Costa Rica, 19 October 2026- The UN Development Programme has launched ForestFlow Mesoamérica, a regional programme designed to advance sustainable development through innovative finance mechanisms in Costa Rica, Guatemala and Honduras.
Supported by the German Government’s International Climate Initiative (IKI), ForestFlow will bring together five areas of work, forest incentives and restoration, climate finance and investment, sustainable agricultural and agroforestry value chains, risk management and insurance, and digital tools and traceability. By connecting these approaches, the initiative aims to direct investment towards forest conservation and sustainable production, improve access to finance and markets for rural and Indigenous communities, and reduce producers’ vulnerability to climate impacts.
“We do not have to choose between conserving forests and advancing development. The challenge is to achieve both, with strong governance, appropriate financial instruments and a long-term vision,” said Sandra Sosa, UNDP Resident Representative in Costa Rica. “Nature can strengthen climate resilience, improve livelihoods and create opportunities for sustainable development.”
ForestFlow will help countries explore how public funding, private investment and international cooperation can expand producers’ access to finance and markets, including for markets like coffee, cocoa and livestock farming.
The programme will build on existing policies and experience in the three countries, identifying where conservation incentives, agricultural finance and technical support can work more effectively together to achieve equitable and sustainable outcomes for forests and people. Its design will reflect differences in national institutions, production systems and the needs of forest communities.
The first preparation workshop marked the start of this process, bringing government representatives and partners together to shape the programme’s priorities and identify opportunities for regional cooperation.
“Forests have been a fundamental part of Costa Rica’s positive transformation. We now have the opportunity to write a new chapter, in which financial innovation, rural development and climate action come together to strengthen the prosperity of our communities and the sustainability of our natural resources,” said María Elena Herrera, representative of Costa Rica’s Ministry of Environment and Energy.
Producer organizations, financial institutions, academia and civil society will contribute to the programme’s development. UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, with the support of UNDP’s Climate Promise:Forward initiative is working with Costa Rica’s Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), Guatemala’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN), and Honduras’s Secretariat of Natural Resources and Environment (SERNA).
Media contacts:
Yazmin Montoya – UNDP Costa Rica