The past two years have seen significant shifts in conservation funding, marked by the dissolution of USAID and major changes in European development budgets. Total international development aid decreased by approximately a quarter last year due to intensifying political and financial pressures.
USAID’s dissolution alone removed $1 billion annually from the environmental funding landscape, leading to deficits for organizations worldwide. While many are focused on immediate shortfalls, the situation signals a reckoning with the ‘end of big aid’. Simultaneously, private philanthropic funding for conservation is increasing, with foundation funding for nature conservation and restoration more than doubling between 2020 and 2024, reaching roughly $6 billion.
Source: Mongabay