CEO Newsletter #4 | A New Model for Water and Restoration in the Andes

By Florent Kaiser, CEO, Global Forest Generation
Co-founder, Acción Andina

Acción Andina is advancing a pivotal new project, integrating private-sector support to advance highland landscape management and secure water in Peru’s Chincha Valley. This pilot project restores critical headwaters that supply downstream cities and industries—demonstrating the power of corporate investment in the ecosystems they depend on.

A collaborative effort involving Global Forest Generation and Acción Andina partner ECOAN, with support from Textil del Valle, Patagonia, and Lacoste, the project showcases nature-based solutions in action. In the first year, efforts include construction of a tree nursery, 32,000 native trees reforested, green infrastructure to restore wetlands, and community workshops—all designed to boost water security in a region where economies rely on glacial melt and fragile highland ecosystems.

Directly benefiting 2,000 residents and potentially improving water access for 250,000 people, the Chincha Valley project is a scalable model for other Andean watersheds—and a smart strategy for water-reliant industries.

Read more here about a recent field visit with our brand partners and the local communities of Villa de Arma, Huancavelica, Peru.

What’s Happening and What’s Next?

1. Where are the highest priority watersheds for high-Andean ecosystems and water security? We have re-engaged with consulting firm Bluerisk to assemble maps of the entire Andean-Amazon watershed and compare them to current and future Acción Andina sites and the most water-stressed urban and economic areas in the region. Funded by The Coca-Cola Foundation, this is a critical first step towards working with communities to identify the highest priority areas for Acción Andina as part of a 30-year conservation plan for the region.
2. We are honored that JUST ONE TREE has just gifted another £80,000. They have generously helped support us since 2023 believing, like us, that restoring nature, supporting communities and building strong partnerships all go hand in hand.
3. Airbus Foundation, in partnership with the Solar Impulse Foundation and Space4Good, opened a call for projects seeking aerospace technology to enhance nature-based climate resilience. We were excited to learn that we were selected among the top 10 contenders invited to Demo Day, which will be held later this month.

Challenges We’re Facing

1. Positioning the Andes as vital for continental water security, is no small challenge. We are working on ways to showcase community-led conservation, donor impact, and the Andes-Amazon connection while looking for strategic partners to help put these messages forward. As a small, lean group, we will need new partners who can advance these messages and help bring much-needed attention to the water crisis in the region. Read our fact sheet here on critical water issues in the Andes.
2. Many Andean communities may reach peak water by 2030 due to shrinking water sources and climate impacts. To address this, Acción Andina can expand its focus beyond reforestation to also restore and conserve wetlands and peatlands, providing immediate water benefits while advancing our 100-year vision for forest restoration across the Andes. These restored wetlands will act as natural water infrastructure, complementing Polylepis forests that deliver water security benefits within a decade and sustain them for centuries, ensuring communities can secure water now while building long-term resilience.
3. Bringing our global team together: At Global Forest Generation, our diverse, lean, and remote team is our strength! Yet many who joined in 2024 haven’t met in person. We’re planning a Directors’ gathering at NY Climate Week in September 2025 and a full team retreat in 2026 to connect and align around our mission. Who else manages a fully remote team and has insights on making the most of it?

How You Can Help Today

• Register for our July 17 GFG Update call (9:00am – 9:30 ET). You’ll receive direct news from the field. Make sure you invite someone to join you!
• Championing women defenders of the environment. Daughters for Earth made an amazing gift to support the Warmi Kewiňas, the women tree guardians who work with Faunagua in Bolivia, and to start a second group of women leaders with Árbol y Vida in Argentina. We are looking for a $25,000 donation to launch additional groups in Ecuador and Peru, and expand on the work of the newly formed group in Argentina.
• Seeking a match: $46,000 by November to reforest 50,000 trees in Peru and Ecuador: A donor has generously offered to cover a portion of the cost of 30,000 trees in Ecuador and 20,000 trees in Peru leaving a gap of $27,600 in Ecuador and $18,400 in Peru for a total of $46,000. Can you help close the gap to restore another 25 hectares of high Andean forests?

Message me on LinkedIn if you’d like to learn more. Until next time…

Florent