Annual Report 2022
Back to business
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared that Covid-19 no longer represents a "global health emergency". This statement represents a significant step in returning to a sense of normality and a much-needed shift to restoring the social and economic devastation caused by the pandemic. A challenge embraced by all grant recipients who could not wait to get their hands dirty once again.
Foreword
In recent years we were hampered by the pandemic, but with restrictions lifting in 2022, the MBZ Fund could transition from a state of maintaining the status quo to again making a more impactful contribution to conservation.
As an added endorsement, I was also appointed as the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28. This appointment highlights the importance of the mutual bond that exists between climate change and biodiversity.
I am honored that the UAE has entrusted me with the responsibility to support the COP28 UAE Presidency as UN Climate Change High-Level Champion. The environment has always been central to the UAE’s culture and identity, and it recognizes that a healthy environment, including its climate and biodiversity, is central to everyone’s well-being. In my roles as both UN Climate Change High-Level Champion and IUCN President, I can help ensure that we go beyond business as usual and prioritize nature-based solutions in the upcoming COP negotiations.
Climate change need biodiversity and armed with over 10 000 conservationists, biologists, ecologists, field workers and volunteers on the ground, The MBZ Fund is perfectly placed to lead the charge on the conservation frontline.
Razan Al Mubarak
Managing Director
About Us
The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund seeks to empower species conservation efforts and programmes globally, embodying the deep-rooted commitment of both the government and the people of Abu Dhabi to preserve our natural heritage.
Why species conservation?
Animals, fungi, and plants are essential components to sustain a prosperous ecosystem. Conserving a well-balanced ecosystem maintains the health of the environment ensuring humans have access to clean air and water, fertile land, and plants with medicinal properties. When a species becomes endangered, it disrupts the ecosystem and can have devastating, often far-reaching consequences for the well-being of all inhabitants on our beautiful planet.
In a recent UN report, it was highlighted that around 1 million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction, many within decades, more than ever before in human history.
Kingfisher © WCS
The average abundance of native species in most major land-based habitats has fallen by at least 20%, mostly since 1900. More than 40% of amphibian species, almost 33% of reef-forming corals and more than a third of all marine mammals are threatened.
The picture is less clear for insect species, but available evidence supports a tentative estimate of 10% being threatened. At least 680 vertebrate species had been driven to extinction since the 16th century and more than 9% of all domesticated breeds of mammals used for food and agriculture had become extinct by 2016, with at least 1,000 more breeds still threatened.
It’s time to rethink our relationship with nature. Not for us, but for our children and their children. Let’s leave the world a better place.
Small Grants
The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund provides financial support in the form of small grants of less than $25,000 to conservation projects worldwide. These small grants are as much for the species as they are for the conservationists and organizations working so passionately to protect them.
Small Grants
Case Studies
Thousands of these small-scale species conservation projects have reached all corners of the globe, across all seven continents, offering targeted support to enthusiastic conservationists and researchers in the field.
These intrepid individuals and organisations are the first line of defense against species extinction – passionate people who have dedicated their lives to the conservation of the creatures and plants they love, and we depend on to retain our planet’s unique biodiversity.
Vultures to track animal poisoning in Africa
The Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP) including the Limpopo National Park (Mozambique), Gonarezhou National Park (Zimbabwe) and Kruger National Park (KNP) represents a strategically important, vulture-rich landscape. The 35 square kilometer wilderness represents one of the most significant protected areas on the African continent. Unfortunately, wildlife poisoning is a massive threat with vultures impacted more than other species. An estimated 450 vultures of four threatened species have been poisoned in the KNP since January 2019. To reduce the loss of vultures to poisoning, the project team needed to track them within the GLTP to monitor their movements and unique foraging and feeding signatures. Tracking their movements allows alerts to be shared with rangers about large mammal deaths possibly through poisoning. The MBZ Fund grant made the project possible and massively successful as we managed to deploy 66 GPS-tracked vultures and obtained 97% coverage of the targeted area. They developed an effective, automated system to push culture feeding and immobility alerts, enabling them to ground truth over 350 feeding event alerts of which 89% were positive carcass hits. These alerts are sent to wildlife monitoring platforms like EarthRanger. The “eye in the sky” has...Read More
