Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala announces $1.5m annual funding for conservation

Abu Dhabi-based sovereign investor Mubadala has announced a $1.5m annual grant to the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund (MBZ Fund) to support conservation initiatives around the world.

The funds will go towards supporting endangered flora and fauna in Africa and Asia, with a focus on countries where Mubadala has portfolio companies including Guinea, Indonesia, Thailand.

In Guinea, funds will be directed to preserving endangered marine species including critically endangered marine turtles, the Atlantic humpbacked dolphin (Sousa teuszii), and the African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis).

Read: Abu Dhabi summit: Regional leaders pledge to accelerate progress on climate action

In Indonesia, funds will go towards supporting the marine ecosystem, in particular coral reefs and seagrass in the Makasaar Strait, as well as terrestrial ecosystems through wildcat conservation in Aceh Province. In Thailand, the support will focus on migratory wading birds – in particular the Spotted greenshank (Tringa guttifer), and their mud-flat and mangrove habitats in the northern Gulf of Thailand, and the Smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata), as well as other freshwater species located at Kaeng Krachan National Park.

“This new partnership will further strengthen our existing community investment programs and help our efforts to address critical issues such as biodiversity and species conservation, which is aligned with our commitment to making long-term sustainable decisions that positively impact local and global communities,” said Ahmed Al Calily, chief strategy and risk officer at Mubadala.

The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund was established in 2009 to provide targeted grants to individual species conservation initiatives, recognise leaders in the field of species conservation, and elevate the importance of species in the broader conservation debate. To date, the fund has supported over 2,200 projects in more than 160 countries.

“With this agreement, we are retaining and restoring endangered species globally, thereby underscoring the importance of the private sector in protecting our ecosystems and paving the way for a better future for the next generations,” said Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, managing director of the MBZ Fund.

Read: Energy firm Engie partners with Abu Dhabi on tech-driven sustainability project