Walter Vergara
Senior Fellow

Walter Vergara is a forests and climate specialist focused on the Global Restoration Initiative in Latin America. He leads Initiative 20x20 a country-led effort to bring 20 million hectares of land in Latin America and the Caribbean into restoration by 2020.
Prior to joining WRI, Walter was the Chief of the Climate Change Division at the Inter American Development Bank in DC and prior to that he was the leader of the Climate Global Expert Group (GET) at the World Bank. He retired from both institutions.
Walter has written extensively on climate issues in the region, including 14 books and many articles in peer-reviewed journals. Walter has a M. Sc. Degree from Cornell University and a Chemical Engineering degree from Universidad Nacional de Colombia.
Insights
Research
Projects
Global Restoration Initiative
WRI is partnering with governments, businesses, and communities around the world to restore millions of hectares of deforested and degraded land.
Part of ForestsInitiative 20x20
A country-led effort to change the dynamics of land degradation in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Part of Forest and Landscape RestorationThe Restoration Policy Accelerator
Inspiring, innovating and streamlining public policies for landscape restoration.
Part of Forest and Landscape Restoration