Small Grants
Small grants supported 2022
IUCN Red List classifications
Species Types
| Type | IUCN | Vernacular Name | Scientific Name | Name | Name of Organization | Country, Continent | Funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reptile | CR | Yangtze giant softshell turtle | Rafetus swinhoei | Long Nguyen | Wildlife Conservation Society | Vietnam, Asia | $25,000 |
| Mammal | CR | Addax | Addax nasomaculatus | Torsten Bohm | Noé | Niger, Africa | $24,868 |
| Plant | NE | Lukea quentinii | Lukea quentinii | Yvette Harvey-Brown | Botanic Gardens Conservation International | Tanzania, Africa | $5,000 |
| Plant | NE | Croton borbensis | Croton borbensis | Amanda da Paixão Noronha Pereira | N/A | Brazil, South America | $3,050 |
| Plant | EN | Mouterde's knapweed | Centaurea mouterdei | Hicham El Zein | Tariq el Nahl | Lebanon, Asia | $4,960 |
| Invertebrate | NE | White tomiris butterfly | Euchloe tomyris | Abdulaziz Davlatov | Institute of Zoology and Parasitology, National Academy of sciences of Tajikistan | Tajikistan, Asia | $3,000 |
| Invertebrate | NE | leaf-cutting ant | Atta robusta | Jarbas Queiroz | Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro | Brazil, South America | $4,926 |
| Invertebrate | VU | Madeiran Green Bush-Cricket | Psalmatophanes barretoi | Howon Rhee | IUCN SSC Grasshopper Speciallist Group | Portugal, Europe | $8,000 |
| Invertebrate | CR | Albanian Saddle Bush-cricket | Uromenus dyrrhachiacus | Michèle Lemonnier-Darcemont | GEEM | Albania, Europe | $5,000 |
| Fungi | CR | Wrightoporia araucariae | Wrightoporia araucariae | Elisandro Ricardo Drechsler dos Santos | Federal University of Santa Catarina | Brazil, South America | $20,000 |
| Plant | EN | Madeira Shrub Cornflower | Cheirolophus massonianus | Ben Nyberg | National Tropical Botanical Garden | Portugal, Europe | $9,000 |
| Plant | NE | Mascarene amaranth | Aerva congesta | Cacey Cottrill | Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust | Mauritius, Africa | $12,000 |
| Plant | DD | Rhododendron | Rhododendron pogonophyllum | Kezang Tobgay | National Biodiversity Centre, Serbithang | Bhutan, Asia | $6,000 |
| Plant | CR | Ginger | Zingiber engganoense | Angga Yudaputra | Research Center for Plant Conservation, Botanic Gardens and Forestry | Indonesia, Asia | $7,000 |
| Plant | EN | Himalayan cypripedium | Cypripedium himalaicum | Naphel Naphel | Paro Forest Division, Paro Bhutan | Bhutan, Asia | $15,000 |
| Invertebrate | DD | Ignat's Stone Grasshopper | Acinipe ignatii | Sílvia Pina | N/A | Portugal, Europe | $5,000 |
| Invertebrate | NE | Macrosteles pygmy | Macrosteles pygmaeus | Oleg Borodin | Daugavpils University | Lithuania, Europe | $5,000 |
| Invertebrate | EN | Ryukyu rabbit tick | Haemaphysalis pentalagi | Mackenzie Kwak | Hokkaido University | Japan, Asia | $10,000 |
| Invertebrate | EN | Crotch bumblebee | Bombus crotchii | Fadia Sara Ceccarelli | CICESE | Mexico, North America | $10,000 |
| Fish | DD | Manganga | Potamobatrachus trispinosus | Lorena Vieira | N/A | Brazil, South America | $7,000 |
| Fish | EN | Manyara Tilapia | Oreochromis amphimelas | Nanyika Kingazi | Tanzania Forestry Research Institute | Tanzania, Africa | $7,500 |
| Fish | CR | Squeaker catfish | Synodontis macrophthalmus | Wonder Sekey | Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology | Ghana, Africa | $7,000 |
| Reptile | EN | Mt Kenya Bush Viper | Atheris desaixi | Atubwa Howard | National Museums of Kenya | Kenya, Africa | $8,000 |
| Reptile | CR | Aeolian wall lizard | Podarcis raffonei | Benedetta Gambioli | N/A | Italy, Europe | $9,000 |
| Reptile | CR | Home's Hingeback tortoise | Kinixys homeana | Luca M. Luiselli | N/A | Liberia, Africa | $10,000 |
| Reptile | CR | Leith's softshell turtle | Nilssonia leithii | Sneha Dharwadkar | Oklahoma State University | India, Asia | $14,000 |
| Fish | EN | Rio Concepcion topminnow | Poeciliopsis jackschultzi | Mariana Mateos | Texas A&M University | Mexico, North America | $8,000 |
| Fish | CR | Trichogenes claviger | Trichogenes claviger | Juliana Paulo Silva | Federal University of Espirito Santo | Brazil, South America | $7,724 |
| Fish | EN | Philippine Medaka | Oryzias luzonensis | Faith Tadeo | Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University | Philippines, Asia | $5,000 |
| Amphibian | NE | Pumpkin toadlet | Brachycephalus mirissimus | Larissa Teixeira | N/A | Brazil, South America | $8,619 |
| Amphibian | CR | Bancet Tompotika | Occidozyga tompotika | Efendi Sabinhaliduna | Celebica Conservation Action | Indonesia, Asia | $6,076 |
