Some 90 participants from international environmental agencies and national governments around the world traveled to Washington this week to attend a Familiarization Seminar hosted by the Global Environment Facility.

Meeting at World Bank headquarters, the attendees, shown in the picture below, participated in seminar presentations on a range of GEF programs, policies, procedures and the various funding opportunities available, with special emphasis this year on aspects related to issues of Biological Diversity.

Washington DC, January 17, 2012 - The Land for Life Award will recognize innovation and excellence in sustainable land management, particularly collaborative efforts that promote soil health.

Three winners will be selected by an expert jury which will grant awards from a total prize fund of up to USD 100,000.

January 11,2012. Washington D.C-  Understanding the value of forests and biodiversity, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the World Bank and BirdLife International collaborated with the Dak Lak Peoples Committee on the Integrated Watershed and Biodiversity Management (IWBM) project in 2005. The project focused on Chu Yang Sin National Park which now protects nearly 60,000 hectares of forests of great significance for the conservation of biodiversity and the upper watersheds of the Sre Pok River  - one of the largest tributaries of the Mekong River.

December 7, 2011, New York

Kanazawa, Japan, 17 December 2011-  The GEF and the Japan Ministry of Environment signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to promote and implement activities related to the Satoyama Initiative, launched under the leadership of Japan at the 10th Convention of Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Kanazawa, Japan 17 December 2011-  A year ago, the 10th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity marked a historical milestone as the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing as well as the Strategic Plan on Biodiversity and Aichi Targets were adopted. Following the event, the GEF has made significant progress in translating these commitments by participating countries into concrete actions on the ground.

Mechanism for Voluntary Mitigation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Colombia

Durban, South Africa, December 8, 2011 - As the COP 17 is held in the City of Durban (eThekwini Municipality), the Government of South Africa and Global Environment Facility (GEF) are taking the opportunity to demonstrate South Africa's strong commitment to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Demonstrations of Integrated Ecosystem and Watershed Management in the Caatinga