Experts say debt-for-nature deals make sense where a government has expensive debt or needs new funding, and holds an ecological asset that it values. They're gaining traction abroad and hold potential closer to homeA growing number of developing nations are making commitments to protect nature – in exchange for much-needed debt relief from creditors. It’s a trend that Africa is particularly well placed to capitalise on.
The idea is to swap an expensive portion of a government’s debt with a new instrument that offers much more favourable terms. The savings are then spent on high-impact environmental projects, such as conservation programmes and renewable energy build-outs.Get 14 days free to read all our investigative and in-depth journalism. Thereafter you will be billed R75 per month. You can cancel anytime and if you cancel within 14 days you won't be billed.