Third Party Funds Group - Overall project
Start date : 01.07.2025
End date : 30.06.2029
Wealth by super-rich philanthropists, flowing through international conservation NGOs, and generated by the luxury nature tourism industry, has become a significant driver of change in and around conservation areas in the Global South. While many of these areas are rich in biodiversity, the decision-makers and funding for conservation efforts typically come from the Global North. This has led to a situation where a small number of wealthy individuals from North America and Europe exert considerable influence over decisions that impact vast regions of the planet. This concentration of power at times raises doubts and causes concern, but stakeholders also argue that without private wealth, it will be impossible to protect biodiversity in the long term.
Based on media research and field work in Chile, Tanzania and Ecuador, the aim of our project is to unravel the transformative effects of wealth utilized for biodiversity conservation on a local, regional and global scale, focusing on billionaire philanthropists, international conservation NGOs, and the luxury nature tourism industry. We examine actors and distributional effects, and analyze the material realities, practices, and discursive framings. We hope to generate new insights that have the potential to inform policies addressing the urgent issues of biodiversity conservation and social justice.
Wealth by super-rich philanthropists, flowing through international conservation NGOs, and generated by the luxury nature tourism industry, has become a significant driver of change in and around conservation areas in the Global South. While many of these areas are rich in biodiversity, the decision-makers and funding for conservation efforts typically come from the Global North. This has led to a situation where a small number of wealthy individuals from North America and Europe exert considerable influence over decisions that impact vast regions of the planet. This concentration of power at times raises doubts and causes concern, but stakeholders also argue that without private wealth, it will be impossible to protect biodiversity in the long term.
Based on media research and field work in Chile, Tanzania and Ecuador, the aim of our project is to unravel the transformative effects of wealth utilized for biodiversity conservation on a local, regional and global scale, focusing on billionaire philanthropists, international conservation NGOs, and the luxury nature tourism industry. We examine actors and distributional effects, and analyze the material realities, practices, and discursive framings. We hope to generate new insights that have the potential to inform policies addressing the urgent issues of biodiversity conservation and social justice.