MacArthur Foundation Pledges $12 Million to Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund
MacArthur Foundation Pledges $12 Million to Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has announced a $12 million commitment to the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund to help conserve so-called biodiversity hot spots.
The foundation's latest commitment, which expands its support for CEPF to $37 million, will enable the fund to provide support for civil society partner organizations whose work consolidates gains already made and expand its approach to other critical areas. New hot spots to be targeted by CEPF include fragile island ecosystems in Micronesia, Polynesia, and Fiji as well as areas of the Caribbean and the Mediterranean basin. To date, CEPF has supported some 1,250 civil society groups in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Biodiversity hot spots contain high concentrations of unique species and are home to more than half of all plants and animals as well as more than 1.8 billion people — many of whom depend directly on a healthy local ecosystem for their livelihoods and well-being.
"Our support for CEPF has expanded the reach of our conservation efforts across the globe's hot spots," said MacArthur Foundation president Jonathan Fanton. "CEPF has successfully identified and supported smaller organizations, which are essential to creating effective local solutions to the challenges of conserving biodiversity and meeting the needs of communities."
| 
