Fund Aims to Protect 30% of Southeast Asia’s Oceans

A group of private funders has launched the 30×30 Southeast Asia Ocean Fund. The fund aims to raise USD$5 million over the next five years to support efforts to protect 30% of Southeast Asia’s oceans by 2030.

Southeast Asia is home to approximately a third of the world’s coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangroves—ecosystems critical for marine biodiversity, climate resilience, and livelihoods. Yet less than 3% of the region’s waters are currently protected.

The fund is being spearheaded by three groups: Rumah Foundation the philanthropic arm of the Singapore-based family office Rumah Group, Oceankind a philanthropic fundraising service based in California, and Asia Community Foundation an independent donor-advised fund based in Singapore.

The 30×30 Fund has three core objectives: Establish new marine protected and conserved areas; expand coverage of existing protected areas; enhance the effective management of these critical sites; and support diverse approaches to ocean conservation, extending beyond Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to include Indigenous Territories, Locally Managed Marine Areas and other people-centered conservation frameworks

The Impact Fund will also support a diverse range of strategic activities designed to advance the Fund’s key objectives, including:

• Capacity building
• Policy and planning
• Outreach and education
• Applied research
• In situ conservation activities/measures
• Sustainable and innovative financing
• Livelihood-focused interventions
• Multi-stakeholder collaboration
• Management and enforcement
• Technology and innovation

Expressions of interest are now open. The minimum annual individual contribution is $15,000, with expected grant sizes ranging from $20,000 to $500,000.