In the Boeny region of Madagascar, communities are facing landscape degradation due to unsustainable agricultural practices (slash-and-burn agriculture, deforestation etc.) and repetitive bush fires. The consequences for agricultural production are serious, posing a dilemma between conserving forests as a home to endangered species and ensuring food security through agricultural expansion. On top, climate change poses additional challenges to the grazing system of around 70 percent of Malagasy households being involved in raising livestock. Traditional spatial approaches separating conservation and production have proven inadequate. The concept of “Aménagement Agro-Sylvo-Pastoral Durable” (ASPD; sustainable agro-sylvo-pastoral management) has been developed with the objective to balance use of space. By combining agriculture, forestry, and livestock planning to enhance productivity while preserving natural resources, ASPD offers an integrated solution, with a focus on the adoption of climate-smart pasture management.
The Ethiopian Highlands face serious land degradation caused by fragile soils, heavy rainfall, frequent tillage, poor nutrient recycling, inappropriate fertiliser use, overgrazing and deforestation. As soils become unproductive, smallholder farmers lose income and may abandon their land. Reversing degradation is therefore essential for livelihoods and agricultural productivity. The stepwise approach to advancing agroecological transition offers a sustainable pathway, shifting from conventional to ecosystem-based farming systems. Adapted for Ethiopia by the ProSoil programme as well as the embedded multi-donor action “ProSilience: Enhancing soils and agroecology for resilient agri-food systems in Sub-Saharan Africa”, the approach follows this process: Quick Win technologies to raise yields, measures to reduce nutrient and biomass losses, tools to improve resource-use efficiency, and integration at watershed level. By 2024, the approach reached over 784,500 farmers in 235 districts.
Recent studies suggest that 12-15% of the Kenya’s total land area is suffering from severe to very severe degradation. Very densely populated Western Kenya is one of the hotspots where the rate of landscape degradation is rapidly increasing, with soils lost on average 0.5 t ha per year in 2017 compared to 0.3 t ha per year in 1995. This in turn leads to low and inadequate food supply and farm incomes. Unpredictable periods of drought and variable rainfall due to climate change are further exacerbating the situation. The solution provided by agroecological methods is to reverse land degradation and provide long-term sustainable methods of soil management as well as new income streams for farmers. Three climate-smart solutions have been assessed and promoted by the GIZ-supported Global Programme “ProSoil”: vermicomposting, conservation agriculture, and agroforestry. The solutions can be aligned or applied separately to meet individual farmers’ needs.
Multistakeholder partnerships (MSPs) are collaborations in which actors from at least three distinct sectors work together toward shared development goals. MSPs enable partners to combine knowledge, resources, technologies, and networks, allowing more integrated responses to challenges—such as supporting biodiversity-based value chains and adaptation to climate change—that no single actor can address alone. Gums and resins value chains in Marsabit County were selected to generate additional income for pastoralist communities in dryland areas. This decision was based on the following factors:
The Sqba Community is located in a mid-altitude forest with abundant ecological resources. Once an industrial area for the Hrung tribe, the community now comprises 33% Atayal, alongside populations of Hakka, Minnan, and Mainlanders. Local industries center on agriculture, particularly fruit production such as persimmons, and tourism, featuring campsites, ecotours, fruit-picking experiences, cultural ecology guided tours, and DIY workshops that make use of local ecological resources. Under the Satoyama Initiative, the Taichung Branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency conducted resilience assessment workshops (RAWs) in collaboration with locals to identify and prioritize urgent needs, such as conserving traditional crops, promoting sustainable use of forest, river, and field resources, and leveraging ecological assets for income generation and marketing. The local government and agricultural technology departments also participated.
In many African countries, agricultural growth remains a key driver of development. Agriculture ensures food security and is a source of rural income and employment. However, most small farms suffer from low productivity due to soil degradation, a lack of inputs and knowledge of sustainable agricultural practices, and the effects of climate change.
In Côte d’Ivoire, these challenges are amplified by deforestation: forest cover has fallen from around 16 million hectares in the 1960s to 2.5 million today, weakening ecosystems and soil fertility while increasing rural vulnerability.
The Participatory Household-Level Restoration Plan (PPR) offers an inclusive approach where each household aligns its vision, needs, and priorities with forest restoration. By placing rural families at the heart of planning, implementation, and monitoring, the PPR promotes sustainable restoration.
