Support to SMEs    |   Total budget: € 5 325 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 5 325 000
Dates: Jul/2016 - Jul/2021    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Peru

The Western Corridor is part of the main road network of Honduras and it is integrated into the International Mesoamerican Road Network. This corridor connects the second biggest city of the country, San Pedro Sula, in the north-western part of the country with the international border crossings with Guatemala and El Salvador, and with the Mayan ruins of Copán. The project comprises the rehabilitation, upgrading and road safety improvements of the Western Corridor. 

Sector: Transport    |   Total budget: € 169 350 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 10 350 000
Dates: Dec/2015 - Jan/2023    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Honduras

LAIF's action is embedded in the "Cities with a Future" program, launched by CAF to accompany policies for sustainable urban development in Latin America and to promote an integrated, multi-sectoral approach to urban development in order to better answer the challenges faced by local governments. The Program helps structure a dialogue with the cities on four main issues: inclusive urban development, productive transformation, environmental sustainability and institutional strengthening and security. In the framework of the Program, the first step towards implementation includes technical assistance (diagnosis and priorities) financed through a grant, leading to investments as a second step. The action has two components: a credit facility and technical assistance.

Sector: Urban development    |   Total budget: € 104 868 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 4 368 000
Dates: Dec/2015 - Mar/2023    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: -Regional Latin America-, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru

This project connects several communities of the Department of Potosí with the rest of the country through the construction of a 188.3 km section of a single carriageway road, improving the living conditions of local communities, unlocking large and remote areas and spurring economic development through trade (particularly of agricultural products), improving access to markets and the mobility of people as well as boosting tourism. Likewise, the project contributes to regional integration by improving access to neighboring countries (Chile, Argentina, Paraguay), with the prospect of increasing Bolivian exports to these countries and further developing the local tourism sector.

Sector: Transport    |   Total budget: € 119 002 822    |   LAIF contribution: € 8 145 000
Dates: Dec/2014 - Dec/2021    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Bolivia

The Geothermal Development Facility for Latin America aims at overcoming existing barriers to the development of geothermal energy by providing: (i) a tailored Geothermal Risk Mitigation Fund in order to diminish geothermal resource risk during the exploratory drilling stage of the project; (ii) geothermal investment financing windows to deliver anchor financing for subsequent investments during the production drilling and construction stages; and (iii) a Technical Assistance Forum to offer a suitable venue for policy dialogue between donors and partner governments.

Sector: Sustainable energy    |   Total budget: € 1 094 000 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 20 500 000
Dates: Dec/2014 - Dec/2026    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: -Regional Latin America-, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru

The overall objective of the project is to improve the competitiveness of the productive sector and the livelihoods of the Paraguayan population, through greater security of supply and efficient use of the available sources of renewable electricity. This includes access to affordable electricity for the lowest-income segment of the population.

The project involves the construction of a 500 kV, 363 km-long high-voltage transmission line linking the Yacyretá hydroelectric plant with the capital, Asunción, and the reduction of energy losses by replacing electro-mechanical meters that are defective, burnt, or do not measure correctly and by providing informal settlements, social tariff beneficiaries and low-income residential customers with electronic meters and connections.

Sector: Sustainable energy    |   Total budget: € 223 170 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 10 200 000
Dates: Dec/2014 - Dec/2020    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Paraguay

The program sought sustainable investments and practices in agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors, which helped improve the quality of life of rural populations, especially in poor regions, and optimize the use of natural resources while mainstreaming climate change mitigation and adaptation in the sector. The project supported a public agriculture development bank, FIRA, with financing, investment grants and technical assistance to provide concessional loans for pilot green rural investments as well as long-term financing in the field of mitigation and adaptation of climate change in rural activities.

