SOS Fund Announces Support for 23 Species Conservation Initiatives

9 February 2012: The Save our Species (SOS) fund, initiated by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), has finalized the selection of 23 species conservation projects, to be conducted by 19 different organizations, to which it will allocate US$3.3 million. Of the species to be addressed, four are located in Latin America, nine in Africa, and 14 in Asia.

This first round of projects will focus on species groups that are completely assessed on IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species and already have specific conservation action plans in place.

SOS Director Jean-Christophe Vié noted that the loss of species threatens human well being, sustainable development and poverty reduction, and that nature is "our ultimate safety net." The SOS projects will protect entire habitats upon which both people and wildlife depend, he said.

SOS has raised over US$9 million to date, and aims to increase private sector participation. [GEF Press Release] [Project Locations]