Emirates Nature-WWF announced a $250,000 grant from Visa Foundation to aid the non-profit’s mission to co-create and implement science-based projects that support local nature and wildlife preservation, climate action, market transformation, and the green economy, and food and water security in the UAE.
Industry sources added that Emirates Nature-WWF’s conservation work focuses on creating a transformative impact for people and the planet, in alignment with national and international goals. The grant from Visa Foundation will enable the expansion of conservation efforts to build resilient rural communities in the UAE, with a focus on promoting nature-positive farming.
Agroecology and sustainable principles will be utilized to limit the use of agrochemicals, enhance water efficiency and encourage intercropping, contributing to the revitalization of traditional farming for current and future generations. This project demonstrates how Nature-based Solutions can be implemented to strengthen climate adaptation, enhance biodiversity, and benefit society.
Industry sources further added that this grant is a part of the Visa Foundation Gives program, an ongoing initiative dedicated to addressing local social issues in the communities surrounding Visa’s largest global offices. Through the Visa Foundation Gives initiative, Visa employees will also have an opportunity to volunteer for nature, in nature through Emirates Nature-WWF’s flagship Leaders of Change program.
The UAE’s pioneering civil mobilization movement, Leaders of Change, activate volunteers to create change on the ground through training, ideation sessions, and exciting volunteering excursions. By engaging volunteers around nature and creating opportunities to discover wild spaces and wildlife, the program aims to change internal mindsets across the country and empower individuals to take action for nature – through real, impact-driven conservation projects that are being implemented on the ground.
Emirates Nature-WWF will involve the local community as well as civil society in the implementation of the project, with an aim to spread awareness of sustainable farming practices and scale-up the delivery of transformative impact.
Laila Mostafa Abdullatif, Director General at Emirates Nature-WWF commented: “Partnerships have consistently played a pivotal role in Emirates Nature-WWF’s 22-year journey of leading conservation projects in the UAE. We are honored to be selected by Visa Foundation for this generous grant, a testament to their commitment, which will support our local conservation initiatives in the Year of Sustainability and beyond. “
“We are proud to introduce this important initiative in the UAE and focus our support on issues that matter to Visa employees and the communities where they live and work,” said Graham Macmillan, President, Visa Foundation. “We are dedicated to working with local organizations who are making a meaningful difference and so we are pleased to extend this grant to Emirates Nature-WWF to support them in delivering transformative impact in environmental conservation in the UAE.”
