PARAMARIBO — IDB Lab, the innovation laboratory of the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group), formalized the Matawai Liba: Amazon Conservation and Community-Based Tourism Project through the signing of an agreement with the Amazon Conservation Team Guianas (ACT), the project’s Executing Agency.
This project supports the Matawai Marron community—custodians of approximately 90,000 hectares of Amazonia rainforest along the upper Saramacca River—by addressing poverty challenges and environmental threats, while supporting 82 households and 11 local tourism enterprises. The initiative will also generate 82 jobs, with at least 60% of opportunities allocated to women.
The agreement was signed by Adriana La Valley, IDB Group Representative for Suriname, and Minu Parahoe, Regional Director of the Amazon Conservation Team Guianas.
Adriana La Valley, IDB Group Representative for Suriname, and Minu Parahoe, Regional Director of ACT Guianas, sign the Matawai Liba project agreement.
Through the development of a community-based tourism (CBT) model, the project aims to increase community members’ household incomes, promote sustainable infrastructure, and ensure transparent and equitable revenue-sharing mechanisms.
The project will support the protection of approximately 46,000 hectares of rainforest. Visitors will actively contribute to conservation efforts by participating in the planting of 1,000 trees per year, complemented by conservation education, biodiversity monitoring, and environmental awareness activities.
Capacity-building is a central pillar of the initiative. Training programs in hospitality, tourism management, and entrepreneurship will strengthen local skills and institutions, with a particular focus on empowering women, youth, and local artisans to diversify income opportunities and enhance community resilience.
This initiative is part of the Amazon BIOBuilders Challenge, an IDB Lab program developed in collaboration with IDB’s Amazonia Coordination Unit and in partnership with the Green Climate Fund under the Amazonia Forever regional coordination program. Through this program, IDB Lab is contributing $500,000 in grant resources from the Amazon Bioeconomy Fund to support innovative bio-businesses that sustainably leverage the Amazon’s biological resources, generating productive solutions that integrate environmental, social, and economic criteria while contributing to local community development.
The project supports key priorities of the Government of Suriname to strengthen and diversify the tourism sector as a driver of economic growth. During the installation of the Presidential Commission for Tourism Development in October 2025, President Jennifer Simons underscored the importance of tourism as a strategic economic pillar and highlighted the need for coordinated action between public and private stakeholders to enhance the sector’s competitiveness and generate employment opportunities.
The Matawai Liba project will be implemented by ACT in close coordination with the Matawai community, relevant government ministries, and tourism sector stakeholders. The initiative is also aligned with the IDB Group’s strategic priorities to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, biodiversity conservation, and climate action across Latin America and the Caribbean.
About IDB Lab
IDB Lab is the innovation and venture capital arm of the Inter-American Development Bank Group. We discover new ways to drive social inclusion, environmental action and productivity in Latin America and the Caribbean. IDB Lab leverages financing, knowledge and connections to support early-stage entrepreneurship, foster new technologies, activate innovative markets and catalyze existing sectors. www.idblab.org
About Amazonia Forever
Amazonia Forever is the IDB Group's regional coordination program that aims to protect biodiversity and accelerate sustainable development through three lines of action: expanding innovative financing, boosting knowledge exchange, and facilitating regional coordination among the eight countries that Amazonia encompasses.
About Amazon Conservation Team Guianas (ACT)
The Amazon Conservation Team (ACT-Guianas) is a nonprofit organization committed to protecting the Amazon rainforest through close collaboration with Indigenous, Maroon(tribal) and local communities. Working across the Guianas region and neighboring Amazonian areas, ACT-Guianas supports communities in monitoring, sustainably managing, and protecting their traditional forest lands. Our approach combines environmental conservation with strengthened community governance, sustainable livelihoods, and the preservation of cultural heritage, contributing to long-term protection of the Amazon and the wellbeing of the people who depend on it. ACT-Guianas webpage
The Matawai Liba project originated within the Matawai community and is the result of a participatory process carried out with the community regarding their long-term development plan. This shared commitment forms the foundation for the sustainability of the initiative, and the presence of the Granman, representatives of the Matawai Cabinet, and Kampos at the signing ceremony indicates a sustainable partnership. The presence of the Granman, representatives of the Matawai Cabinet, and Kampos at the signing ceremony further underscores the community’s ownership of the project and their commitment to a sustainable partnership.