Key Landscapes
Greater Ruaha Landscape
The conservation and sustainable development objectives of the Greater Ruaha Landscape (GRL) present a powerful case for deploying blended finance to bridge the investment gap between public good and private capital. Blended finance refers to the strategic use of catalytic capital from public or philanthropic sources to mobilize private investment toward sustainable development, especially in emerging markets. This report outlines key blended finance models that are applicable to the conservation and sustainable investment goals of the Ruaha Landscape, with examples, structuring options, risk mitigation tools, and relevance to sectors such as ecotourism, bio-credits, community enterprises, and green infrastructure.
Why Blended Finance for Ruaha
The GRL, covering approximately 45,000 km², includes Ruaha National Park, wildlife corridors, and community-managed areas. It is a high-biodiversity, low-investment ecosystem with untapped potential across multiple verticals: tourism, nature credit markets, regenerative livelihoods, and biodiversity protection
Challenges that blended finance can address include:
- Perceived high risk by private investors - Lack of investment-ready conservation enterprises - Long return horizons and untested revenue streams - Weak enabling infrastructure and legal frameworks
Opportunity
The scale and urgency of the conservation challenges and opportunities in Ruaha demand innovative finance structures. Blended finance provides a credible, structured pathway to unlock catalytic capital from diverse sources and drive sustainable impact. With the right partners, governance, and program design, Ruaha can become a flagship landscape for blended conservation finance in Africa.