LETTER FROM THE CEO
Monique Barbut
Dear Colleagues,
In March comes spring so it is fitting that we also celebrate World Water Day, a reminder that water is life. Most of the year we take water for granted, but when droughts and floods come it reinforces that this precious resource remains chronically mismanaged, an undervalued commodity in which drinking water and sewage treatment do not reach the customers that need it the most: the poor and the vulnerable. Meanwhile national water reforms remain too slow in coming and pollution discharges continue unabated. More...
Simultaneous extraordinary meetings of the conference of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions
The three global chemicals conventions, the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, address complementary aspects of the lifecycle of chemicals, or of a country's regime for sound management of chemicals. More...
GEF: Rapid Response to the Wenchuan Earthquake
The Wenchuan Earthquake in Sichuan in China was a major catastrophe that led to more than 87,000 deaths, destroyed homes of more than 5 million people, and produced direct economic losses of $120 billion. About one month after the main shock of the earthquake occurred on May 20, 2008, the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) of China submitted to the GEF a project on Rapid Assessment of Chemical. More...
World EXPO 2010 in Shanghai
As part of the GEF International Waters (IW) focal area experience sharing and learning program, the Fifth GEF Biennial International Waters Conference was held in Cairns, Australia October 24-29, 2009. Co-hosted by the Government of Australia and the GEF, the Fifth Biennial IW portfolio conference is the latest in a series of such South-to-South learning meetings of the GEF IW portfolio the last decade that have been held in Hungary, China, Brazil, South Africa, and now Australia. More...
GEF-UNIDO Partnership supports POPs-free Industries
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) plays a leading role in the implementation of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. More...
New Publications
Many chemicals are dangerous to human and ecosystem health. Among the worst is a range of synthetic organic compounds that persist in the environment for long periods of time. GEF’s involvement in tackling the threats posed by these Persistent Organic Pollutants dates back to 1995. In the ensuing years, the GEF has committed US$ 360 million to projects in the POPs focal area and leveraged some US$ 440 million in co-financing to bring the total value of the GEF POPs portfolio to US$ 800 million.
A large fraction of life on earth is disappearing at a frightening rate, threatening the very basis of human economies, cultures and livelihoods. Over the last 50 years, human activities have changed ecosystems more rapidly and extensively than at any comparable period of time in history.
Our Story, Our Results. GEF investments promote synergies that generate multiple global benefits
CREDITS
Editor: Patrizia Cocca, GEF Communication Officer, pcocca@thegef.org