First round of RDM grants announced at UNGA80
New York, 23rd September 2025
On the margins of the 80th United Nations General Assembly, the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People (HAC for N&P) announced the first ten grants awarded through its Rapid Deployment Mechanism (RDM), with each recipient country receiving USD $50,000.
The announcement was made by H.E. Arnoldo André Tinoco, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica, during the Nature Leaders’ High-Level Event: Safeguarding Nature, Securing Peace, and a Sustainable Future.
“Each of these nations has presented bold, high-impact proposals to chart tangible progress on the 30×30 goal, to enhance conservation of land or ocean, and to deepen inclusion and local ownership,” said Minister André Tinoco. “These 10 countries will serve as beacons, showing how early-stage investments can lead to bigger mobilizations, deeper partnerships, and demonstrable conservation outcomes.”
About the Rapid Deployment Mechanism
Launched following HAC for N&P’s 2024 Earthshot Prize win in the “Revive Our Oceans” category, the RDM provides swift, small-scale grants to developing country members to overcome financing bottlenecks and build momentum for the 30×30 target. Funds are channeled through local NGOs in partnership with national authorities to ensure effective delivery and accountability.
Current efforts supported include assisting the Cook Islands to develop a management plan to support the World Heritage nomination of the Maungaroa Valley, helping Ghana to establish its first Marine Protected Area, and supporting Colombia to develop a Conservation Priorities Platform to guide the designation of new protected and conserved areas and inform private sector engagement.
First Round of RDM Grantees
Marine Protection
- Ghana
- Seychelles
- Peru
- Maldives
Land & Community Conservation
- Burkina Faso
- Malawi
- Thailand
- Cook Islands
Technology & Planning
- Kenya
- Colombia
Looking Ahead
HAC for N&P Director Rita El-Zaghloul said, “We are proud to have delivered the first RDM grants so quickly and look forward to working with our partners to realize their 30×30 contributions, and to supporting more member countries going forward. We thank the Earthshot Prize for enabling us to make this vision a reality.”
Additional RDM rounds are planned, subject to funding from donors, philanthropies, and public and private partners, to help more members translate ambition into measurable action.
Notes to Editors
The following outlines details on countries selected for the RDM grant:
Ghana
Establishing the country’s first Marine Protected Area and catalyzing broader national marine conservation commitments.
Seychelles
Transforming Denis Island Marine Sustainable Use Area from a paper park into a fully operational, co-managed, tech-enabled MPA.
Peru
Assessing three candidate marine OECMs and advancing at least one for official recognition.
Maldives
Mapping new Protected and Conserved Areas, integrating scientific and local ecological knowledge, and co-developing a national 30×30 Roadmap.
Burkina Faso
Legally registering and stewarding 13 community forests as OECMs, with active women’s cooperative involvement.
Malawi
Restoring and improving governance of the Rare Forest to serve as a model OECM.
Thailand
Generating biodiversity data and securing community consent to recognize community forests as OECMs, creating a scalable national model.
Cook Islands
Developing a management plan to support the World Heritage nomination of the Maungaroa Valley.
Kenya
Building a GIS platform to identify and manage approximately 30 percent of Mombasa County’s terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
Colombia
Developing a Conservation Priorities Platform to guide new protected and conserved areas and inform private sector engagement.
About the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People
The HAC for N&P is an intergovernmental coalition of 122 countries committed to securing the global 30×30 target to conserve and manage at least 30 percent of the world’s land and ocean by 2030.
Media Contact
Email: communications@hacfornatureandpeople.org
Website: hacfornatureandpeople.org