TerraFund for AFR100 - Spring

Team Members: Oliver Hegi (Manager), Katyana Wardhana (Deputy Manager), Eziekiel Maben (Report Lead), Sarah Bryan (Report Lead), Gan Sylvia, Pauline Jozefiak, João Adrien, Haotian Ni, Mel Peh, Kate Zabinsky

Africa’s AFR100 initiative has committed to restoring 100 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, yet locally led restoration projects face persistent barriers to accessing financing. Despite strong ecological and social benefits—including improved food security, climate resilience, and biodiversity protection—many restoration initiatives struggle to meet funder requirements due to limited technical capacity, inconsistent monitoring systems, and fragmented reporting standards. Analysis of TerraFund-supported projects revealed that small and community-based organizations are particularly disadvantaged in accessing capital, even though they play a critical role in delivering restoration outcomes. Gaps in standardized data collection and performance measurement further limit funders’ ability to evaluate project effectiveness and scale successful interventions.

Strengthening financial access requires improved alignment between funder expectations and local project capacity. Establishing standardized, practical monitoring frameworks improves transparency while reducing administrative burdens on local organizations. Developing streamlined application processes, providing technical assistance, and creating flexible funding structures significantly increase the ability of locally led projects to secure financing. Improving data systems also enhances funders’ confidence in project outcomes, facilitating long-term investment and scaling. These findings demonstrate that addressing structural financing barriers is essential to accelerating land restoration and achieving AFR100 goals. Strengthening financial and technical support for locally led restoration enables more equitable, effective, and sustainable ecosystem recovery while enhancing climate resilience and supporting rural livelihoods across the African continent.

Learn more about the MPA-ESP Capstone projects.