Mercosur cities join CAF’s Biodivercities Network to promote sustainable urban development

In a significant step towards sustainable urban development in Latin America, mayors from six South American countries met today at the headquarters of CAF – development bank of Latin America and the Caribbean – to join the Biodivercities Network: Montevideo and Canelones (Uruguay), Esteban Echeverría, Tandil and Rosario (Argentina), and Asunción (Paraguay) signed the Barranquilla Declaration for Sustainable Cities and Biodiversity, and thus joined the Network, which seeks to promote a local development model that balances urban needs with environmental preservation.

“We are proud to welcome these visionary leaders to our Biodivercities Network,” said Christian Asinelli, CAF’s Corporate Vice President of Strategic Programming. “This membership marks a milestone in our commitment to foster cities that are not only economically prosperous, but also resilient to climate change and socially equitable.”

The importance of this initiative is magnified when considering demographic projections for the region. Asinelli noted: “By 2050, 95% of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean is expected to live in urban areas. This underscores the urgency of implementing sustainable strategies at the local level.”

The Biodivercities Network, promoted by CAF in collaboration with the Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute and UN-Habitat, focuses on three key areas:

• Green infrastructure development
• Sustainable management of water resources
• Preservation and restoration of urban ecosystems

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The meeting was attended by CAF’s Corporate Vice President for Strategic Programming, Christian Asinelli; the executive of the CAF Corporate Vice Presidency for Strategic Programming, Andrés Sarache; the executive of the CAF Urban Development, Water and Creative Economies Management, Alejo Ramírez; the senior CAF executive, Marisa Spina; the head of the Permanent Technical Secretariat of Mercociudades, Jorge Rodríguez; the mayor of Esteban Echeverría, Fernando Gray; the mayor of Montevideo (Uruguay), Mauricio Zunino; the mayor of Canelones (Uruguay), Marcelo Metediera; and authorities from Tandil, Rosario, Morón (Argentina) and Asunción (Paraguay). Also participating virtually were the mayor of São Leopoldo (Brazil), Ary Vanazzi; the mayor of Nabón (Ecuador), William Patricio Maldonado Jiménez; and representatives from Quilpué (Chile), Porto Alegre, Niterói and São Paulo (Brazil).

This accession marks a milestone in our commitment to foster cities that are not only economically prosperous, but also resilient to climate change and socially equitable.

This event not only marks the expansion of the Biodivercities Network, but also reinforces CAF’s role as a catalyst for sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean. With 21 member countries and a solid track record since 1970, CAF continues to be a crucial source of funding and knowledge for the region.