Brazil has announced a significant new push in its ongoing Amazon Restoration programme, opening a $26 million (BRL150 million) public call to fund reforestation projects in Indigenous territories. This marks the third such call since the programme’s inception and represents the largest restoration initiative focused on Indigenous lands in the country’s history.
Indigenous-led reforestation in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. AI generated picture.
The initiative is spearheaded by the National Development Bank (BNDES) in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment (MMA). It targets reforestation projects within three defined macro-regions of the Legal Amazon, covering states such as Acre, Amazonas, Rondônia, Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Pará, and Maranhão. Each region is set to receive around $7.8 million (BRL 46 million) in funding.
Up to 90 projects will be selected, each ranging between 50 and 200 hectares in size, with individual budgets between $255,600 (BRL 1.5 million) and $1.5 million (BRL 9 million). A key requirement is the involvement of Indigenous communities in both planning and execution.
‘It is the largest indigenous land restoration project in the country's history’, BNDES said in a statement. The bank emphasised that the programme not only aims to restore vegetation but also to create long-term socio-economic benefits. ‘By strengthening productive restoration on indigenous lands, the federal government is working to ensure that vegetation recovery is associated with income generation and improved socio-economic conditions for families’, it added.
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Projects must align with Brazil’s National Policy for Territorial and Environmental Management of Indigenous Lands and adhere to the guidelines set by FUNAI, the national agency responsible for Indigenous affairs.
The call for proposals is open until 19 July, with selections made by a committee including representatives from BNDES, the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples (MPI), FUNAI, and the MMA. Training workshops will be offered to support potential applicants in preparing their proposals.
This effort feeds into Brazil’s broader Arc of Restoration strategy, which seeks to reforest 6 million hectares and mitigate 1.65 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent over the next three decades.
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Brazil’s restoration push underscores a growing global recognition: ecosystem recovery and Indigenous inclusion are critical pillars of credible carbon strategies. With governments investing heavily in nature-based solutions, the momentum is clearly shifting toward high-quality, verifiable restoration efforts. At DGB Group, we design and implement large-scale projects that generate premium carbon units rooted in biodiversity, community impact, and environmental integrity. For investors and companies looking to lead in this transition, the path is clear. Discover how you can support nature and your business at the same time.
