Darwin Initiative: Scoping and Fellowship awards 2009

The Darwin Initiative assists countries that are rich in biodiversity but poor in financial resources to implement the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) through the funding of collaborative projects which draw on UK biodiversity expertise.

Huw Irranca-Davies, Minister for the Natural & Marine Environment has announced 25 new grants for Scoping projects under Defra’s flagship Darwin Initiative.

These will support the development of future projects under the Darwin Initiative. Three of the projects are in UK Overseas Territories. He also announced four new Fellowship awards to further the development of promising project members in developing countries. Together these grants total over £135,000.

One of the scoping projects approved is in the Overseas Territory of St Helena. A team will visit the area to scope the potential for a project on the Islands Millennium Forest looking at conservation, evolution and a changing climate. Many threats to biodiversity in Overseas Territories reflect those witnessed globally, and resonate specifically with the problems facing other small island systems.

Since its launch in 1992 the Darwin Initiative has committed £73 million to 644 projects in 149 countries.