World Bank Financing and Sustainable Management of Tropical Forests

Tropical forests contribute to the world's ecological balance and to the global climate regulation. At the beginning of the 1990s, the WB adopted a strategy aimed at their conservation, seeking to reduce deforestation. The objective is to analyse the financing allocated by this multilateral institution to projects developed in the forestry sector whose purpose is to take advantage of the economic potential of forests in tropical countries to reduce poverty, promoting the economic, social and environmental sustainability of the territories. It can be seen that this theme is not a priority in the financing administered by the WB. Regarding of resources allocated, projects in Asia particularly stand out, with comparatively smaller amounts going to poorer countries in Africa, where forest areas are in a vulnerable situation. Through the evidence reported, this paper contributes to assessing the WB's proactive involvement in supporting projects that combine environmental sustainability with development and poverty reduction.