The Finnish Minister of Environment Paula Lehtomäki pledged half a million Euros for the LifeWeb Initiative at the 9th meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP). Minister Lehtomäki stated that “The LifeWeb Initiative will have a great impact worldwide. Losing biological diversity is a threat comparable to climate change and we must fight against it. Biologically diverse forests form a crucial piece of the solution in the battle against climate change and natural disasters. Preserving biological diversity is also a lifeline for local communities.”

The Finnish Prime Minister, Mr. Matti Vanhanen, announced the first project that Finland will support through LifeWeb on 16 March 16 2010 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Also in March 2010, the government of Finland stated that it will look for further opportunities to support nature conservation projects through the LifeWeb Initiative in the future.

Funded Expressions of Interest

United Republic of Tanzania Western Tanzania Livelihoods and Forest Conservation Project In the forested regions of western Tanzania two project sites with protected areas at their core include communities that depend on and are essential for future sustainability and improved effectiveness of these protected areas. Yet these communities threaten the viability of the forest and freshwater upon which they depend.

Peru Conservation and Ecological Restoration of Lomas and Community-based Management of Natural Resources in Atiquipa The Atiquipa lomas, located in the Caravelí province, Arequipa Region, are the most important and best preserved in Peru and contain the only remaining patch of lomas forest in the world.