Project Rationale
Conserving biodiversity requires adequate funding. Yet evidence on the allocation and long-term effectiveness of conservation finance remains lacking, particularly in tropical countries which harbor much of the world’s biodiversity and rely heavily on external support for conservation. This lack of knowledge constrains the ability of donors and other conservation actors to set spending priorities, engage effectively and equitably with local partners, and ensure accountability and efficient use of resources. Addressing this knowledge gap is vital given mounting threats to biodiversity and shifts in the conservation funding landscape. Foundations and other private actors are increasingly important in supporting conservation, but information on the funding they contribute and its impacts is scarce.
Project Goal and Objectives
The overall goal of this project is to advance knowledge of the long-term impacts of international funding for biodiversity conservation and the factors associated with sustainable conservation gains over time.
The project includes the following three objectives:
- To develop an innovative means to classify funding for international conservation and refine a method for country-scale mapping of the conservation funding landscape over time.
- To assess the long-term impacts of MacArthur Foundation biodiversity investments in capacity development and sustainable financing
- To develop a framework and principles for analyzing conservation legacies to inform future research and investment
You can read more about the project in this news release.