The Global Environment Fund (GEF) continues to collaborate with the people of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), supporting environmental stewardship through continued provision of new and additional grants and concessional funding related to the core focal areas of GEF.
This ongoing collaboration with the people of T&T has undoubtedly made positive impacts on the country’s policies, procedures and interventions related to issues such as natural resources usage and management, biodiversity, land degradation, climate change, use of ozone depleting substances and persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
Since introduction in T&T in 1991, GEF funding and co-financing from local and regional partners, resulted in 24 projects being initiated totaling in excess of US$530M, with an overall ratio of 25% GEF funding and 75% co-financing. This represents a significant commitment and investment in the people of T&T and the preservation of its environment. The GEF/T&T partnership projects initiated over the years have produced long-term, sustainable interventions aimed at addressing critical environmental issues.
The distribution of initiated projects by focal areas has been as follows:
- Climate change: 5 projects totaling US$122M
- Biodiversity: 5 projects totaling US$47M
- International Waters: 3 projects totaling US$170M
- POPs: 3 projects totaling US$54.5M
- Land Degradation: 2 projects
- Capacity Development: 1 project totaling US$20M
In addition to the direct positive impacts to the environment from GEF funded projects, the ongoing work of the various GEF agencies also assisted tremendously in strengthening capability of public and private partners involved in the areas of project financing, project management, project development, evaluation and measurement, and overall improved governance structures and systems locally.
Looking beyond T&T’s shores and projects implemented here, GEF has facilitated important environmental dialogue and sharing of experiences across the region. This is aptly demonstrated by the Expanded Constituency Workshops for the Caribbean Region. These workshops have provided important opportunities for GEF focal points and other important stakeholders to come together to explore opportunities for addressing region-wide issues related to impacts such as climate change, which have the potential to severely affect the livelihoods of Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) such as T&T’s.
GEF continues to play an important role as a partner in furthering T&T’s environmental agenda. The Government of T&T and by extension the people, look forward to this continued beneficial partnership which has produced tremendous positive results.