In recent decades, the loss of species and habitats has accelerated dramatically. Three quarters of the most biodiverse regions in the world are in developing countries and emerging economies. Many countries lack the financial resources to fund the protection of these areas.
Through the Legacy Landscapes Fund, we support top biodiversity hotspots worldwide. Protected areas in developing countries need reliable long-term financing and administration in order to protect the natural environment and the global climate but also in order to protect people's livelihoods on the ground.
Svenja SchulzeFederal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development
Recording of the launch of the Legacy Landscapes Fund
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The Legacy Landscapes Fund is an independent foundation that brings together public and private donors.
The Fund pursues the following goals:
Ensure long-term financing for the protection of at least 30 particularly biodiverse areas in developing countries in order to help stop the global loss of biodiversity
Protect a total area of more than 60,000 square kilometres (twice the area of Belgium)
Build a capital stock of about one billion US dollars by 2030 in order to secure long-term core funding for the protected areas
The LLF was founded in December 2020 and began to operate in spring 2021.
Contributors include Germany, France, private foundations and international nature conservation organisations. The Fund also receives support from the European Commission, the UNESCO World Heritage Center and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Human interventions in nature have dramatically increased the pace at which biological diversity is being lost.
75 per cent of terrestrial ecosystems and 40 per cent of marine ecosystems have already been changed by human intervention.
Each year ten million hectares of forest is lost – an area the size of a soccer field every four seconds.
Every day up to 150 plant and animal species disappear from the Earth.
50 per cent of all coral reefs have already been destroyed.
In order to put a lasting stop to the loss of biodiversity, at least 30 per cent of the Earth's surface would need to be placed under protection, with the active involvement of local communities.
Sustainably managed protected areas are regarded as the most important instrument for conserving biodiversity.
However, a mere 19 per cent (10 billion US dollars) of annual global funding for protected areas is spent in developing countries, although that is where the most biodiversity hotspots are to be found.
A study covering 282 protected areas in sub-Saharan Africa, for example, found that 90 per cent of them were significantly underfunded.
Crises like the COVID-19 pandemic with economic consequences such as tourists staying away only exacerbate the financial need of the national parks. In Uganda, for example, 90 per cent of the revenue of conservation authorities comes from fees paid by tourists.
The Legacy Landscapes Fund is an independent foundation under German law. It combines public and private contributions. The contributions make up the foundation's capital.
In order to provide long-term core financing for 30 protected areas, the Fund plans to build a capital stock of about 1 billion US dollars by 2030. To that end, an annual amount of at least 100 million US dollars would need to be raised in the period up to 2030.
Germany committed 100 million US dollars (82.5 million euros) for 2020 and is planning to increase its contribution in 2021.
France will contribute in 2022.
Four philanthropic foundations have already pledged some 35 million US dollars.
Efforts are also being made to get private companies involved.
In the starting phase, the Legacy Landscapes Fund will provide one million US dollars per year and per conservation area for seven to ten selected legacy landscapes, ensuring core funding for at least 15 years. In the long term, the foundation's capital is to generate core funding on a permanent basis.
The funding goes to international non-governmental organisations which are able to prove that they have already entered into long-term, successful working partnerships with national conservation authorities and local communities in the protected areas.
Current applicants are the Frankfurt Zoological Society, African Parks, the Wildlife Conservation Society and Conservation International. Other non-governmental organisations have indicated their interest.
The following things among others are eligible for funding:
ranger salaries,
maintenance of park infrastructure,
assistance for local people, and
the development of sustainable tourism.
The active involvement of the local population is a mandatory prerequisite for the provision of support.
A comprehensive environmental and social management system will be used to help prevent potential conflict between park authorities and local communities.
Relevant activities include, among other things,
compensating local communities for restrictions of use and
introducing transparent and culturally appropriate grievance mechanisms.
Protected areas supported by the Legacy Landscapes Fund
Map of the conservation areas of the Legacy Landscapes Fund
Map of the conservation areas of the Legacy Landscapes Fund
The Legacy Landscapes Fund currently supports seven sites (as at August 2022): Madidi National Park in Bolivia, Odzala-Kokoua National Park in the Republic of Congo, Iona National Park in Angola, North Luangwa National Park in Zambia, Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, Central Cardamom Mountains National Park in Cambodia, and Gunung Leuser National Park in Indonesia.
Germany, one of the biggest donors in this field, is providing more than 500 million euros a year for biodiversity conservation in developing countries, with more than 400 million euros coming from the budget of the Development Ministry (BMZ).
With this funding, Germany is supporting 668 protected areas with a total area of more than two million square kilometres. That adds up to more than six times the surface area of Germany.
Examples
Women rangers in Namibia's Khaudum National Park, part of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area
One of the world's largest nature conservation areas has been created in Southern Africa. The BMZ is providing over 35 million euros to support the development of this protected area.