Community – Chaco Vivo

SOCIAL

1 - No Poverty - Project Chaco Vivo will drastically improve incomes for the communities through direct job access, but also through implementation of programs aimed at creating new income sources from circular businesses owned and operated by the communities.

2 - Zero hunger - The Project is already working on and will greatly expand various social programs to improve food security for the communities, namely new vegetable production methods (hydroponics), as well as animal husbandry programs. Future programs will include larger community-scale agricultural and animal husbandry programs as well as improved technology applications aimed at eradicating food scarcity issues in the Project AOI.

3 - Good health and well-being - Healthy communities is key to Project Chaco Vivo. Programs will be implemented to improve access to healthcare services, medicines, vaccines and urgent care services for maternity, children, and the elderly. The Project will work to strengthen existing services and make direct investments into developing new healthcare facility and services access to communities, especially remote Indigenous communities.

4 - Quality education - The Project will provide training and education to workers about gender equality, sustainability, waste management, human rights, workers’ rights, safety, business, finance, agriculture, animal husbandry, technologies and much more. The Project will work to strengthen existing educational systems through collaboration with national institutions and will also make direct investments in improving access to education, primarily through construction of facilities, access to technologies (computers, internet, smart phones, etc.), increased quantity and quality of teachers and world-class educational materials. A key aspect of Project programs is the conservation of cultural assets, particularly those of the Maskoy Indigenous People. A museum and visitors center will be constructed in Puerto Casado highlighting key aspects of local and Indigenous cultures and regional historical importance. The museum and visitors center will also provide educational opportunities about the importance of forest conservation.

5 - Gender equality - Chaco Vivo’s social programs will continue to educate on gender equality, as well as work to hire equally both men and women in direct jobs for the Project. Social census and program assessments will focus on gender equality in various sectors and participation in Project social programs and work for equal inclusion of men and women across all programs and available jobs.

6 - Clean water and sanitation - Since lack of water availability is a big issue for the Indigenous communities in the Project’s AOI, this is key initial focus for the Project’s social programs. Improving access to water and waste management are critical for the health of the communities. The Project will work to improve cisterns and water catchment systems for the Indigenous communities as well as research for underground hydrological sources for the construction of deep wells. Waste management, both human and community solid waste are significant issues for Puerto Casado and Indigenous communities. The Project will work to provide education on waste management, as well as make direct investments in improving septic and solid waste systems for the communities.

16 - Peace, justice, and strong institutions - The Project Chaco Vivo team is working with various institutions, particularly national law, and forestry enforcement agencies, and will continue to work on expanding outreach and new collaborations to strengthen the presence of various institutions, both domestic and international, in the region. The Project will encourage strong institutions, including, but not limited to, the rule of law.

17 - Partnerships for the goals - Project Chaco Vivo’s success hinges on the relationships it is forging both domestically and internationally. The Project’s team will continue to work tirelessly to solicit new partnerships to expand the impact of the Project with the Project’s AOI and beyond. The Project already has developed numerous strong international and domestic partnerships including local communities, local landowners, local universities, and government officials. As of 2022, there is no Jurisdictional REDD+ program operating in Paraguay, but the Project Proponents continue to work with government institutions for capacity building opportunities in this regard.

ECONOMIC

7 - Affordable and clean energy - Paraguay’s national electricity is generated by, primarily, clean energy sources and has one of the highest total percentage shares of renewable energy in South America. Hydropower accounts for 99.5% of the installed power capacity. The Project has multiple plans to utilize other renewable energy sources where needed, such as solar panels and lighting at remote ranger/security posts and at other Project infrastructure locations. The Project has ancillary plans for waste management, which will utilize pyrolysis and bio-digestion technologies to produce additional fuel sources for the rural and Indigenous communities within the Project’s AOI.

8 - Decent work and economic growth - The Project is providing significant work opportunities to local communities and is developing a sustainable economic model for the region, which will include development of sustainable business models for local communities and direct market linkage efforts to expand trade opportunities for the communities within the Project’s AOI.

9 - Industry, innovation, and infrastructure - The Project is working on key technology transfers for various industries, such as agriculture, waste management, forestry, sustainable production, and more. One ancillary Project program is a biochar development, where sustainably harvested biomass and agricultural wastes from outside the Project’s Area will be utilized to produce biochar67 and biofuel. The biochar will subsequently be utilized for ecosystem restoration projects in the Project Area to improve soil conditions, water retention and ultimately renewed native vegetation growth. Biochar will also be utilized in community agriculture programs aimed at improving soil qualities and thus crop outputs. Additional programs such as waste management will utilize world-class pyrolysis systems to convert plastic and other waste streams into biochar or reusable products. Many other programs to improve infrastructure and industry in the Project’s AOI are key to the Project’s impact programs design and implementation and will be further elaborated during early phases.

10 - Reduced inequalities - The communities in the Project’s AOI have traditional inequalities as evident from national census reports and social-economic data gathering undertaken by the Project’s team. Key to the Project’s success is to improve economic and educational opportunities for women and men, in some cases, to improve inequalities across a spectrum of current societal institutions, but namely education, economic and family. The Project aims to accomplish this through education programs, job creation, enterprise developments and other social programs.

11 - Sustainable cities and communities - A key impact program area for Project Chaco Vivo, in which collaborative programs will be implemented in effort to create circular economies and enterprises, as well as robust communities with improved food security, education, climate adaptability, and health services, among other improvements. The Project does not aim to create general public welfare systems, rather it aims to create a system where communities are empowered and strengthened to lead themselves into the next century without dependencies. The Project’s impact programs will continuously be designed, implemented, monitored, and adjusted to accomplish these key goals.

12 - Responsible consumption and production - Although the communities within the Project’s AOI would be categorized as below poverty level, the Project aims to improve education around sustainable use and proper waste management. The Project is also a forest conservation project, which will promote sustainable management and efficient use of the area’s natural resources. With ancillary programs such as biochar production, communities will participate in sustainable agriculture and ecosystem restoration programs, which will help further educate the communities on regenerative production methods as opposed to destructive methods.

ENVIROMENTAL IMPACT

13 - Climate Action - One of the main goals of the Project is to reduce deforestation and its associated GHG emissions. The Project’s impact programs will continuously provide educational opportunities regarding climate action through community meetings, job training, educational seminars, program implementation, etc. Through proper organization at the community level and education, the Project aims to drastically improve climate action awareness and participation within the Project’s AOI and beyond.

14 - Life below water - Project Chaco Vivo’s conservation activities will reduce erosion and water runoff, including runoff from cattle ranches, which will benefit local watercourses and the adjacent river ecosystems. Additionally, the Project will safeguard large watersheds through some of the last remaining contiguous forested areas in the region. Key to Project Chaco Vivo is the conservation of Laguna Ganzo, an important IBA located within the Project Area. Project impact programs, specifically waste and sanitation management programs, will help to reduce microplastics and other contamination of key waterways in the region, particularly the Paraguay River, which runs through Puerto Casado.

15 - Life on land - One of the main goals of Project Chaco Vivo is to reduce deforestation and to conserve the rich biodiversity of the surrounding Chaco forests. Ecosystems have been severely degraded in the Project’s AOI and the Project will help to halt this trend. Additionally, Project impact programs, such as biochar applications to improve soil quality, ecosystem restoration, reforestation, and habitat protection, will improve and regenerate already degraded ecosystems. Income and enterprise generation will also help to reduce deforestation and biodiversity loss rates outside the Project Area since communities will have alternatives for sustainable income generation. New food production techniques and systems will also help to further reduce poaching and other harvesting activities since families will have new sources of food and improved food security.