New fund for conservation areas

Called the Legacy Landscapes Fund (LLF), it is intended to close the funding gap for biodiversity conservation in the global south. The idea is to safeguard vital biodiversity for all of humanity by saving as many species as possible in species-rich but income-poor world regions.

The LLF is designed to support at least 30 of the world’s most important conservation areas with $ 1 million a year each. That amount is the funding gap that generally needs to be closed to make a park operate well. The places set to receive financial support in the near future will have an aggregate area of more than 60,000 square kilometres. That is twice the size of Belgium. If the fund attracts more money, the area may well increase.

What is special about the LLF is its structure and composition. It is a foundation under German law, but public and private donors from all over the world can join. The aim is to create a major international foundation with maximum reach. Already on board are the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Rob and Melanie Walton Foundation, the Arcadia Foundation and the Wyss Foundation. According to LLF Director Stefanie Lang, talks are currently being held with numerous other donors, including major corporations. “There are many interested parties,” she says.

Friederike Bauer works as a freelance journalist on foreign and development policy issues. KfW Development Bank belongs to the institutions she writes for, but this essay was commissioned by D+C/E+Z.
info@friederikebauer.de