Sector: Sustainable energy    |   Total budget: € 84 778 261    |   LAIF contribution: € 5 200 000
Dates: Jun/2014 - Jun/2022    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Mexico

This program provides support to the Government of Chile in its transformation efforts towards a low carbon energy sector, which involves decoupling economic growth from Green House Gas emissions. The Program's activities comprise the financing and complementary technical assistance of concentrated solar power (CSP) plants as well as large-scale photovoltaic projects in Chile. One specific component of the Program is to enable the construction of the first CSP power plant in South America with a targeted capacity of 110 MW.

Sector: Sustainable energy    |   Total budget: € 1 558 409 091    |   LAIF contribution: € 15 300 000
Dates: Dec/2013 - Sep/2023    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Chile

The LAIF contribution aims to improve water and sewerage infrastructures and contribute to reducing the risk of diseases caused by deficient water management in the Latin American region through the development of various projects. These are grouped into two components: Component I, projects for adaptation to climate change (ACC) and Component II, projects for the integrated management of water resources.

The projects include the reinforcement of capacities associated with the programs; studies developed in the pre-investment phase to identify new investments in new actions; review of regulations and the development of methodologies, tools and manuals, which in turn will have an impact on future investments.

Sector: Water supply & sanitation    |   Total budget: € 615 000 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 15 300 000
Dates: Dec/2013 - Dec/2023    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: -Regional Latin America-, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela

The project aimed to improve public health as well as the environment and water resource situation in the Lima Metropolitan area by extending the water and sewerage systems to the new urban settlements in the north of Lima as well as the waste-water treatment, while setting an example of efficient reutilization of treated waste-water for urban irrigation in the service area of SEDAPAL, Lima´s water utility.

Sector: Water supply & sanitation    |   Total budget: € 134 150 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 3 150 000
Dates: Dec/2013 - Mar/2019    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Peru

The vision of this program was the enhancement of public investment in energy-efficient and clean technology mass transportation systems in large Latin American cities, to meet the growing demand for public transportation  — especially of the poorer segments of the population — while helping to mitigate its environmental impact. LAIF provided funds to prepare pre-financing studies or to complement existing studies, to facilitate investment for the improvement of urban transportation systems.

Sector: Transport    |   Total budget: € 649 150 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 3 150 000
Dates: Dec/2013 - Dec/2019    |   Status: COMPLETED    |   Countries: -Regional Latin America-, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru

DINAMICA focuses on promoting entrepreneurial and private sector development for employment and income generation in order to contribute to economic development and poverty reduction in Central America. More specifically, the project aims at:

  • Promoting the entrepreneurial environment in order to facilitate the creation of new and innovative enterprises;
  • Supporting financial sector development in order to provide adequate access to finance for MSMEs.
Sector: Support to SMEs    |   Total budget: € 54 352 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 3 952 000
Dates: Dec/2013 - Sep/2022    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: -Regional Central America-, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua

The project supported the development of the National Policy for the Integrated Management of Water Resources, especially by monitoring the implementation of its 'Hydrological Plan for the 2014 Horizon' and by means of a favorable financing framework for investments in the water sector. Additionally, it has contributed to the protection of the environment, through the improvement of the quality of water resources; and, increased the water supply to reduce conflicts related to water among the local population.

Sector: Water supply & sanitation    |   Total budget: € 93 650 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 4 650 000
Dates: Oct/2013 - Apr/2021    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Colombia

The project aimed to modernize and extend the high and medium voltage network of the Power Distribution Company of Rio Grande do Sul (CEEE-D) in order to provide a quality and reliable power distribution service and to improve the managerial capacities of CEEE-D through the upgrading of their information, financial and control systems.

The project had 5 components: 1. Investments in the high voltage power distribution system; 2. Renewal of high voltage distribution equipment and modernization of the control system; 3. Upgrade of the information and control system; 4. TA for the implementation of the Enterprise Resource Planning and of the New Commercial Management System; 5. Enhanced financial steering of investments.

