Black lechwe in Bangweulu Wetlands National Park, Zambia

Natural heritage fund The Legacy Landscapes Fund – conserving biological diversity for humankind

Logo: Legacy Landscapes Fund
Logo: Legacy Landscapes Fund

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. 

The Legacy Landscapes Fund (External link) (LLF) seeks to close that financial gap.

Svenja Schulze, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development
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 Schulze Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development
Kanuku Mountains protected area, Guyana

Recording of the launch of the Legacy Landscapes Fund

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Cover Newsletter LLF Dezember 2021

Newsletter of the Legacy Land­scapes Fund External link

Cover Annual Report 2021 Legacy Landscapes Fund

Annual report 2021 of the Legacy Land­scapes Fund External link

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).

Background information

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.

Save biodiversity for eternity
Save biodiversity for eternity — © Scott Ramsay/African Parks --pageNumber-- of --total--
We need every species to survive
We need every species to survive — © Stephen Cunliffe/African Parks --pageNumber-- of --total--
Save biodiversity: the next level
Save biodiversity: the next level — © Daniel Rosengren/FZS --pageNumber-- of --total--
Respect people, protect nature
Respect people, protect nature — © Daniel Rosengren/FZS --pageNumber-- of --total--

How does the Fund work?

How is the LLF funded?

Financing of the Legacy Landscapes Fund
Financing of the Legacy Landscapes Fund

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.

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.

More information about this can be found here (External link).

River in the Madidi National Park, Bolivia

Bolivia Madidi National Park

Elephant in the Odzala-Kokoua National Park in the Republic of Congo

Republic of Congo Odzala-Kokoua National Park

The Welwitschia mirabilis plant only grows in the Namib Desert of Namibia and in southern Angola.

Angola Iona National Park

Malachite nectar bird

Zambia North Luangwa National Park Internal link

Antelope in the Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe Gonarezhou National Park

Central Cardamom Mountains National Park in Cambodia

Cambodia Central Cardamom Mountains National Park

Orang Utan in the Gunung Leuser National Park

Indonesia Gunung Leuser National Park

German support for biodiversity conservation

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

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.

Oceanic whitetip shark

Blue Action Fund

As early as in 2016, the BMZ founded one of the world's largest funds to support marine protected areas, the Blue Action Fund.

to the overview page on biodiversity

As at: 17/08/2022