KfW Development Bank’s Biodiversity Initiative, Legacy Landscapes Fund, Achieves Promising Results after Two Years

KfW Development Bank’s Biodiversity Initiative, Legacy Landscapes Fund, Achieves Promising Results after Two Years. Photo: Elephants in Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe

(IN BRIEF) KfW Development Bank celebrates the two-year anniversary of the Legacy Landscapes Fund (LLF), an initiative for biodiversity conservation. The LLF provides long-term financing for protected areas in developing countries, ensuring effective conservation efforts. It has achieved significant progress, with seven pilot sites and seven potential additional sites expected to be funded by the end of 2023. The fund has garnered around EUR 295 million from public and private sources, including contributions from France and Norway. The LLF’s work has led to tangible outcomes, such as giraffe reintroduction in Angola and the birth of baby rhinos in Zimbabwe. By preserving nature and promoting biodiversity, the LLF contributes to the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss.

(PRESS RELEASE) FRANKFURT, 19-May-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — KfW Development Bank (KfW Entwicklungsbank GmbH), a German state-owned investment and development bank as well as one of the world’s leading promotional banks, has announced that the Legacy Landscapes Fund (LLF), an initiative by KfW Development Bank on behalf of the German Federal Government, marks its two-year anniversary as a successful instrument for biodiversity conservation. Launched around World Biodiversity Day in May 2019, the LLF combines private and public funds to support protected areas in regions with high biodiversity and significant poverty. Its long-term financing ensures the effective management of these areas and their buffer zones in developing countries and emerging economies.

The LLF’s funding model, which incorporates both public and private sources, has been recognized as innovative and forward-looking. In fact, the LLF was mentioned in the summit documents of the 15th World Conference on Nature (COP 15) in Montreal, further acknowledging its achievements.

Over the past two years, the LLF has made significant progress. Seven pilot sites have been joined by seven potential additional sites, identified through a “Call for Proposals” and currently in the final stages of the selection process. By the end of 2023, the LLF aims to support 14 conservation areas across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, covering approximately 380,000 square kilometers, equivalent to 1.5 times the size of Great Britain.

The LLF’s target is to support 30 of the most biodiverse nature reserves in less affluent regions by 2030, providing each reserve with one million US dollars annually for conservation efforts. With around EUR 295 million currently at its disposal from public and private sources, including recent contributions from France and Norway, the LLF continues to attract new donors and anticipates further grants.

The LLF’s work has already yielded tangible outcomes, such as preparations for the reintroduction of giraffes in Angola’s Iona National Park and the birth of five baby rhinos in Zimbabwe’s Gonarezhou National Park. Additionally, the LLF has supported indigenous communities in Bolivia’s Madidi National Park in protecting their land from illegal mining. These examples demonstrate the fund’s positive impact on conserving valuable biodiversity in the Global South.

In the face of climate change, the LLF plays a crucial role by combating biodiversity loss. Preserving wilderness, nature, forests, and peatlands through LLF’s initiatives helps sequester CO2, contributing to the reduction of global warming. Furthermore, promoting biodiversity in regions with high biodiversity in the Global South serves as a crucial defense against rising temperatures.

As the Legacy Landscapes Fund continues its efforts, it remains an essential tool in the global fight against biodiversity loss and climate change.

Media contacts:

KfW Development Bank

+49 69 74 31-42 60
info@kfw-entwicklungsbank.de

SOURCE: KfW Entwicklungsbank GmbH