Ecuador

AFD is supporting Ecuadorian local authorities, the Decentralized Autonomous Governments (DAGs), to upgrade their drinking water and sanitation networks, develop sustainable modes of transport, and improve the management and treatment of solid waste. The aim of this work is to ensure access to essential services, strengthen food security, and promote a healthier environment. Three flagship projects are currently underway:

A credit line for the Development Bank of Ecuador (BDE), a public bank that provides financing to local authorities for investment projects by DAGs to increase urban resilience (transportation, parks, drinking water, solid waste, etc.); 

An investment project with the municipal waste management company of Cuenca city, EMAC, to improve the integrated management of solid waste, including the modernization of infrastructure and green education initiatives; 

The second phase of the investment project led by EMAPAG, the municipal drinking water company of Guayaquil, to expand the drinking water and sanitation networks in the city's northeastern districts.

Since 2019, AFD has been working with its public sector partners and civil society organizations in Ecuador, to develop a varied program to protect biodiversity and support sustainable food systems:

$100 million in financing to support public policy for ocean conservation and sustainable use in Ecuador. This program is helping to strengthen governance in the sector, improve the conservation, restoration, and management of marine and coastal areas, and promote the social, economic, and environmental sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture.

 A bioeconomy program with financing of over $140 million, aiming to (i) consolidate public bioeconomy policy at the national level with the Ministry of the Environment, and, (ii) through CONAFIPS and savings and credit cooperatives, support local investment, develop bio-entrepreneurship and the associated value chains, and market these products; and

Regional programs in the Amazon Basin, led with civil society organizations, to protect the forest, defend the rights of indigenous peoples and inhabitants of various nationalities living there, and support local development, thus providing dignified employment opportunities.

A support project with the Ministry of Agriculture (MAG), aiming to build its institutional capacities by establishing Ecuador's National Agricultural Register (RENAGRO), a national database of agricultural production units. This tool will facilitate public decision-making. 

AFD has set a target for 100% of its financing in Ecuador to help reduce inequality and discrimination:

 AFD is supporting various projects led by civil society organizations that enable vulnerable groups to achieve economic and social stability, while protecting their rights and providing access to sexual and reproductive health services. Migrant women and host communities in Pichincha province are a key focus of this work, to facilitate access to housing and their integration into the workforce.

AFD also supports Ecuador's government and public banks such as CONAFIPS to improve public gender equality policy and promote women's financial independence and empowerment.

Finally, AFD has granted financing to the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing (MIDUVI), which will be used to build new social housing for over 4,500 vulnerable families across the country.

Since 2019, we have been working closely with the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing (MIDUVI) to build new social housing for over 4,500 vulnerable families across the country.

Ecuador recently faced an energy crisis of unprecedented magnitude, with long power outages that severely impacted the national economy. It highlighted the need for investment in sustainable and resilient energy solutions. The country is facing a dual challenge: securing its supply and making the shift to green and low-carbon energy in line with the commitments of the Paris Agreement. AFD Group is working alongside public and private institutions to support these efforts through various financing mechanisms.

An investment project with Ecuador's Ministry of Energy, to expand and upgrade the electricity distribution network, thus encouraging the use of electricity instead of fossil fuels.

An initiative with the Governing Council of Galapagos, funded with support from the European Union, to modernize public infrastructure and make buildings more energy-efficient.

Finally, AFD and Proparco plan to finance projects that will diversify the country's energy supply, by constructing wind farms or photovoltaic power plants, or upgrading existing infrastructure.