New funding for local projects across 12 UK Overseas Territories and 36 developing countries will be rolled out over the next five years, according to the UK Government. The package will support local action to restore nature, reduce poverty and address climate change around the world. This will help protect 1.5m hectares of forest in Bolivia, recover St Helena’s cloud forest and support critically endangered eagles in the Philippines.

Vital ecosystems and threatened species such as tigers, Philippine eagles, reef sharks, Amazon parrots and sea turtles across the globe are set to benefit from new UK Government funding. A total of 80 local projects will be funded with the aim of restoring ecosystems, safeguarding nature, securing food and water supplies and improving lives.

The money for these projects comes from two funds, the Darwin Initiative, targeting action in low- and middle-income countries, and Darwin Plus, which funds projects supporting biodiversity and conservation projects across the UK Overseas Territories. Since 1993, the Darwin Initiative has awarded over £230m to more than 1,275 projects across 159 countries.