Sector: Sustainable energy    |   Total budget: € 170 000 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 1 650 000
Dates: Sep/2013 - Oct/2017    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Brazil

LAIF supported Financial Corporation for the Territorial Development S.A - FINDETER (Financiera de Desarrollo Territorial S.A.) in its mandate to contribute to the implementation of sustainable public policies and of the 2010-2014 Colombian National Development Plan, which includes support for the development of sustainable urban areas. The LAIF action will foster and enhance investments in Colombian urban areas, working from a local perspective to achieve sustainability in the regions.

Sector: Urban development    |   Total budget: € 164 200 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 5 200 000
Dates: Sep/2013 - Oct/2017    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Colombia

The PISASH Program is the first phase of the PROGRAMA VIDA (LIFE PROGRAM) in urban areas. The program will enhance the effective management of water resources and will provide capacity building to Empresa Nicaragüense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados Sanitarios (ENACAL) in its investment program. LAIF will fund the construction works in the cities of Santo Tomás, Acoyapa, Bilwi and Bluefields, complementing AECID funds in the coverage of water and sanitation needs of these cities.

Sector: Water supply & sanitation    |   Total budget: € 314 239 534    |   LAIF contribution: € 50 750 000
Dates: Dec/2012 - Apr/2022    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Nicaragua

The objective of the program is to facilitate and improve public and private investments in water and sanitation infrastructure, thus contributing to a higher coverage of regional infrastructure demand through environmental and/or climate-relevant solutions. The aim is to carry out complementary studies (e.g. preparation of project profiles, knowledge management, training), support the creation of new and innovative companies and strengthen the financial sector at the service of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

Sector: Water supply & sanitation    |   Total budget: € 196 160 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 4 160 000
Dates: Dec/2012 - Oct/2022    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: -Regional Latin America-, Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay

This was an initiative to support sustainable and climate-friendly development and transformation of defined sectors in Latin America through the implementation of performance-based greenhouse gas mitigation activities. The PBCF Facility is aimed at implementing pilot schemes that lead to monitored and verified CO2 equivalent emission reductions and contribute to the overall objective of limiting global warming; designing innovative incentive schemes for sector reform which are linked to achieved emission reductions (performance-based approach); supporting development of showcases for the definition of sector/sub-sector baselines and implementation of robust MRV (monitoring/reporting/verification) systems; supporting the creation of suitable institutional set-ups for the implementation of performance-based sectoral approaches and building the capacities needed within participating institutions for the implementation of mitigation activities.

Sector: General Environment Protection    |   Total budget: € 90 280 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 10 280 000
Dates: Dec/2012 - May/2023    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: -Regional Latin America-, Colombia, Ecuador

The EcoCasa Programme aims at contributing to the efforts of the Mexican government in reducing greenhouse gas emissions related to the housing sector.

The housing sector represents one of the most important untapped potential for energy efficiency in Mexico. During the last decades, urban expansion was insufficiently planned, which resulted in increased energy demand, infrastructure deficits, and inefficient transport patterns. The non-sustainable development pattern of Mexican cities has also aggravated the contribution of the housing sector to the global climate change.

To support the Mexican government in promoting energy efficiency in the Mexican housing sector, the European Union, through LACIF, provides a combination of economic incentives and technical assistance to support the planning and implementation of energy efficient homes that generate less greenhouse gas emissions.

In this context, the EU through LACIF is supporting the EcoCasa Programme, the worl...

Sector: Sustainable energy    |   Total budget: € 168 250 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 7 220 000
Dates: Dec/2012 - Dec/2020    |   Status: COMPLETED    |   Countries: Mexico

The overall objective of the project was to improve rural road infrastructure in El Salvador, to enable continuous traffic, giving priority to those areas that have potential for productive development in order to reverse the conditions that affect rural poverty and low economic activity in those areas. The project aimed to strengthen the institutional capabilities of rural road management. 

