Argentina

Argentina is one of the countries with the greatest biogeographic diversity in the world. It has 18 ecoregions: 15 continental, 2 marine and 1 in Antarctica, which are home to a great diversity of species. In fact, 8 of them have been classified as top priority for conservation globally. Committed to their conservation policies, there are currently 574 registered protected areas that make up the Federal System of Protected Areas (SiFAP), covering an area of 46,173,979 continental hectares, which represent 16.61% of the territory, and an area of 16,609,305 maritime hectares, which represent 7.11% of the submarine platform.

In this context, BIOFIN began to be implemented in Argentina in March 2022. The programme is currently in the "methodology" phase, working with national authorities on the development of the Biodiversity Financial Needs Assessment (updating and budgeting the National Action Plan on Biodiversity in line with the Kunming Montreal Agreement), and with representatives from the provinces of Chaco and Misiones on the development of subnational financing plans. 

In a brief time, with a strategic approach and the participation of national and subnational authorities, BIOFIN Argentina has completed the development of the Institutional Policy Review and the Review of Biodiversity Spending in the three jurisdictions where it is working.  Likewise, the Estimate of Financial Needs and the Financing Plan of the province of Misiones were concluded. The latter contains 9 promising financial solutions, among which are: voluntary carbon and biodiversity credits, increase in the supply of nature tourism, insurance for human conflicts - Jaguar, the gradual elimination of subsidies harmful to nature, among others.  Recently, it has been agreed with the Minister of Treasury, Finance, Works, and Public Services of Misiones to include this Financing Plan as a public policy instrument, reaching the maximum degree of institutionality possible for a document of these characteristics.

Likewise, the Province of Misiones in Argentina, in another sign of institutionalization of the program and its objectives, hosted the 10th Regional Dialogue on Finance for Biodiversity.