January 16, 2024 / The Government of Canada and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) are pleased to announce the extension of their joint project: Natural Infrastructure for Water Security (NIWS). The purpose of NIWS is to scale up gender-sensitive investments in natural infrastructure to strengthen water security and climate resilience in Peru. NIWS started in December 2017 and over the subsequent 5 and a half years, USAID and Canada contributed over $27 million USD to the project. NIWS has recently been extended until December 2027, with planned additional contributions from USAID of $15.2 million USD and $13 million CAD from the Government of Canada. The total expected investment by USAID and Canada in the project is now approximately USD $52.1 million over 10 years.
NIWS supports the Government of Peru, water stressed cities and communities, and the private sector to design impactful, gender-sensitive natural infrastructure projects to address water security issues in the country, and to unlock additional finance to implement them. The NIWS project is implemented by a consortium led by Forest Trends including the Consortium for the Sustainable Development of the Andean Ecoregion (CONDESAN), the Peruvian Society of Environmental Law (SPDA), Descosur, and researchers from Imperial College London.
Together with its partners, NIWS has built a portfolio of over 80 viable natural infrastructure for water security projects across 240 communities in Peru, valued at over $370 million with local funders, of which $36 million USD has been secured to date. Meanwhile, NIWS has also strengthened capacities of more than 5,000 professionals to develop, manage, monitor, and communicate investments in natural infrastructure for water security well into the future.
By December 2027, NIWS plans to mobilize at least $120 million to implement natural infrastructure projects; help at least 19 institutions to improve their performance on nature-based solutions for water security and climate resilience, including at least 14 on closing gender gaps; and improve the knowledge and capacities on nature-base solutions for water security and climate resilience in over 2,250 professionals, including more than 1,220 women.
Natural infrastructure, also referred to as green infrastructure, is important in water security as it uses existing natural areas (and engineered solutions that mimic natural processes) to minimize flooding, erosion, drought, fires, landslides, and runoff. Natural infrastructure, like forests and wetlands, increase resilience of both upstream communities and downstream water users to water-related risks.
Investments in natural infrastructure for water security are nature-based solutions to protect, restore, and sustainably manage native ecosystems and working landscapes. Ecosystem services provided by these landscapes contribute to water security by reducing risks of water scarcity, floods, and landslides. They also provide important co-benefits, such as carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable livelihoods for community members. Nature-based solutions can also often be less expensive than “grey” infrastructure in bolstering resilience and increasing water security in the long run.
“Peru is an especially vulnerable country to the impacts of climate change. The United States, through USAID, work with Peruvian leaders and partners, from national ministries to local communities, to develop and implement innovative solutions to address these impacts with a key focus on natural infrastructure,” said John McNamara, Chargé D’Affaires in Peru.
“Through NIWS, we have strengthened the enabling conditions, the information and tools, and the portfolio of projects that will allow Peru to continue to demonstrate the opportunity that natural infrastructure represents for building climate resilience at scale,” said McNamara.
“Peru offers a case study on how to dismantle barriers to financing local-led, nature-based solutions for climate adaptation. Through strong partnerships, and with local communities at the forefront, we are making tangible progress for advancing effective, sustainable, and gender-sensitive solutions in the fight against climate change,” said Ahmed Hussen, Canada’s Minister of International Development, who visited Peru to strengthen relations between it and Canada, and promote the joint efforts spearheaded by Canada and USAID to fight climate change.
The announcement of joint Canada and U.S. funding for the extension of NIWS is part of a growing partnership between the two countries to support climate mitigation and adaptation in Peru, which also includes joint support for the Amazon Business Alliance, implemented by Conservation International. You can visit the Amazon Business Alliance website: https://alianzaempresarialamazonia.pe/en/.
For further information about NIWS, please visit the NIWS factsheet: https://www.usaid.gov/peru/environment/marine-water/natural-infrastructure-niws and/or the project’s website: Natural Infrastructure for Water Security.