| Amphibian | EN | Puerto Rican crested toad | Peltophryne lemur | Allison Julien | Puerto Rican Crested Toad Conservancy / Fort Worth Zoo | Puerto Rico, North America | $15,450 |
| Amphibian | CR | Harlequin toad | Atelopus quimbaya | Luis Santiago Caicedo-Martínez | Natural History Laboratory, Integrative Zoological Biodiversity Discovery | Colombia, South America | $6,800 |
| Reptile | CR | Dark Sitana | Sitana fusca | SANTOSH BHATTARAI | Nepal Conservation and Research Center | Nepal, Asia | $5,000 |
| Reptile | CR | Sulawesi forest turtle | Leucocephalon yuwonoi | Auni Ade Putri | Zoological Community of Celebes | Indonesia, Asia | $5,000 |
| Bird | CR | White-winged Flufftail | Sarothrura ayresi | Girma Mengesha | Wildlife Conservation Team Charity Organization | Ethiopia, Africa | $5,000 |
| Bird | CR | Black-naped pheasant-pigeon | Otidiphaps Insularis | Jason Gregg | N/A | Papua New Guinea, Oceania | $11,700 |
| Bird | NE | New Caledonian Storm Petrel | Fregetta lineata | Chris Gaskin | Northern New Zealand Seabird Trust | New Caledonia, Oceania | $15,000 |
| Bird | CR | Blue-throated Hillstar | Oreotrochilus cyanolaemus | Martin Schaefer | Fundación de Conservación Jocotoco | Ecuador, South America | $19,000 |
| Bird | CR | Cuban Kite | Chondrohierax uncinatus wilsonii | Geovanys Rodríguez Cobas | N/A | Cuba, North America | $8,000 |
| Mammal | DD | Sumatran striped rabbit | Nesolagus netscheri | Nindi Aseny | Merangin University (Universitas Merangin) | Indonesia, Asia | $7,000 |
| Mammal | CR | European hamster | Cricetus cricetus | Mikhail Rusin | Kyiv Zoo | Ukraine, Europe | $6,100 |
| Mammal | CR | Sunda Pangolin | Manis javanica | Jeffrey Popp | White Oak Conservation Foundation | Indonesia, Asia | $9,000 |
| Mammal | EN | Red panda | Ailurus fulgens | Supriyo Dalui | Zoological Survey of India | India, Asia | $7,000 |
| Mammal | EN | Nile lechwe | Kobus megaceros | Tariku Mekonnen Gutema | Threatened Species Conservation Organization | Ethiopia, Africa | $10,000 |
| Mammal | EN | Golden-rumped Elephant Shrew (Sengi) | Rhynchocyon chrysopygus | Marketa Antoninova | Friends of Arabuko-Sokoke Forest | Kenya, Africa | $13,000 |
| Mammal | EN | Golden langur | Trachypithecus geei | Jihosuo Biswas | Primate Research Centre NE India/Conservation Himalayas | India, Asia | $6,000 |
| Mammal | EN | Phayre's leaf monkey | Trachypithecus phayrei | Tanvir Ahmed | N/A | Bangladesh, Asia | $10,000 |
| Mammal | CR | Red-bellied monkey | Cercopithecus erythrogaster erythrogaster | Nazif Ales | GeoEnvironment and Biodiversity Conservation (GeoEBC-NGO) | Benin, Africa | $11,000 |
| Mammal | CR | White-thighed Colobus | Colobus vellerosus | Christopher Dankwah | A Rocha Ghana | Ghana, Africa | $13,000 |
| Mammal | EN | Asian elephant | Elaphus maximus | Russell Gray | Save Vietnam's Wildlife | Vietnam, Asia | $10,000 |
| Mammal | NT | Margay | Leopardus wiedii | Xinia Villarreal | Friends of Felids Association | Costa Rica, North America | $5,000 |
| Mammal | NE | Pampas cat | Leopardus munoai | Santiago Turcatti Oviedo | Geoffroy´s Cat Working Group | Uruguay, South America | $5,000 |
| Mammal | EN | Andean cat | Leopardus jacobita | Rodrigo Villalobos | Seeking the Andean Cat | Chile, South America | $8,500 |
| Mammal | NT | Colo-Colo Cat | Leopardus colocola | Carlos Castro Pastene | Pampas Cat Working Group | Chile, South America | $5,000 |
| Mammal | NT | Marbled Cat | Pardofelis marmorata | Giridhar Malla | Clouded Leopard Working Group | India, Asia | $7,500 |
| Mammal | NT | Rusty-spotted cat | Prionailurus rubiginosus | K Shiva Kumar | Rusty Spotted Cat Working Group (RSCWG) | India, Asia | $5,000 |
| Mammal | NT | Rusty-spotted cat | Prionailurus rubiginosus | Vidyaman Thapa | Rusty Spotted Cat Working Group (RSCWG) | Nepal, Asia | $5,000 |
| Mammal | VU | African golden cat | Caracal aurata | Imran Ejotre | Muni University | South Sudan, Africa | $7,500 |
| Mammal | VU | African golden cat | Caracal aurata | Serge Ely Dibakou | Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF, GABON) | Gabon, Africa | $5,000 |
| Mammal | VU | African golden cat | Caracal aurata | Julius Mutale | Embaka | Uganda, Africa | $5,000 |
| Mammal | VU | African golden cat | Caracal aurata | Emmanuel Akampurira | Embaka-Saving the African Golden Cat | Uganda, Africa | $7,500 |
| Plant | CR | Nepenthes rigidifolia | Nepenthes rigidifolia | Elga Renjana | National Research and Innovation Agency | Indonesia, Asia | $8,000 |
| Plant | EN | Empogona maputensis | Empogona maputensis | Celia Martins | Department of Biological Sciences, Eduardo Mondlane University | Mozambique, Africa | $15,000 |
| Invertebrate | VU | Giant steppe grasshopper | Prionotropis hystrix | Maks Deranja | Hrvatsko društvo za biološka istraživanja (HDBI) | Croatia, Europe | $9,000 |
| Invertebrate | NE | Marisco de rio | Leila blainvilleana | Cristhian Clavijo | Vida Silvestre Uruguay | Uruguay, South America | $7,000 |
| Invertebrate | CR | Black abalone | Haliotis cracherodii | Fabiola Lafarga | CICESE: Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education | Mexico, North America | $16,000 |
| Invertebrate | NE | Dung beetles | Dung beetles | Van Bac Bui | Vietnam National University of Forestry | Vietnam, Asia | $8,000 |
| Invertebrate | EN | Matano Leopard Crab | Parathelphusa pantherina | Funty Septiyawati Polapa | Marine Science Department, Muhammadiyah University of Palopo | Indonesia, Asia | $5,000 |
| Amphibian | CR | Leora´s stream salamander | Ambystoma leorae | Felipe Osuna | Institute of ecology AC | Mexico, North America | $15,000 |
| Reptile | CR | Huu Lien Leopard Gecko | Goniurosaurus huuliensis | Nenh Sung | Center for Biodiversity & Environment Research, Tay Bac University, Group 2, Quyet Tam Ward, Son La | Vietnam, Asia | $11,000 |
| Reptile | CR | Nguru Spiny Pygmy Chameleon | Rhampholeon acuminatus | Hudson Laizer | Mbeya University of Sciene and Technology | Tanzania, Africa | $8,300 |
| Reptile | CR | Red-crowned Roofed Turtle | Batagur kachuga | Shailendra Singh | Turtle Survival Alliance India | India, Asia | $15,000 |
| Bird | EN | Yellow Cardinal | Gubernatrix cristata | Candelaria Neyra | Aves Argentinas | Argentina, South America | $8,550 |
| Bird | CR | Fatu Hiva monarch | Pomarea whitneyi | MARÍA IGUAL BELTRÁN | Société d’Ornithologie de Polynésie | French Polynesia, Oceania | $14,000 |
| Bird | NE | Vanuatu Petrel | Pterodroma occulta | Peter Vaughan | Monash University | Vanuatu, Oceania | $16,500 |
| Mammal | CR | Tamaraw | Bubalus mindorensis | Emmanuel Schütz | D'ABOVILLE Foundation and Demo Farm Inc | Philippines, Asia | $10,000 |
| Mammal | EN | Woolly flying squirrel | Eupetaurus cinereus | Hiranmoy Chetia | Amity Institute of Forestry and Wildlife, Amity University, Noida | India, Asia | $8,000 |
| Mammal | EN | Hildegarde's tomb bat | Taphozous hildegardeae | Evarastus Obura | Angaza Vijiji | Kenya, Africa | $12,000 |
| Mammal | CR | blond titi monkey | Callicebus barbarabrownae | André Alonso | Projeto Guigó na Chapada | Brazil, South America | $12,500 |
| Mammal | VU | Cuban Greater Funnel-Eared Bat | Natalus primus | Jose M. de la Cruz Mora | Natural History Museum of Pinar del Río. Center of Research and Environmental Services, ECOVIDA. | Cuba, North America | $5,000 |
| Mammal | EN | Giant otter | Pteronura brasiliensis | Els van Lavieren | Suriname Reizen en Geven | Suriname, South America | $14,450 |
| Mammal | EN | Giant pangolin | Smutsia gigantea | Alain Delon MOUAFO TAKOUNE | University of Dschang | Cameroon, Africa | $9,000 |
| Mammal | CR | Tana River red colobus | Piliocolobus rufomitratus | Rose Abae | Wildlife Research and Training Institute | Kenya, Africa | $12,000 |
| Amphibian | EN | Western Leopard Toad | Sclerophrys pantherina | Kim Gordon | Nature Connect (Formally Cape Town Environmental Education Trust (CTEET) | South Africa, Africa | $19,140 |
| Mammal | EN | Djam-djam monkey | Chlorocebus djamdjamensis ssp. djamdjamensis | Addisu Mekonnen | University of Calgary, Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, 2500 University Drive Calgary, AB | Ethiopia, Africa | $24,000 |
| Plant | EN | Myrceugenia gertii | Myrceugenia gertii | Fábio Vieira | University of São Paulo | Brazil, South America | $5,000 |
| Plant | CR | Baccharis orientalis | Baccharis orientalis | Mayumi Vega Polanco | El Colegio de la Frontera Sur | Cuba, North America | $3,200 |
| Plant | NE | Button plant | Conophytum antonii | Andrew Taylor | Endangered Wildlife Trust | South Africa, Africa | $19,096 |
| Plant | CR | Sigotiet | Disperis egregia | Fanuel Kawaka | N/A | Kenya, Africa | $7,510 |
| Invertebrate | EN | Holothuria scabra | Holothuria scabra | Muhammad Farhan | Touna Sea cucumber Conservation Group | Indonesia, Asia | $7,782 |
| Invertebrate | CR | red shrimp | Barbouria cubensis | Enrique Reynaldo de la Cruz | Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, Cuba and University of Holguin | Cuba, North America | $4,941 |
| Fish | DD | Ansorge lutefish | Citharidium ansorgii | SEGUN OLAYINKA OLADIPO | KWARA STATE UNIVERSITY, NIGERIA | Nigeria, Africa | $12,045 |
| Fish | CR | Sharks, rays, and chimaeras | Chondrichthyan | Rima Jabado | International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission Shark Specialist Group | Malaysia, Asia | $24,705 |
| Amphibian | EN | Shimba Hills reed Frog | Hyperolius rubrovermiculatus | Beryl Bwong | National Musuems of Kenya | Kenya, Africa | $10,855 |
| Amphibian | EN | Guerreran Robber Frog | Craugastor guerreroensis | Ricardo Palacios Aguilar | Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México/Totlok A.C. (NGO) | Mexico, North America | $8,200 |
| Amphibian | CR | Taita Warty Frog | Callulina dawida | Thomas Odeyo | NATURE KENYA | Kenya, Africa | $5,000 |
| Reptile | CR | Añelo Sand dunes lizard | Liolaemus cuyumhue | Victoria Brizio | N/A | Argentina, South America | $5,000 |
| Reptile | EN | Escambray Bearded Anole | Anolis guamuhaya | Alejandro Michel Rodríguez González | Universidad Central “Marta Abreu” de las Villas | Cuba, North America | $5,000 |
| Reptile | CR | Home's hinge-back tortoise | Kinixys Homeana | Chrystelle DAKPOGAN | Organisation pour le Développement Durable et la Biodiversité | Benin, Africa | $14,420 |
| Reptile | NE | Cora Mud Turtle | Kinosternon cora | Jesús Alberto Loc Barragán | Tecnológico Nacional de México Campus Zacapoaxtla, Posgrado en Ciencias Ambientales. | Mexico, North America | $5,000 |
| Bird | CR | Galapagos Petrel | Pterodroma phaeopygia | Justine Hanson | American Bird Conservancy | Ecuador, South America | $15,100 |
| Mammal | CR | Chinese pangolin | Manis pentadactyla | Prativa Kaspal | Women for Conservation( WC) | Nepal, Asia | $4,950 |
| Mammal | CR | White-thighed Colobus | Colobus vellerosus | Comlan GBONGBOUI | Centre d'Action pour la Protection de l'Environnement et la Santé | Benin, Africa | $9,950 |
| Mammal | VU | Northern Tiger Cat | Leopardus tigrinus pardinoides | Catalina Sánchez-Lalinde | Onca Fundación Para el Estudio de la Diversidad | Colombia, South America | $9,000 |
| Mammal | VU | Southern tiger cat | Leopardus guttulus | Vinícius de Morais | Pro-Carnivores Institute | Brazil, South America | $5,500 |
| Bird | LC | Omani Owl | Strix butleri | Sami Ullah Majeed | Fujairah Environment Authority | United Arab Emirates, Asia | $5,000 |
| Mammal | EN | Indian Pangolin | Manis crassicaudata | Murthy Kantimahanti | Eastern Ghats Wildlife Society | India, Asia | $5,000 |
| Mammal | VU | Güiña | Leopardus guigna | Melanie Kaiser | Fundación Coordinación de Felinos Silvestres | Chile, South America | $5,000 |
| Mammal | NE | Muñoa’s Pampas cat | Leopardus munoai | Marina Ochoa Favarini | Geoffroy’s Cat Working Group (GCWG) | Brazil, South America | $5,000 |
| Mammal | NT | Pampas cat | Leopardus colocola | Patricio Muñoz Peña | Fundación Coordinación de Felinos Silvestres | Chile, South America | $5,000 |
| Mammal | VU | African golden cat | Caracal aurata | Kouadio Juslin Hervé KOIGNY | Mimea Internationale | Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Africa | $5,000 |
| Mammal | VU | Clouded leopard | Neofelis nebulosa | Mitra Pandey | Clouded Leopard Working Group | Nepal, Asia | $5,000 |
| Bird | EN | Ashy Storm-Petrel | Hydrobates homochroa | Alejandra Fabila Blanco | Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas, A.C. | Mexico, North America | $14,550 |
| Bird | CR | Rück`s flycatcher | Cyornis ruckii | Zulqarnain Assiddiqi | Endemic Indonesia | Indonesia, Asia | $7,000 |
| Bird | CR | White-winged Flufftail | Sarothrura ayresi | Kyle Lloyd | BirdLife South Africa | South Africa, Africa | $14,550 |
| Bird | CR | Bengal florican | Houbaropsis bengalensis | Chhotelal Chowdhary | Biodiversity Conservation Center Nepal | Nepal, Asia | $7,000 |
| Bird | CR | African white-backed vulture | Gyps africanus | Corinne Kendall | North Carolina Zoo | Zambia, Africa | $15,000 |
| Fish | EW | Golden Skiffia | Skiffia francesae | Omar Domínguez | Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolas de hidalgo | Mexico, North America | $20,000 |
| Reptile | CR | Anegada Rock Iguana | Cyclura pinguis | Kelly Bradley | Fort Worth Zoo | British Virgin Islands, North America | $25,000 |
| Fungi | CR | Stinking milk-cap | Lactarius foetens | Armel Boris OLOU | Laboratory of Applied Ecology (LEA) | Benin, Africa | $10,000 |
| Fungi | NE | Pinatra | Cyttaria berteroi | Daniela Torres | Fundación Fungi | Chile, South America | $13,500 |
| Plant | CR | Pseudophoenix lediniana | Pseudophoenix lediniana | William Cinea | Cayes Botanical Garden (CBG) | Haiti, North America | $10,000 |
| Plant | CR | Cola porphyrantha | Cola porphyrantha | Henry Ndangalasi | University of Dar es Salaam | Tanzania, Africa | $7,000 |
| Plant | CR | frailejón ramificado | Espeletia ramosa | Jesus Mavarez | Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine | Colombia, South America | $17,000 |
| Plant | CR | aloe | Aloe leptosiphon | Neduvoto Mollel | Tropical Pesticides Research Institute. National Herbarium of Tanzania Section | Tanzania, Africa | $17,000 |
| Invertebrate | NE | Idle crayfish | Austropotamobius bihariensis | Andrei Acs | Centre for Protected Areas and Sustainable Development | Romania, Europe | $6,500 |
| Invertebrate | EN | Gomphids Cottarelli’s Longlegs | Notogomphus cottarellii | Chemeda Abedeta GARBABA | Jimma University | Ethiopia, Africa | $5,500 |
| Invertebrate | EN | harvestman | Jimeneziella decui | Aylin Alegre Barroso | Institute of Ecology and Systematics | Cuba, North America | $5,500 |
| Invertebrate | CR | Archineura maxima | Archineura maxima | Toan Phan Quoc | Duy Tan University | Vietnam, Asia | $7,000 |
| Fish | NE | Dades trout | Salmo multipunctata | Mohammed Znari | Cadi Ayyad University | Morocco, Africa | $9,000 |
| Fish | DD | Blind catfish | Horaglanis krishnai | Arya Sidharthan | Zoo Outreach Organization | India, Asia | $8,091 |
| Fish | EN | Maloti minnow | Pseudobarbus quathlambae | Patrick Skhumbuzo Kubheka | Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife | South Africa, Africa | $15,000 |
| Fish | CR | Porbeagle | Lamna nasus | Simo Ribaj | SEEP (Social Education for Environment Protection) | Albania, Europe | $8,900 |
| Amphibian | EN | Spiculate Toad | Incilius spiculatus | Medardo Arreortua | Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN) CIIDIR Oaxaca | Mexico, North America | $15,000 |
| Amphibian | EN | Vicente's poison frog | Oophaga vicentei | Eric Flores | Panama Wildlife Conservation | Panama, North America | $8,000 |
| Reptile | NE | Angel's five-toed skink | Lacertaspis lepesmei | Arnaud Marius Tchassem Fokoua | Laboratory of Zoology, University of Yaoundé I | Cameroon, Africa | $7,000 |
| Reptile | CR | Nubian Flapshell Turtle | Cyclanorbis elegans | Luca M. Luiselli | N/A | Burkina Faso, Africa | $16,500 |
| Mammal | EN | White-bellied Pangolin | Phataginus tricuspis | Ransford Agyei | A Rocha Ghana | Ghana, Africa | $11,000 |
| Mammal | CR | Sumatran Elephant | Elephas maximus sumatranus | Helene Barnes | Perkumpulan Rincong | Indonesia, Asia | $15,000 |
| Mammal | CR | Buffy-headed marmoset | Callithrix flaviceps | Daniel Ferraz | Rede Eco-Diversa para Conservação da Natureza | Brazil, South America | $7,000 |
| Mammal | CR | Northern muriqui | Brachyteles hypoxanthus | Mariane Kaizer | Instituto Nacional da Mata Atlântica | Brazil, South America | $6,000 |
| Mammal | CR | Tana River red colobus | Piliocolobus rufomitratus | Stanislaus Kivai | Institute of Primate Research-National Museums of Kenya | Kenya, Africa | $12,500 |
| Mammal | CR | Niger Delta Red Colobus Monkey | Piliocolobus epieni | Rachel Ikemeh | SW/Niger Delta Forest Project | Nigeria, Africa | $12,500 |
| Invertebrate | EN | Willemses' Stone Grasshopper | Prionotropis willemsorum | Vassiliki Kati | BCL-Biodiversity Conservation Lab, Dep of Biol. Appl & Technology, University of Ioannina | Greece, Europe | $4,800 |
| Invertebrate | NE | Monolistra del Buco del Piombo | Monolistra pavani | Raoul Manenti | Università degli Studi di Milano, Department of environmental Science and Policy | Italy, Europe | $1,700 |
| Amphibian | NE | Tlalocohyla | Tlalocohyla | Valeria Aspinall | Costa Rica Wildlife Foundation | Costa Rica, North America | $4,950 |
| Amphibian | EN | Guangxi warty newt | Paramesotriton guangxiensis | Dung Tran | Department of Wildlife, Vietnam National University of Forestry | Vietnam, Asia | $2,764 |
| Amphibian | DD | Heart-tongued frog | Phyllodytes gyrinaethes | Anyelet Valencia Aguilar | Laboratorio de Bioligia Integrativa - UFAL | Brazil, South America | $10,000 |
| Reptile | CR | Darevsky's Viper | Vipera darevskii | Konrad Mebert | Institute of Development, Ecology, Conservation and Cooperation | Georgia, Asia | $4,970 |
| Reptile | CR | Mount Inago Pygmy Chameleon | Rhampholeon bruessoworum | Matthias De Beenhouwer | 4Forests | Mozambique, Africa | $4,950 |
| Reptile | DD | Muria rock gecko | Cnemaspis muria | Lutfian Nazar | Green Community | Indonesia, Asia | $5,840 |
| Reptile | CR | Asian giant tortoise | Manouria emys | Try Surya Harapan | N/A | Indonesia, Asia | $5,000 |
| Reptile | CR | Indochinese Box Turtle | Cuora galbinifrons | Linh Luong | Center for Nature Conservation and Development | Vietnam, Asia | $7,500 |
| Mammal | EN | Golden-bellied mangabey | Cercocebus chrysogaster | Edward McLester | Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior | Congo, Democratic Republic of (Congo-Kinshasa), Africa | $11,600 |
| Mammal | EN | Bioko Drill monkey | Mandrillus leucophaeus poensis | Jana Lopez Alvarez | The Drill Project | Equatorial Guinea, Africa | $11,300 |
| Mammal | EN | Andean cat | Leopardus jacobita | Cindy Hurtado | Pampas Cat Working Group | Peru, South America | $14,500 |
| Mammal | VU | Andean tiger cat | Leopardus tigrinus pardinoides | Juan Camilo Cepeda Duque | Fundación Ambiental Mohanes | Colombia, South America | $8,534 |
| Mammal | LC | Jungle Cat | Felis chaus | Chandima Fernando | N/A | Sri Lanka, Asia | $4,465 |
| Mammal | VU | Southern tiger cat | Leopardus guttulus | Leonardo Alcântara | Rede Eco-Diversa para Conservação da Biodiversidade | Brazil, South America | $6,280 |
| Plant | EN | Zornia subsessilis | Zornia subsessilis | Lais Zeferino | São Paulo State University | Brazil, South America | $5,000 |
| Invertebrate | CR | Lindu shrimp | Caridina linduensis | Diky Dwiyanto | Celebica | Indonesia, Asia | $5,000 |
| Invertebrate | CR | Kenya dancing-jewel | Platycypha amboniensis | Anthony M. Karani | University of Embu | Kenya, Africa | $5,000 |
| Invertebrate | NE | Fuji cave scaffold-web spider | Speleoticus uenoi | Francesco Ballarin | Tokyo Metropolitan University | Japan, Asia | $5,000 |
| Invertebrate | CR | Cave scorpion | Tityopsis sheylae | Tomas Michel Rodríguez Cabrera | Instituto de Ecología y Sistemática | Cuba, North America | $5,000 |
| Mammal | EN | European ground squirrel | Spermophilus citellus | Mikhail Rusin | Kyiv Zoo | Ukraine, Europe | $4,950 |
| Mammal | EN | Tuco-tuco cordobés | Ctenomys bergi | Enzo Rossi | Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal IDEA-CONICET | Argentina, South America | $5,000 |
| Mammal | DD | Khartoum gerbil | Gerbillus stigmonyx | Ibrahim Hashim | Sudanese Wildlife Society | Sudan, Africa | $5,000 |
| Mammal | EN | White-bellied pangolin | Phataginus tricuspis | Gladys Kamasanyu | Help African Animals | Uganda, Africa | $5,000 |
| Mammal | NT | Rusty-spotted cat | Prionailurus rubiginosus | Ramjan Chaudhary | Rusty Spotted Cat Working Group (RSCWG) | Nepal, Asia | $5,000 |
| Mammal | LC | Geoffroy's cat | Leopardus geoffroyi | Felipe Bortolotto Peters | Geoffroy’s Cat Working Group (GCWG) | Brazil, South America | $5,000 |
| Mammal | NT | Asiatic golden cat | Catopuma temminckii | Gyajo Lama Bhote | Clouded Leopard Working Group | Nepal, Asia | $5,000 |
| Mammal | LC | Caracal | Caracal caracal | Sami Ullah Majeed | Wadi Wurayah National Park - Fujairah Environment Authority | United Arab Emirates, Asia | $5,000 |
| Mammal | NT | Rusty-spotted cat | Prionailurus rubiginosus | Vikram Tiwari | Rusty Spotted Cat Working Group | India, Asia | $5,000 |
| Mammal | VU | African golden cat | Caracal aurata | Mac Elikem NUTSUAKOR | KNUST | Ghana, Africa | $5,000 |
| Mammal | VU | African golden cat | Caracal aurata | Eduardo Lutondo | Fundação Kissama | Angola, Africa | $5,000 |
| Mammal | VU | Cheetah | Acinonyx jubatus | Rebecca Klein | Cheetah Conservation Botswana | Botswana, Africa | $5,000 |
| Type | IUCN | ||||||
Project Management
Mubadala Investment Company, the Abu Dhabi-based sovereign investor, entered a three-year partnership with the MBZ Fund to support conservation initiatives around the world. Through the partnership, Mubadala Investment Company will provide the MBZ Fund with US $1.5 million annually to be directed towards supporting endangered flora and fauna in Africa, Asia and South America.
Mubadala Investment Company Grants
Large Projects, Sponsored by Mubadala
Mubadala Investment Company, the Abu Dhabi-based sovereign investor, has entered a three-year partnership with the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund (MBZ Fund) to support conservation initiatives around the world. Through the partnership, Mubadala Investment Company will provide the MBZ Fund with US $1.5 million annually to be directed towards supporting endangered flora and fauna in Africa, Asia and South America; particularly in countries where Mubadala Investment Company has portfolio companies including Colombia, Guinea, Indonesia, Thailand – representing some of the world’s biodiversity hotspots.
These grants, while larger in scope and longer in duration than the traditional MBZ Fund small grants programme, complement the MBZ Fund’s already significant support for species conservation globally, and the Fund’s policy of supporting hands-on, field conservation activities. These “Mubadala Grants” are implemented by our trusted and experienced local conservation partners, supported by Mubadala and its assets, and managed by the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund. All the partners in this effort are dedicated to conserving the species that form the building blocks of life on earth and by applying their passions for conservation will help turn the tides against the extinction crisis.
View websiteProject Management
Large Project Stories 2022
Large Projects in Colombia 2022
From forests to rivers: Finding some of Colombia's most endangered species
Large Projects in Guinea 2022
Mitigating threats to the African manatee, Atlantic humpback dolphin and marine turtles
Large Projects in Indonesia 2022
From forest to coast: Conserving Indonesia's threatened felids and sea turtles
Indonesia spreads across almost 18,000 islands. Whilst these only represent one percent of the world’s land area, remarkably their rainforests are home to 10 percent of the world’s known plant species, 12 percent of all mammal species and 17 percent of all known bird species.
Philanthropy
The MBZ Fund manages a portfolio of Abu Dhabi's philanthropic interests related to species conservation that extends across the world and different species.
Philanthropy
Panthera
Founded in 2006, Panthera is devoted to the conservation of the world’s 40 species of wild cats and the vast ecosystems they inhabit. Our team of biologists, data scientists, law enforcement experts and wild cat advocates studies and protects the seven species of big cats: cheetahs, jaguars, leopards, lions, pumas, snow leopards and tigers. Panthera also creates targeted conservation strategies for the world’s most threatened and overlooked small cats.
Using the expertise of the world’s premier cat biologists, Panthera develops and implements global strategies for the seven species of big cats: cheetahs, leopards, jaguars, lions, pumas (also known as mountain lions or cougars), snow leopards and tigers. Panthera also studies and protects the world’s most threatened species of small cats through our Small Cats Program.
Representing the most comprehensive effort of its kind, Panthera partners with local and international NGOs, scientific institutions, local communities and governments around the globe and citizens who want to help ensure a future for wild cats. Panthera and their partners have measurably stopped or reversed cat decline at sites around the globe.
