A New Model for Water and Restoration in the Andes–Powered by Sustainable Fashion Partnerships
Earlier this year, Global Forest Generation launched a partnership with sustainable textile leader Textil del Valle (TDV) to restore wetlands and plant an initial 32,000 native trees in the Chincha Valley of Peru. The watershed supplies water to thousands of local residents, to hundreds of thousands of people living in an agricultural and manufacturing hub just south of Lima, and also supports TDV’s textile supply chain. With support from TDV and global apparel brands Patagonia and Lacoste, the project illustrates a new partnership model for GFG, involving direct private sector participation and a more integrated highland management approach for both short and long-term water benefits.
Implemented in the field by lead Acción Andina partner Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN), this high-Andean restoration project is working with local communities to protect and restore critical ecosystems such as native Polylepis forests, wetlands, and peatlands. In July 2025, TDV joined GFG and ECOAN to visit the project site and witness progress on the construction of a tree nursery, learn about plans for educational workshops for local communities, and hear next steps on the implementation of green infrastructure to revitalize a 16-acre wetland.
While focused on the Chincha Valley, the project is a model for how nature-based solutions can secure water in arid coastal regions, where economies rely heavily on high-altitude ecosystems and glacial melt. Applying this pilot project model to other water-scare regions has the potential to be ecologically impactful while offering strategic value for water-dependent industries.
Direct private sector involvement in ambitious water security projects also makes way for different strategies and conversations. It’s a model that stands in addition to corporate donations, while creating a novel way to conceptualize collaborations between the private sector, NGOs, and local communities.
Perhaps most critical, the Chincha Valley project marks an exciting shift for our work in the Andes, from being heavily reforestation-focused to embracing more integrated highland landscape management. While we will continue reforestation with local communities by planting native Polylepis forests, we are now also implementing wetland and peatland restoration. Forest restoration is critical, but it can take a minimum of 10 years to yield clear water supply benefits, while interventions in wetlands and peatlands can show measurable water impacts in just a year. Implementing both forest and watershed restoration is a total game-changer for Acción Andina, providing a more robust approach that yields immediate and longer-term ecological, water, and social benefits.
Beyond the environmental aspects, the project is also inspiring young people to stay in their communities, fostering new leadership in environmental protection and offering local employment. The July site visit reinforced the powerful impact of a collective mission and the long-term commitment required to nurture these vital relationships and restore nature.
GFG CEO Florent Kaiser said the project launch and recent site visit mark a turning point for Acción Andina, and for how we engage with the private sector. It shows that communities, companies, and ecosystems are deeply interconnected. “Like the slow process of nature’s restoration, nurturing these relationships will take time, and challenges will arise, but we are committed to addressing them with care, respect, and intention,” he said. “Whether we work in fashion or with forests, whether we come from major cities or small, remote communities, a collective mission holds us together.”
