{"id":54669,"date":"2025-06-26T12:58:12","date_gmt":"2025-06-26T12:58:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/innovative-nature-finance-solutions-take-centre-stage-at-africa-and-arab-states\/"},"modified":"2025-06-26T12:59:15","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T12:59:15","slug":"innovative-nature-finance-solutions-take-centre-stage-at-africa-and-arab-states","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/innovative-nature-finance-solutions-take-centre-stage-at-africa-and-arab-states\/","title":{"rendered":"Innovative nature finance solutions take centre stage at Africa and Arab States Conference in Kigali"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hosted by the Government of Rwanda and the United Nations Development Programme\u2019s Biodiversity Finance Initiative (UNDP-BIOFIN), the three-day 11th Regional Dialogue on Biodiversity Finance marks a decisive shift from mapping funding gaps to rolling out finance solutions – such as green bonds, nature-based insurance and biodiversity credits – tailored to national priorities.<\/p>\n

“Rwanda is proud to host this dialogue on biodiversity finance,\u201d said Juliet Kabera, Director General, Rwanda Environment Management Authority. <\/p>\n

\u201cAs custodians of one of the world\u2019s richest ecosystems, we believe in the power of innovative solutions to transform our biodiversity commitments into tangible action. This dialogue is a vital step in creating a future where biodiversity is not just preserved but becomes a cornerstone of sustainable development. Together, we can build economies that thrive in harmony with nature,” she added.<\/p>\n

With support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), more than 40 countries in the two regions are joining the dialogue for the first time, laying the foundation for long-term financing plans that align national development priorities with the global biodiversity agenda.<\/p>\n

\u201cScaling biodiversity finance is not just about mobilizing funds – it\u2019s about transforming systems,\u201d said Carlos Manuel Rodr\u00edguez, CEO and Chairperson, Global Environment Facility.
\n\u201cThe momentum we see in Africa and the Arab States shows what\u2019s possible when countries take ownership and partners like the GEF and UNDP provide catalytic support,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Africa and the Arab States are home to some of the world\u2019s most important ecosystems. But despite their natural wealth, these regions face serious financing gaps. <\/p>\n

The global shortfall in biodiversity funding is estimated at over $700 billion per year. <\/p>\n

Through UNDP-BIOFIN\u2019s global partnership with the GEF, more than 90 new countries are advancing their national Biodiversity Finance Plans that seek to close the gap.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis Regional Dialogue marks a pivotal moment for Africa and the Arab States. They represent the fastest-growing regions in the BIOFIN family, with 44 countries newly joining the initiative\u2014accounting for nearly half of all recent global additions. This expansion has been made possible through the continued support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF),\u201d said Onno van den Heuvel, Head of Nature Finance, UNDP. <\/p>\n

\u201cBy combining innovative instruments like green bonds, nature-based insurance, and biodiversity credits with strong government and private sector partnerships, we\u2019re demonstrating that finance can be a powerful driver for conserving ecosystems and lifting communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

The three-day dialogue aims to support countries to move from planning to implementation, with the new cohort benefiting from the solutions that have already succeeded in their respective regions.<\/p>\n

\u201cBiodiversity is critical infrastructure,\u201d said Fatmata Lovetta Sesay, UNDP Resident Representative in Rwanda. <\/p>\n

\u201cNature underpins food security, water, health, and climate resilience. Without it, our economic future rests on unstable ground. Our budgets must begin to reflect biodiversity\u2019s true value. Rwanda is an example of what\u2019s possible when leadership meets innovation. By digitizing enforcement and reinvesting in ecosystems, Rwanda is not only protecting nature \u2013 it is powering inclusive, sustainable development.” <\/p>\n

Participating countries are expected to sharpen new finance plans while learning from early successes across the region.<\/p>\n

\"More<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

More than 150 biodiversity-finance experts and senior government officials from over 55 countries across Africa and the Arab States are meeting in Kigali this week to showcase innovative nature finance solutions and turn conservation plans into investments that deliver results for people and the planet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":2000089862,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[75],"byline":[170],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-54669","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-homenews","byline-igihe"],"bylines":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"contributors":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"featured_image":{"id":2000089862,"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/kio.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":0,"height":0,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/kio.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/kio.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/kio.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/kio.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/kio.jpg","width":0,"height":0}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54669","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54669"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54669\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000089862"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54669"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54669"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54669"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=54669"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=54669"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}