The money will contribute to the effective management of these rich natural landscapes, thereby ensuring biodiversity protection, supporting Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and helping to preserve the integrity of the Amazon’s climate-critical rainforests.

The effective implementation of these grants will be a joint effort that brings together the knowledge and expertise of both international and national stakeholders. FZS, one of the world’s most experienced conservation organizations, will oversee the grant implementation in close collaboration with local governments, national park authorities and Indigenous organizations.

Twenty million USD from LLF for each site will be allocated to an earmarked perpetual reserve and then complemented by private philanthropic donors: ten million USD match funding from Arcadia, five million USD from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and five million USD from the Eleonore Beck Foundation.

Finalizing these grant agreements with LLF’s implementation partners confirms the expansion of the fund’s portfolio, which is set to grow further in 2024.

“LLF is proud to have signed the perpetual grants with FZS to fund the Manu-Purús and Chiribiquete landscapes. This, along with the strong governance of local rights-holders, ensures reliable and substantial funding of one million USD annually, aimed for perpetuity. With this funding model, LLF fulfils some key requirements of the 30×30 framework. We are very thankful to welcome such valuable sites into the LLF network,” said Stefanie Lang, executive director of LLF.

“Manu-Purús protects a globally significant landscape – one that deserves to be protected for future generations.  We are privileged to be a partner in Legacy Landscape Fund’s investment in helping to ensure that Manu-Purús will be effectively protected in perpetuity,” said Aileen Lee, Chief of Programs at The Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation.

“Few areas are better suited to the perpetual funding approach than the Manu-Purús landscape, with the two national parks at its centre and with its unimaginable biodiversity and importance for the climate. It was this combination that made it possible for private donors to get involved through the Eleonore Beck Foundation and make a significant contribution to supporting the work of the national parks in the long term through the LLF and preserving these treasure troves of biodiversity. Hopefully a sign of growing private involvement in future projects,” said Korbinian Kantenwein, president of the German Eleonore Beck Foundation.

The Chiribiquete and Manu-Purus landscapes together represent two of Earth’s most pristine and biologically diverse regions. Chiribiquete, centered around Colombia’s largest protected area, is vital for the Andes-Amazon-Atlantic connectivity belt. It consists of multiple intact ecosystems and is characterized in particular by its unique table-top mountains. Manu-Purús, with its unfragmented and mostly pristine natural ecosystems, bridges the tropical Andes and Amazonian lowland forests. The landscape provides vital ecosystem services through its carbon stocks and ability to ensure water balance, while also playing an important role in maintaining the genetic diversity of species.

Both areas boast rich biodiversity, dense rainforests, and interconnected ecosystems, underscoring their significance for conservation and their ecological resilience.

“When I first came to Manu National Park in 1985, I had no idea that I had landed in the world’s treasure trove of biodiversity. What a success that this park and the Alto Purús and Chiribiquete national parks are now receiving long-term basic funding,” said Dr. Christof Schenck, director of FZS.  

“For SERNANP, as an institution in charge of managing protected areas, the LLF is a great opportunity that allows the sustainability of the management of Manu National Park, which for a long time has been looking for resources to cover the gaps that always exist. For example the staff, to cover control and surveillance actions, to work jointly with the population; that is, implementing the participatory management,” said John Flores, Head of the Manu National Park for Peru’s national park authority SERNANP (Servicio Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas por el Estado).

His colleague, Arsenio Calle, head of Alto Purús National Park, added: “The Alto Purús National Park is a unique site in terms of conservation in the Amazon due to its exceptional biodiversity conditions. In addition, it is the place of the indigenous peoples in isolation and ensures protection with good surveillance posts for trained personnel. The LLF will help us provide equipment to ensure the integrity of the territories of these Indigenous Peoples. It is also a priority within the policies of the Peruvian State and the international commitments it has.”

LLF is an international public-private fund that was established as an independent charitable foundation in 2020 with the aim of supporting nature, people, and climate by closing the global biodiversity financing gap.