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                                     Media Advisory

 

International fund marks new country-driven path to combat climate change, gives money to coastal protection

 

Senegal officials will sign a memorandum of understanding for the first project to be funded by the Adaptation Fund, established to assist developing countries adjust to the effects of climate change. Developing countries can access the resources from the fund directly, without the intermediation of multilateral development institutions, which is unprecedented for an environmental financial mechanism. The Senegalese project, focusing on protecting coastline from the harmful effects of sea level rise, is the first one of this kind. Speakers from the government and the AF will be available for interviews following the ceremony.

 

Where: 1225 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 2nd Floor

When: November 11, 2010, 6 :30 pm EST

Speakers:

  • Monique Barbut, Head, Adaptation Fund Board secretariat, CEO and Chairperson Global Environment Facility
  • Assize Toure, General Manager, Centre de Suivi Ecologique, Senegal
  • Farrukh Iqbal Khan, Chair, Adaptation Fund Board

 

For more information or to set up interviews, please contact:

Marcia Levaggi: Adaptation Fund Board Secretariat Manager: Tel. + 1(202) 473-6390 - Fax +1(202) 522-3240 - Cell + 1(240) 755-6904 – Email: mlevaggi@thegef.org.



About the Adaptation Fund

The Adaptation Fund was established by the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to finance concrete adaptation projects and programs in developing countries that are Parties to the Kyoto Protocol. The Fund is financed with 2% of the Certified Emission Reduction (CERs) issued for projects of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and other sources of funding.

The Adaptation Fund is managed by the Adaptation Fund Board (AFB). The AFB is composed of 16 members and 16 alternates and meets 4 times a year. The Global Environment Facility (GEF) currently provides secretariat services to the AFB and the World Bank serves as trustee of the Adaptation Fund.

 

BACKGROUND

Senegal is the first country to be certified as a National Implementing Entity (NIE) accredited in March 2010.

The project aims to increase climate resilience of vulnerable coastal areas in Senegal with the budget of USD 8,619,000 (equivalent) over two years. The program focuses on three vulnerable coastal areas: Rufisque, Saly, and Joal; in recent years, the coastline in these areas has receded by 1 to 4 meters per year [3 to 12 feet].

PROJECT DETAILS

Specific objectives of this project include: protect coastal areas against erosion, including houses and economic infrastructure such as fish processing areas, fishing docks, tourism or cultural infrastructure.

How do we protect?

The solution is to use tested and proven climate-proofed coastal infrastructure. For the AF project the government will establish 380 meters of coastal protection in Rufisque, and protect 3km2 of coastal lowland in Saly. To combat salinization of agricultural lands used to grow rice in Joal, anti-salt dikes will be built.

Also funds will be used to: assist local communities, especially women, in the coastal districts of Joal in managing fish processing areas, and to conduct an awareness raising program and training related to adaptation and its adverse effects.

The project will also raise awareness on adaptation and train communities on climate change coastal adaptation techniques and good practices as well as help develop and implement appropriate regulations for the management of coastal areas.

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