Gabon is an equatorial country located at the western end of the Congo Basin rainforest. It is one of the most forested countries globally, with over 88% of its total surface area (267,667 km ²) covered by rainforests. The vast forested lands provide food, medicine, energy, and a source of spirituality to millions of people in the Congo Basin region, the second largest set of lungs in the world, after the Amazon. Gabon’s forests house wildlife and megafauna, including 60% of the remaining critically endangered forest elephants, also known as the “architects” or “gardeners” of the forest, for their roles in supporting healthy ecosystems. It also maintains a significant population of western lowland gorillas, mandrill monkeys, forest buffaloes, and noteworthy birdlife.
Gabon is committed to the protection of its forests. The country recently undertook a significant initiative named the Gabon Infini, under which the country has signed a landmark agreement with a coalition of donors to protect 34,000 square km (13,000 square miles) of its Congo Basin rainforests. The Government of Gabon and the Nature Conservancy signed a letter of Intent stating the modalities of Global Infini. “The signing of this Letter of Intent is a decisive milestone in achieving the vision of ‘Gabon Infini.’ This Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) is our commitment to a prosperous and equitable green economy. By securing long-term resources, we are guaranteeing the future of our vital ecosystems and directly investing in the lasting well-being and livelihoods of our communities, which is paramount in the face of global climate challenges,” Maurice Ntossui Allogo, Gabon’s Former Minister of Forests, remarked.
Gabon Infini is a $180 million conservation programme financed through a combined contribution of $94 million from international donors and $86 million from the Gabonese government. It is structured around the Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) model, under which funds are disbursed in phases and only after clearly defined conservation and governance targets are achieved.
Through the Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) funding and policy commitments, Gabon seeks to align conservation with inclusive development by enhancing the lives and livelihoods of an estimated 100,000 people, strengthening community participation in decision-making and the management of protected areas, and supporting community-led approaches to human–elephant coexistence. The initiative also aims to protect an additional 3.4 million hectares of forests and other land, improve the management effectiveness of 3.9 million hectares of existing protected areas, safeguard or enhance the management of around 400,000 hectares of lakes and wetlands—including 18,000 km of connected rivers—and more than 6 million hectares of ocean, while helping communities build resilience to climate risks such as coastal erosion and flooding through better ecosystem management and restoration.
The Infini agreement builds on Gabon’s earlier 500-million-dollar debt-for-nature swap, which was signed on August 15, 2023. Debt-for-nature swaps are financial arrangements designed to alleviate the foreign debt burden of developing nations while simultaneously promoting environmental conservation. In these swaps, environmental organizations purchase discounted debt from international lenders and agree to forgive that debt in exchange for commitments from debtor nations to invest in local conservation efforts. This process allows countries to redirect funds towards preserving ecosystems, cultural sites, and natural resources, rather than repaying loans. Gabon bought back roughly $500 million worth of existing dollar-denominated bonds (about 4% of its debt) at a discount and replaced them with a new $500 million blue bond with a longer maturity (maturing around 2038). The swap is part of Gabon’s commitment to protect 30% of its land, ocean and freshwater areas by 2030. The transaction was structured with the help of Bank of America (as structuring agent and bookrunner) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC), under the Blue Bonds for Ocean Conservation programme.