The Eurasian Eagle-Owl is the world’s largest owl and a vital predatory bird ensuring ecosystem balance by controlling rodent and other small mammal populations. Despite protection under international and national laws, it faces threats from human disturbances such as habitat loss, electrocution, poisoning, and cultural persecution, leading to population decline. In Europe and Serbia, a lack of nesting sites and essential data on its distribution and habits further complicate conservation.
This pilot project in Eastern Serbia aims to conserve this species using field research, modern technology (GPS tracking devices, audio and video monitoring), and educational activities across five sites in Sokobanja, Zaječar, and Knjaževac. Providing support to five known nesting areas and limiting disturbance by visitors through remote surveillance, as well as directly involving the local community in conservation through workshops and campaigns, all ensure long term results in Eurasian Eagle-Owl protection in Eastern Serbia.
Ecuador is one of the world’s 17 megadiverse countries, with rich fauna and flora. However, economic reliance on non-renewable resources and unsustainable agricultural practices have threatened its biodiversity. Sustainable entrepreneurship offers an alternative to align economic activities with environmental protection. Yet, low-income women, youth, and other vulnerable groups face barriers in accessing credit to start small businesses.
Amid this situation, the National Corporation of Popular and Solidarity Finance (CONAFIPS) of Ecuador, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)’s Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN), developed a Social and Environmental Risk Management System (SARAS) tool: a free and automated software that enables credit unions to screen loan applications against social and sustainability criteria.
As of August 2024, credit unions approved USD 804 million in green credit using SARAS, fostering a nature-positive economy, conserving biodiversity, and supporting women and the youth.
Women have a fundamental role in biodiversity conservation in Costa Rica and globally. However, gender-based barriers limit their access to biodiversity-related financial mechanisms, such as payments for environmental services and credit for sustainable agriculture and bio-businesses.
In 2020, the Ministry of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica (MINAE) and the Biodiversity Finance Imitative (BIOFIN) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched the umbrella programme +Women +Nature to promote gender equality in biodiversity. Central to this initiative are three mechanisms to increase women’s access to finance, including two credit lines and one payment for environmental services scheme.
These mechanisms have strengthened women’s agency in conservation through USD 6,979,050 in credit lines and 530 payment for environmental services contracts, contributing to biodiversity conservation and inclusive economic development in Costa Rica.
The jaguar (yaguareté) is the largest feline in the Americas and a national symbol in Argentina, yet fewer than 250 remain nationwide, about 90 in Misiones. Habitat loss and declining prey have increased jaguar predation on livestock and pets, harming farmer’s income and driving retaliatory killings. To transform conflict into coexistence, the Government of Misiones, UNDP (BIOFIN and IRFF), the insurer Río Uruguay Seguros, and the NGO Aves Argentinas developed the world’s first jaguar-protection insurance.
Purchased by the province of Misiones and offered free of charge to residents, the insurance provides prompt compensation to producers for verified jaguar predation. Launched in April 2025, the scheme verified five claims in its pilot phase in Comandante Andresito and has since expanded to other municipalities affected by human–jaguar conflict. By protecting rural livelihoods, the insurance discourages retaliation and protects the jaguar.
Rwanda’s highly biodiverse ecosystems continue to face threats such as deforestation, illegal logging, and poaching. Challenges in the enforcement of environmental laws, particularly in issuing and collecting fines from offenders, have exacerbated these pressures and limited Rwanda’s domestic funding for conservation initiatives.
The Government of Rwanda, with support from the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), launched IremboPay, a digital platform designed to register environmental offences, instantly issue fines, and automatically channel fine revenues to the Rwanda Green Fund.
As of May 2025, USD 130,000 in environmental fines were processed through IremboPay since its launch in October 2024. These funds are reinvested in reforestation, wetland restoration, environmental education, and other conservation initiatives.
In the context of accelerating global climate change, public awareness and participation in climate action across China remains limited. To address this, Friends of Nature launched the “Citizen Climate Action – Linglong Program” in 2021, with support from the Energy Foundation, the Beijing Xianfeng Changtian Foundation, and Partnerships for community Development. The program aims to identify and support individuals who already have a certain professional foundation but are at an early stage of engaging with climate issues. Through structured knowledge-building, mentorship, community support, and small grants, Linglong Program helps fellows design and implement citizen-led climate actions. By cultivating climate leaders and long-term change makers, the program establishes replicable and scalable models of climate action that inspire broader public engagement.
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