AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE & NATURE RECOVERY FUND RESPOND, RESTORE, AND BUILD A RESILIENT FUTURE

The WWF Australian Wildlife & Nature Recovery Fund raised $50 million to address the catastrophic 2019-2020 bushfires, which burned over 29 million acres of forest and killed or displaced nearly 3 billion animals. The fund's activities were divided into three phases: immediate emergency response (Phase I), landscape restoration and protection (Phase II), and long-term societal future-proofing (Phase III). Key investments included $10 million for Indigenous engagement to incorporate traditional fire management, $9 million for species recovery and adaptation, and $8 million to stabilize climate change. Specific projects included the deployment of seed drones to restore koala habitats, the establishment of a wildlife hospital in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, and the development of fire-resistant nest boxes for the greater glider. The fund's work has transitioned into a five-year comprehensive campaign called 'Regenerate Australia' to mitigate future climate events.

• The 2019-2020 bushfires had a catastrophic impact on Australia's environment, burning over 29 million acres of forest and woodlands and resulting in the death or displacement of nearly 3 billion animals.
• The WWF Australian Wildlife & Nature Recovery Fund raised $50 million globally, with $9 million contributed by the US, to support emergency response, habitat protection, and climate adaptation.
• The fund allocated its $50 million across several thematic areas, with the largest single investment of $10 million dedicated to Indigenous engagement to integrate traditional knowledge into natural resource management.
• Immediate response efforts (Phase I) included providing urgent veterinary care, food and water drops for starving wildlife, and the use of drones and detection dogs to locate surviving koalas.
• To address the lack of veterinary facilities in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, WWF is establishing a new wildlife hospital and operating the Byron Bay Mobile Wildlife Hospital to improve survival rates for threatened species.
• WWF is utilizing innovative drone seeding technology to restore koala habitats in eastern Australia; a trial in November 2021 seeded 27 acres with over 40 plant species, demonstrating a capacity to plant 40,000 seedlings per day per drone.
• In collaboration with the Firesticks Alliance, WWF is supporting the re-establishment of Indigenous cultural fire practices in southeastern Australia to create more resilient landscapes.
• To protect the greater glider, which lost nearly one-third of its nationwide habitat in the 2019-2020 fires, WWF and the Australian National University are developing fire-resistant, thermally appropriate artificial nest boxes.

APA

WWF International (2022). AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE & NATURE RECOVERY FUND RESPOND, RESTORE, AND BUILD A RESILIENT FUTURE. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/s9a7ghpfl_WWF_AUS_Bushfire_Fund_Final_Report_FINAL.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE & NATURE RECOVERY FUND RESPOND, RESTORE, AND BUILD A RESILIENT FUTURE. 2022. https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/s9a7ghpfl_WWF_AUS_Bushfire_Fund_Final_Report_FINAL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE & NATURE RECOVERY FUND RESPOND, RESTORE, AND BUILD A RESILIENT FUTURE |date=April 2022 |url=https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/s9a7ghpfl_WWF_AUS_Bushfire_Fund_Final_Report_FINAL.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2022australian, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE \& NATURE RECOVERY FUND RESPOND, RESTORE, AND BUILD A RESILIENT FUTURE}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2022}, month = apr, url = {https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/files/Publication/file/s9a7ghpfl_WWF_AUS_Bushfire_Fund_Final_Report_FINAL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }