Latin America and the Caribbean
Paola is a Senior Program Cycle Specialist at Environmental Incentives overseeing and leading work in the Latin American and Caribbean Region for two USAID-funded contracts, Improving Design, Evidence and Learning (IDEAL) and the Latin America and Caribbean Environmental Support Services Contract II (LAC ESSC II). She brings over 35 years of international project development experience in environment programs in Latin America.
Paola also serves as the Biodiversity and Climate Solutions Program Director for Fundación Futuro Latinoamericano—an NGO based in Ecuador—working in the region and globally on biodiversity conservation and climate change activities. She has served as a Water Fund Specialist, providing technical guidance to local governments and stakeholders in the establishment of source-water protection mechanisms—Water Funds—in Mexico, El Salvador, Panama, Honduras, Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador, Perú, and Bolivia. Prior to that, she served as a Project Development Specialist and Mission Environment Officer for USAID/Ecuador for 25 years, where she led the design and implementation of biodiversity conservation, watershed protection, disaster preparedness and response, and climate change programs.
Paola likes to serve as a connector or liaison for initiatives across the region, fostering collaboration and synergy among diverse stakeholders. She is deeply committed to advancing sustainable development through innovative co-creation processes that empower local organizations and build capacity. She’s passionate about scaling the Water Fund model, which takes an integrated approach to protecting ecosystem services while promoting a good governance processes. She envisions EI as a catalyst for enhancing local capacities to support environmental sustainability in Latin America and globally.
