Dryland restoration has historically struggled to attract commercial capital — returns are slow, and the ecological risk profile is unfamiliar to most investors.
VIA Foundation's new blended finance facility pairs a philanthropic first-loss layer with co-investment from regional development banks, absorbing early risk so private capital can enter with confidence.
The structure has mobilised $12M for dryland restoration projects across the Sahel in its first year, a model VIA Foundation now plans to replicate for coastal and highland landscapes.