Nature holds the key to safeguarding species, ecosystems, and building a climate-resilient, sustainable future.
Protecting nature has invaluable benefits — water and food security, soil fertility, pollination, and other environmental services critical for humanity’s survival and prosperity. Achieving this requires transitioning from practices that degrade biodiversity and natural resources to approaches rooted in traditional knowledge and modern conservation science, promoting coexistence and sustainability.
However, mobilizing the funding necessary to support this shift remains challenging, requiring coordinated efforts to link land neutrality, nature, and climate finance. According to the UN Environment Programme’s State of Nature Finance report (2022), meeting the Rio Convention targets — such as limiting climate change to 1.5°C, conserving 30% of land and sea by 2030, and achieving land degradation neutrality — demands a significant increase in financing for nature-based solutions. Current investments of $200 billion annually must nearly triple to 542 billion by 2030 and quadruple to 737 billion by 2050.
As apex predators, wild cats play a crucial role in maintaining the health of the landscapes they inhabit, including the arid regions being highlighted at the upcoming UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) COP16. These magnificent animals are essential for preserving ecological balance and combating land degradation and desertification. By exerting top-down control on the food chain, wild cats regulate populations of smaller mammals and herbivores, preventing overgrazing and soil erosion. They also help control zoonotic diseases and support the hydrological cycle, all of which are vital in the fight against desertification and the preservation of fragile ecosystems.
Panthera is at the forefront of this global effort, demonstrating how sustainable funding directly benefits wild cats and the environments they inhabit. One of Panthera’s key goals is to improve or stabilize leopard populations at key sites within 20% of range states by 2030, including species like the Arabian leopard.
By preserving habitats, we’re not just protecting wild cats like the Arabian leopard from extinction — we’re also promoting climate resilience and protecting vital resources for countless communities. Innovative financing mechanisms and forward-thinking partnerships ensure our conservation strategies deliver real impact, from combating land degradation to safeguarding biodiversity.
Panthera’s dedication to sustainability and conservation stands as a global example of how we can safeguard the natural world. Panthera is dedicated to the conservation of wild cats and their habitats are honored to be part of this vision. As UNCCD COP 16 approaches, Panthera is honored to be part of this global vision, contributing to critical conversations on nature conservation, sustainability, and innovative funding mechanisms to protect species like the Arabian leopard and beyond.
At UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Panthera will highlight the critical role of wild cat conservation in achieving land degradation neutrality. According to UNCCD, land degradation neutrality is defined as maintaining or enhancing the amount and quality of land resources needed to support ecosystem functions, services, and food security within specific temporal and spatial scales.
In collaboration with the Arabian Leopard Fund, Panthera will host an event during COP16 to share key insights and lessons from nature and climate finance, emphasizing their relevance to advancing land neutrality finance.
Panthera collaborates with the Arabian Leopard Initiative, striving to rescue the Critically Endangered Arabian leopard from extinction.
Join the movement to protect the Arabian leopard from the brink of extinction. Your support is the key to making a lasting impact. By contributing to Panthera, you enable Panthera to leverage cutting-edge technology, fund innovative conservation programs, and protect the future of wild cats and their vital ecosystems. Together, we can ensure a thriving future for these majestic creatures and the habitats they call home.
Donate today and double your impact! Thanks to the Ayers Wild Cat Conservation Trust, all donations made through December 31 will be matched dollar-for-dollar. Together, we can build a sustainable future for wild cats, their habitats, and our shared planet.
Act now— to double your gift this Giving Tuesday! Donate today.
By joining our email list, you will receive the latest conservation updates, exciting stories from the field, our monthly newsletter, and more.
Join Our Email ListPanthera cares about your privacy. Read our Privacy Policy.
© Sebastian Kennerknecht