Sector: Transport    |   Total budget: € 45 500 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 4 160 000
Dates: Dec/2011 - Jun/2017    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: El Salvador

The goal of this program was to increase knowledge of urban development and transport in the region, by identifying new sources of financing for public transport projects (public-private partnerships, land valuation, etc.); identifying the regulatory obstacles to innovative transport projects and the way to surmount them; highlighting the potential of local communities to carry out this type of projects; and making it possible to define the technical and financial contours of specific projects in targeted cities (master plans and prefeasibility studies), thus promoting the emergence and implementation of public transport projects in the region.

Sector: Transport    |   Total budget: € 403 000 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 3 000 000
Dates: Oct/2011 - Apr/2017    |   Status: COMPLETED    |   Countries: -Regional Latin America-, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay

The objective of the project was to meet the growing demand for electricity among the population (estimated at approximately 5% per year) through increased generation of renewable energy. In particular, the project focused on the construction of a second powerhouse, installation of turbines using the existing dam and reservoir, a new access channel to the reservoir, a new water intake and two forced pipelines. The new installation made it possible to use the excess water that currently overflows from the spillway in the rainy months to generate energy.

Sector: Sustainable energy    |   Total budget: € 132 600 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 6 200 000
Dates: Sep/2011 - Jan/2019    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: El Salvador

This program is aimed at financing investments in renewable energy and environmental protection projects in Latin America. To complement the investment funding, the EU granted technical assistance funds through LAIF to carry out studies that foster innovative technologies and projects in the sector with the aim of converting them into potential investment projects for CAF. They included feasibility studies and renewable energy potential assessments for Latin American countries, among other climate change projects and initiatives.

Sector: General Environment Protection    |   Total budget: € 303 000 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 3 000 000
Dates: Mar/2011 - Feb/2021    |   Status: COMPLETED    |   Countries: -Regional Latin America-, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay

The project aimed at strengthening technical and institutional capacity to respond to climate change at a local level; reducing pressure on watershed forests through the promotion of sustainable development, including the reconversion of productive and agricultural activities and community forestry; and developing and implementing a mechanism for access to international carbon finance (REDD+), in line with the national strategy, in two poor Mexican regions.

The project was successfully completed and contributed to the creation and development of six inter-municipal associations to promote and finance sustainable rural development, tackling deforestation and improving water resources management (REDD+ actions with climate change impact).

Sector: Sustainable agriculture    |   Total budget: € 337 000 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 2 140 000
Dates: Dec/2010 - Dec/2015    |   Status: ONGOING    |   Countries: Mexico

The objective of the PNESER was to support the efforts of the Nicaraguan government to reduce poverty by promoting access to an efficient and sustainable electricity service to an important portion of the population, thus generating the conditions to advance in the diversification of the energy matrix and the mitigation and adaptation to climate change. 

The program supported 7 components:

1) Rural electrification through grid extension;

2) Normalization of electricity service in human settlements;

3) Electricity expansion in isolated areas through renewable energy;

4) Pre-investment for renewable energy projects;

5) Energy efficiency programs;

6) Strengthening of the transmission system in rural areas;

7) Sustainability of isolated systems under Empresa Nicaragüense de Electricidad (ENEL)'s responsibility.

Sector: Sustainable energy    |   Total budget: € 345 410 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 7 200 000
Dates: Nov/2010 - Feb/2018    |   Status: COMPLETED    |   Countries: Nicaragua

The overall objective of the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Program for SMEs in Central America was to contribute to the protection of the climate and the environment. The Program aimed at providing efficient and sustainable access to financing products for environmental investments which correspond to the needs of SMEs in Central America. The Program had two main components:

1) Financing of environmental investments – Provision of funds by the Program Executing Agency to local financial institutions that channel resources to SMEs for energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy projects.  

2) Technical Assistance, studies and promotional activities – Including technical assistance for financial institutions, energy audits of SMEs and feasibility studies of small renewable energy projects; information material and promotional events.

Sector: Support to SMEs    |   Total budget: € 36 330 000    |   LAIF contribution: € 3 000 000
Dates: Nov/2010 - Dec/2016    |   Status: COMPLETED    |   Countries: -Regional Central America-, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua