Kenya among beneficiaries of Kunming Biodiversity Fund at COP16

Kenya is among the beneficiaries of the Kunming Biodiversity Fund, unveiled at the ongoing United Nations Biodiversity Conference 2024 (COP 16) in Cali, Colombia.

The Kunming Biodiversity Fund Executive Council has approved nine small-scale projects across six continents, supporting 15 developing nations.

Led by Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP; Huang Runqiu, Minister of Environment and Ecology of China; and Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the CBD, the Council urged beneficiaries to utilize the fund to enhance biodiversity and focus on key targets outlined in the Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Global Framework.

During the announcement, Minister Huang emphasized, “We hope that relevant parties will use this opportunity provided by the Kunming Fund to enhance biodiversity protection, foster a sense of community among nations, and focus on key targets that advance the 2030 Agenda and the Kunming Framework.”

Established in 2021 during COP 15, the Kunming Biodiversity Fund was initially announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping during a leadership summit, pledging 1.5 billion RMB to support developing nations. The fund aims to enhance technology and capacity while championing multilateralism.

The nine small-scale projects include one from Central Europe, four from the Asia-Pacific region, two from Africa, and two from South America.

In total, they represent 15 countries, including Kenya, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Bulgaria, Chile, Papua New Guinea, Nepal, Malawi, Namibia, Trinidad and Tobago, Samoa, Albania, Ethiopia, and Madagascar.

Implementing agencies for these projects include the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

(This story was produced as part of the 2024 CBD COP 16 Fellowship organized by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network.)