Emirates Nature-WWF Receives $250,000 Grant from Visa Foundation to Support Environmental Conservation in the UAE

Dubai, United Arab Emirates [May 29, 2023] – Emirates Nature-WWF announced a $250,000 grant from Visa Foundation to support 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.

Emirates Nature-WWF’s conservation work focuses on creating transformative impact for people and 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.

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.

The 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, activates volunteers to create change on the ground through trainings, 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.

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."

For more information about Emirates Nature-WWF, visit https://www.emiratesnaturewwf.ae/en. To learn more about the latest grants, partnerships, programs, and events from Visa Foundation, visit visafoundation.org

About Visa Foundation

Visa Foundation seeks to support inclusive economies where individuals, businesses and communities can thrive. Through grantmaking and investing, the Foundation prioritizes the resilience and growth of micro and small businesses that benefit women. The Foundation also supports broader community needs and disaster response in times of crisis. Visa Foundation is registered in the U.S. as a 501(c)3 entity. For more information visit: visafoundation.org

About Emirates Nature-WWF

Emirates Nature-WWF is an environmental NGO charity established to conserve the United Arab Emirates’ natural heritage and build a future where people and nature thrive. The organization was founded in 2001 by our Honorary Founder and President, H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler’s Representative in the Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the Governing Board of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, as a legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed’s vision for the United Arab Emirates.

For two decades, Emirates Nature-WWF has been a prominent and active partner in environmental conservation in the MENA region. We work in association with WWF, one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organizations.

As a local conservation think-tank and pioneers of the “Leaders of Change” program, the world’s first-ever digital membership platform for the environment – we empower, convene and mobilize civil society, government entities and businesses to support the UAE’s sustainability agenda and deliver transformative impact at scale for the benefit of people and planet alike.

Learn more about the “Leaders of Change” program at www.leadersofchange.ae