Accomplishments include:
- Building the Tigers Forever Protocol, which has helped tiger populations rebound in key sites across India and Nepal and is turning the tide against poachers in Southeast Asia.
- Spearheading the Jaguar Corridor Initiative to protect critical jaguar habitat across 18 countries and keep jaguar populations connected (and genetically diverse) from northern Mexico to northern Argentina.
- Advancing wildlife technology with our revolutionary PoacherCams that help to catch poachers in real-time.
- Forging an extraordinary alliance between six Indigenous tribes and state and national government agencies to preserve pumas and bobcats in Washington State.
- Formulating a comprehensive strategy to study and conserve the 33 species of small cats.
Our impact can also be measured by the growth of other local wildlife species, the economic opportunities and benefits our projects provide to local communities, the reduction of incidents of crime and wildlife part trafficking in and around protected areas and the number of people who join our movement. Protecting cats provides a host of ecosystem and community benefits, from the maintenance of key watersheds to the creation of ecosystem industry jobs.
View websiteFinancials
Endowment
The endowment
The endowment of the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund was created in April 2009, with an initial allocation of $27.5m. Since then, it has been managed in such a way as to provide for the financial needs of the small grants programme in perpetuity.
The long-term objective of the endowment, as described in its Investment Policy Statement, is:
- to make annual distributions for the benefit of species conservation, in accordance with the MBZ Fund’s spending rule;
- to preserve the capital in US dollars over a 10-year time horizon; and, to the extent that these two objectives are met;
- to grow the capital by having financial returns in excess of the distributions made.
spot-billed Pelican (Thailand) © Bird Conservation Society of Thailand
TO BE EDITED
The endowment’s capital has risen from $27.5m (initial allocation) to $33.0m at the end of 2021, while $18.3m have been distributed in grants over the same period, achieving all three of the endowment’s goals. Distributions for 2021 were actually $1.5m but at the beginning of the reporting period, there were $0.1m of withdrawals linked to 2020.
The Fund’s Investment Policy targets a long-term rate of return on assets of 5% net, measured in USD and using a total return approach (income as well as capital gains). Since inception, the annualised net performance of the endowment has been +5.7% (MW), slightly above the target. Over the last five years, it has been +7.3% (MW), significantly above the target.
During the course of 2021, the last Private Debt investment was liquidated (Q1), and the same goes for Microfinance (Q4). The Investment Policy has passed the 3-year mark and the world has massively changed (Covid pandemic and its consequences for governments, corporations and households), a revision will take place in early 2022. At the end of the year, the endowment was managed by Goldman Sachs, Banque Pictet and PGIM (Real Estate).
Trachypithecus Obscurus Eating Bamboo Leaves (Thailand) © WCS
Looking back: 2022 in review
2022 was seen as the year of rebuilding after a few pandemic stricken years. 2022 started off on the right foot, but in the space of 12 months, the UK has had three prime ministers and two monarchs, Russia went to war with Ukraine, causing a global financial and energy crisis, and after dominating our lives for more than two years, the coronavirus pandemic finally took more of a back seat.
On the local front, the UAE stock markets were the second-best performing stock market in 2022, and the best in US dollar terms with a gain of 37 per cent.
“Economic growth has been robust this year, led by a strong rebound in tourism, construction and activity related to the Dubai World Expo, as well as higher oil production in line with the OPEC+ production agreements. Overall, GDP growth is projected to reach above 6 per cent in 2022, improving from 3.8 per cent in 2021,” said Ali Al-Eyd, who led an International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff team, which held discussions with UAE authorities for the 2022 Article IV Consultation from November 2-17.
The UAE shows no signs of slowing down, which bodes well for the Fund and applicants looking to make a difference in conservation.
Bird Surveys © Allan Taman
TO BE EDITED
The Future: 2022 and Beyond
As mentioned, the Investment Policy Statement of the Fund will be reviewed in early 2022. Among other points, the Private Equity weight will probably be increased, to cater for the strong increase of the endowment PE value, while the Fixed Income overall weights will probably be decreased.
We are experiencing what could prove to be a historical change of regime, after 35-40 years of falling interest rates and tamed inflation (the “Great Moderation”). In the short term, high prices for energy and food, persistent supply chain disruptions, sustained demand and rising wages could fuel persistent high core inflation in 2022. Looking further down the road, the energy transition phase may bring a protracted period of higher inflation, the energy bill rising with the combination of insufficient production capacity of renewable energies in the short run, subdued investments in fossil fuels and rising carbon prices. Gas prices are a case in point. But it goes beyond just energy commodities, with the importance of materials such as copper, lithium and nickel to the clean energy transition.
Financials
Distribution of funds
Distribution of proceeds
In 2022 the Fund supported 179 projects selected from XXXX grant applications. With restrictions lifted on the Covid pandemic, we were able to support more applicants than in 2021. We also managed to extend our reach by covering an additional XXX countries and XXX species and sub species. The average fund size awarded was $8,913.92 compared to $9,056 from funds in 2021.
Distribution of funds by species type
Distribution of funds by continent
Distribution of Funds by IUCN Red List
The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund remains dedicated to fulfilling the vision of His Highness General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to support species conservation efforts in all their forms across the globe. Inspired by this vision, and the dedication of the many conservationists, researchers and scientists working in the field to assess and protect our most vulnerable flora and fauna, the Fund is committed to preserving the extraordinary biodiversity of Earth for generations to come.
www.speciesconservation.org
Mailing address:
The Mohamed bin Zayed Species
Conservation Fund
P.O. Box 131112
Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
