Suriname
Suriname is one of the world’s most forested countries, with extensive tropical forests, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems that provide essential services for communities and support livelihoods, climate resilience and sustainable development. Maintaining this natural capital requires adequate and well-coordinated finance for conservation, sustainable management and implementation of national biodiversity priorities.
Suriname’s biodiversity finance landscape includes government budgets, international and climate finance, environmental fees and revenues, conservation funds and private-sector contributions. However, BIOFIN assessments show that biodiversity finance is concentrated across a limited number of institutions: approximately 84% of identified biodiversity-related expenditure is concentrated in two ministries. The Finance Needs Assessment has identified an estimated US$81.7 million in financing needs, highlighting the importance of better aligning existing resources and mobilizing additional finance for biodiversity.
UNDP BIOFIN is supporting Suriname to strengthen the evidence base and develop a more strategic approach to biodiversity finance. The Policy and Institutional Review, Biodiversity Expenditure Review and Finance Needs Assessment have provided a baseline of the country’s biodiversity finance landscape, while a preliminary Biodiversity Finance Plan has identified potential financial instruments and opportunities for resource mobilization.
Building on these assessments, Suriname is strengthening its Biodiversity Finance Plan and institutional arrangements for implementation. A Project Steering Board has been established, and consultations are underway to establish a Technical Committee that can support coordination and the development of practical finance solutions aligned with national biodiversity priorities and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
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Finance solutions
Building on the preliminary Biodiversity Finance Plan, Suriname is exploring a range of potential finance solutions to diversify funding for biodiversity and make greater use of the country’s natural capital while supporting conservation and sustainable development.
1. Green Finance Instruments
Explore green bonds and other sustainable finance instruments that could mobilize private capital for biodiversity and nature-positive investment, while strengthening the integration of biodiversity into Suriname’s broader green development and sustainable finance agenda.
Stage: Under Consideration
2. Carbon Finance and REDD+
Assess opportunities to mobilize additional finance through carbon markets and REDD+ mechanisms, building on Suriname’s status as a High Forest, Low Deforestation country and its extensive forest resources.
Stage: Under Consideration
3. Sustainable Ecotourism Finance
Strengthen the contribution of ecotourism to biodiversity conservation by exploring sustainable visitor fees and other tourism-related revenues that could support protected areas and ecosystem management.
Stage: Under Consideration
4. Payments for Ecosystem Services
Explore mechanisms that provide financial incentives to communities and other ecosystem stewards for conserving forests and maintaining the ecosystem services they provide.
Stage: Under Consideration
5. Ecological Fiscal Transfers
Assess the feasibility of allocating public resources to subnational authorities based partly on biodiversity conservation and ecosystem-management criteria, creating stronger fiscal incentives for protecting nature.
Stage: Under Consideration
Key results
Completing the Biodiversity Finance Evidence Base
Suriname has completed the Policy and Institutional Review, Biodiversity Expenditure Review and Finance Needs Assessment, which have been validated by the Ministry of Oil, Gas and Environment. Together, these assessments provide a national evidence base on the policies and institutions influencing biodiversity finance, existing biodiversity expenditure and future financing needs.
Developing the Biodiversity Finance Plan
Building on the PIR, BER and FNA, Suriname has developed a preliminary Biodiversity Finance Plan, identifying potential finance solutions and opportunities to strengthen resource mobilization for national biodiversity priorities. The Plan will be further developed as the country moves towards implementation.
Aligning Biodiversity Finance with National Priorities
The BIOFIN assessments and preliminary BFP are aligned with Suriname’s national biodiversity and development priorities, including its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, Green Development Strategy and climate commitments.