Abu Dhabi fund unveils $1.5m plan to support young conservationists

The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund teams up with Global Environment Facility with grants to help those who protect the environment and wildlife in developing countries

The financial support – called the global field grants - will be distributed over three years and bolster the work of current and future researchers and practitioners in developing countries. Photo: Sebastian KennerknechtShow less

The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund has launched a $1.5 million partnership to empower young conservationists.

Announcing the news on Monday, the Abu Dhabi-based organisation said the funds will provide crucial support for those who battle to protect and preserve the environment and wildlife.

The financial support – called the global field grants - will be distributed over three years and bolster the work of current and future researchers and practitioners in developing countries.

The initiative is supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), a multilateral family of funds that is dedicated to confronting biodiversity loss, climate change, pollution and supporting land and ocean health.

And it is part of the GEF’s “Gustavo Fonseca Youth Leadership Programme” that was launched in 2023 and cultivates a pipeline of young professionals by offering conservation fellowships and grants for biodiversity fieldwork.

People can apply for grants through the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund's website. Photo: Sebastian Kennerknecht

The Abu Dhabi fund will now channel $500,000 annually through its online application system to support young conservationists in developing nations around the world.

"Recognising that people drive these conservation efforts, our commitment goes beyond funding,” said Nicolas Heard, acting director general of the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, who noted over the past 15 years it had supported 63 per cent first-time recipients, representing the “next generation of conservationists”.

“We focus on supporting early-career or budding conservationists at the start of their journey,” he added.

Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, chief executive of the GEF, said it was vital to bring through a new generation of conservationists.

"This partnership aims to empower young people from developing countries, amplifying their voices and enhancing their participation in environmental research and policy,” he said.

The GEF was established before the major UN environmental gathering in 1992 known as the Rio Earth Summit. It works with about 186 countries in collaboration with global agencies, institutions, the private sector and civil society organisations. Over the past three decades, it has provided nearly $25bn in financing and mobilised another $138bn. The Gustavo Fonseca Youth Leadership Programme, meanwhile, is named after its late director of programmes, Gustavo Fonseca.

“The GEF is dedicated to investing in the next generation, who will play pivotal roles in environmental governance and stewardship," said Mr Manuel Rodriguez.

The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund has supported projects to the tune of $25 million since it was established in 2008.

It operates in more than 170 countries and has supported more than 2,800 conservation projects globally.

For more information or to apply for a global field grant supported by the Fonseca leadership programme, visit www.speciesconservation.org

Conservation fund helps to protect Kenya's giraffes - in pictures

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  Dr Abdullahi Ali, the founder of a UAE-backed giraffe conservation project in north-eastern Kenya. All photos: Somali Giraffe Project

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  The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund is helping the Somali Giraffe Project

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  The reticulated giraffe is experiencing a decline in numbers

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  Dr Ali said that a lot of effort has been made in Africa to help elephants, but that giraffe numbers are much lower

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  Rangers with an anaesthetised reticulated giraffe

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  Droughts have forced formerly nomadic people to settle near rivers, limiting the giraffes’ access to water

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  Rangers inspecting crop damage at a farm

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  A lack of acacia trees, the giraffes’ natural food source, is another reason for the decline

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  Dr Ali’s project received a $15,000 grant from the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund

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  Dr Ali distributing lime trees to farmers participating in a conflict resolution workshop

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  Women from a farmers group posing with a conflict resolution banner

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  Conservation workers collar a giraffe

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  A reticulated giraffe in north-eastern Kenya

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  Dr Ali with a giraffe tagged on its tail

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  A conflict resolution session