International sources

Biodiversity conservation is increasingly benefiting from assistance from multilateral development banks, such as the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the African Development Bank. This funding is typically available only to governments as a loan for the establishment and maintenance of protected areas, often given in support of a national conservation plan. The Global Environment Facility (GEF) was established to address biodiversity loss (where it acts as the funding arm of the CBD) and the degradation of international waters and brings together 166 member governments, leading development institutions, the scientific community, and a wide spectrum of private sector and non-governmental organisations. In 1998, 36 nations pledged $2.75 billion to protect the global environment and promote sustainable development.

Bilateral agencies such as CIDA (Canada), DANIDA (Denmark), JICA (Japan), NORAD (Norway), SIDA (Sweden), SDC (Swiss) and the development assistance programme of the European Union fulfil their governments' obligations, through the CBD, to invest in biodiversity conservation. Most have a target group of developing countries upon which they concentrate assistance.

Foundations are created by wealthy individuals, groups or corporations who wish a portion of their wealth to be given to causes which they support. There are a number of such foundations committed to the environment, conservation or other causes related to protected areas which work at the international level. The largest concentration of these is to be found in the USA. Like bilateral agencies most international foundations have specific interests, or have chosen a geographical focus.