LGT Venture Philanthropy renews its partnership with Landesa

Mumbai, India, March 2026 – LGT Venture Philanthropy Foundation (LGT VP) is delighted to announce the renewal of its partnership with Landesa to support the organisation's ambitious Coastal Livelihoods and Mangroves Programme. Through this continued collaboration, LGT VP will support Landesa in advancing its mission of protecting ecologically vital mangrove forests across seven countries in South and Southeast Asia by strengthening land governance and enabling policy reforms at local, national, and regional levels. The partnership builds on Landesa's leadership in using land tenure and governance as a powerful tool to safeguard ecosystems while improving the livelihoods of communities that depend on them. LGT VP's funding and strategic support will further strengthen Landesa's organisational capacity and help expand the evidence base needed to drive durable policy change and large-scale ecosystem protection.

Landesa, the pioneer of improving land governance to fight poverty, is now using it as a tool against climate change.

Established in 1981, Landesa has long focused on strengthening land rights and governance for marginalized communities because evidence has shown that landlessness is the best indicator of a family slipping into poverty. Initially, Landesa worked to secure land titles for vulnerable populations, particularly women, enabling them to pursue sustainable livelihoods. Over time, Landesa identified the transformative potential of improved land governance, especially secure tenure for communities in addressing climate change. With mangrove forests being vital carbon sinks, nurseries for diverse marine life, and an important livelihoods source, Landesa has identified their protection and restoration as a key focus area of its climate action efforts. 

Landesa's Coastal Livelihoods and Mangroves Program aims to protect ~33% of world's mangrove forests.

The Coastal Livelihoods and Mangroves Programme (CLMP) supports local, national, and regional governments in drafting and adopting policies to protect mangroves, improve community livelihoods, and mitigate climate change. Mangroves, which play a critical role in climate regulation, biodiversity preservation, and local economies, face increasing threats from development pressures and weak tenure rights. Alarmingly, 50% of mangrove ecosystems are at risk of collapse. With Asia hosting 40% of world's mangrove forests, Landesa identified seven priority countries in South and Southeast Asia (India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Indonesia) which require immediate action. The programme is now being implemented in two countries in East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania). CLMP aims to protect and restore close to 5 million hectares (~33% of global mangrove forests), mitigate 1.3 billion tCO2, and benefit 119 million people across these nine countries.

Oliver Karius, CEO and Partner of LGT Venture Philanthropy, explains: "Over the past year, we have seen Landesa make strong progress in advancing policies and partnerships that strengthen community land rights while protecting critical mangrove ecosystems. Their ability to work with governments across the full policy lifecycle from piloting solutions on the ground to shaping policy frameworks and supporting implementation, is one of Landesa's greatest strengths and a key reason we are excited to deepen this partnership. We are pleased to continue our partnership to help scale this work." Over the past year, we have seen Landesa make strong progress in advancing equitable policies that simultaneously supports mangrove protection and community rights."

Chris Jochnick, CEO of Landesa, echoes: "We're thrilled to deepen our partnership with LGT VP as we scale our efforts to create lasting change for millions of coastal inhabitants through law and policy tools, improvements to forest management and land use planning, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and community education and awareness. Mangrove ecosystems provide security and livelihoods for millions in coastal areas, shelter abundant biodiversity, and store massive amounts of carbon – four times more than tropical rainforests. These coasts and their fishing communities also link with broader seascapes, where marine tenure plays a critical role in conservation. Protecting land and resource rights in these areas can promote social and economic development while also safeguarding our planet."

Landesa is an international non-governmental organization that advances inclusive, equitable, and gender-sensitive land rights reforms through law and policy tools. Secure land rights improve livelihoods, boost agricultural productivity, empower women and youth, protect Indigenous Peoples' culture, and help rural communities respond to climate change. Based in Seattle and with offices in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Kenya, Liberia, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Thailand, Landesa has equipped more than 705 million people with stronger land rights in the past five years. For more information, please visit www.landesa.org. 

LGT Venture Philanthropy (LGT VP) is an independent charitable foundation established in 2007 with partners in Switzerland, Sub-Saharan Africa, and India. The Foundation strives to improve the quality of life of people facing disadvantages, contribute to healthy ecosystems, and build resilient, inclusive, and prosperous communities. LGT VP focuses on strengthening the capabilities of locally rooted organisations that deliver effective, scalable solutions across health, education, and the environment contributing directly to the SDGs. For more information, please visit www.lgtvp.com.

 Read the full press release here.