Representatives of Global Environment Facility (GEF) member states have approved $106.21 million in funding for urgently needed climate adaptation action in Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States.
Spanning 20 countries, the 11 newly announced projects and programs will support governments to achieve national climate adaptation priorities, from upscaling nature-based solutions to build resilient rural livelihoods, to enabling climate-proof infrastructure and basic services in urban centers.
The projects will be financed through the GEF’s two specialized climate change adaptation funds – the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) and the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF).
The latest announcement comes in the context of a renewed global commitment to financing climate adaptation, with COP29 in Baku seeing governments agree to triple annual outflows from multilateral funds including the LDCF and SCCF by 2030.
New donor funding announced during this week’s LDCF/SCCF Council meeting included a pledge of 2,269,680 euros to the LDCF from the Walloon Region of Belgium, an additional contribution of 15 million euros to the LDCF and a pledge of an additional 20 million euros to the SCCF from Germany, a contribution of 130 million Swedish kronor to the LDCF from Sweden, and a pledge of 10 million British pounds to the SCCF from the United Kingdom.
Newly approved LDCF initiatives include efforts to secure agricultural productivity and water resources in Sub-Saharan Africa, including projects in Benin, The Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo, and Uganda. In conflict-affected Yemen, LDCF funding will support climate-smart agriculture to build resilience for farming families across 21 of the country’s most vulnerable districts.
Scaling up GEF investments in the Pacific, SCCF projects will catalyze multilateral development bank funding in Fiji, Micronesia, and Nauru, reducing disaster risks through implementing multi-hazard early warning systems and climate proofing water and coastal infrastructure.
GEF CEO and Chairperson Carlos Manuel Rodríguez said that the support provided through the LDCF and SCCF to Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States was a vital element in enabling action on the frontlines of the climate crisis.
“In these countries, climate-induced disasters threaten not only lives, but livelihoods, and development progress,” Rodríguez said. “I am grateful that the international community continues to see the value in these funds, and to share our trust in their ability to meet the adaptation needs of the world’s most climate-vulnerable populations.”
The latest programming brings GEF adaptation investments to over $620.7 million in grants in the current GEF-8 funding cycle, complemented by over $2 billion in co-finance.
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Annex
LDCF Programs and Projects
GLOBAL
Phase 2: NBS Invest. Accelerating investment in nature-based solutions to help address climate adaptation in Least Developed Countries
This project expands the first phase of the project to accelerate IDA and blended investments for climate resilience in new regions beyond Africa, including Asia and the Pacific. It will broaden the scope of the project, resulting in mobilizing new World Bank investment for nature-based solutions intervention of $1.2 billion by 2030.
Implementing agency: World Bank
Financing agrochemical reduction and management plus (FARM+)
The multi-trust fund program builds on the previous FARM program, and will help with the transition to sustainable, climate-resilient agricultural practices by reducing agrochemical use, improving productive landscapes and soil health and reducing soil and water pollution.
Countries: Benin, Costa Rica, Egypt, Gambia, Ghana, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria
Implementing agencies: UNDP, UNEP, UNIDO, FAO, AfDB
AFRICA
CAR Inclusive and resilient cities project
This project will improve access to climate resilience infrastructure and basic services in selected cities, focusing primarily on Bangui and Berberati.
Country: Central African Republic
Implementing agency: World Bank
Upscaling ecosystem-based adaptation to enhance ecosystem services and community adaptive capacity in Tanzania's Greater Serengeti Ecosystem
This project seeks to create a transformative change in the climate resilience of rural crop and livestock farmers in the Greater Serengeti Ecosystem, by creating a sustainable model to scale up ecosystem-based adaptation and community-based land management.
Country: Tanzania
Implementing agency: UNEP
Strengthening the resilience of natural and agro-ecosystems and communities to climate change in Central Togo
This multi-trust fund project will develop coordinated planning, validation, and adoption of a 10-year action plan for restoration and generative agriculture to enhance the adaptive capacity and resilience of communities in priority areas of Togo’s Central region.
Country: Togo
Implementing agency: UNDP
Fostering water security and catchment resilience in Uganda’s Cattle Corridor
This project will promote sustainable and climate-resilient land and water management in the cattle corridor by enhancing access to safe and clean water, resilient and sustainable alternative livelihoods and stronger coordination mechanisms.
Country: Uganda
Implementing agency: CI
Programme for innovation in climate adaptation and resilience building solutions
This program seeks to unlock the ingenuity and creativity of micro, small and medium enterprises to drive innovative climate adaptation and resilience building block solutions.
Countries: Angola and Madagascar
Implementing agency: UNIDO
ASIA & THE PACIFIC
Promoting climate-resilience through ecosystem-based adaptation in the Northern Lao PDR
This project seeks to enhance the resilience and sustainable livelihoods in the watershed areas of Northern Lao PDR – Nam Phark river basin, Nam Ou river basin, Nam Kor catchment and Ngeum river -- by accelerating the integration of ecosystem based adaptation.
Country: Lao PDR
Implementing agency: UNDP
MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA
Building climate resilience for vulnerable groups in rural and urban areas of Yemen
This multi-trust fund project addresses food and water insecurity through an integrated approach to sustainable land and water management and climate-smart agriculture in communities in 21 districts across five governates in Yemen.
Country: Yemen
Implementing agency: UNDP
SCCF Programs and Projects
ASIA & THE PACIFIC
Resilience enhancement through adaptation in the Pacific
This project seeks to enhance climate resilience in three small island developing states through integrated water resource management, sustainable coastal management and community-led disaster risk reduction.
Countries: Fiji, Micronesia and Nauru
Implementing agency: ADB
Strengthening climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and combating land degradation through ecosystem-based adaptation in Samoa
This multi-trust fund project will enhance the resilience of Samoa’s ecosystems and communities by integrating ecosystem-based adaptation solutions into watershed management, while also addressing biodiversity conservation and combatting land degradation.
Country: Samoa
Implementing agency: UNDP
About the Least Developed Countries Fund
The GEF-managed Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) is the only multilateral fund that focuses exclusively on the unique climate adaptation needs of Least Developed Countries. LDCF provides support in several priority areas for adaptation including agriculture, water, food, health, nature-based solutions, infrastructure, and climate information services. It builds institutional capacity for adaptation planning, scaling up finance, engaging the private sector, and adopting a whole-of-society approach for inclusive adaptation. The LDCF has financed 432 projects and programs with approximately $2.2 billion in grants. This has directly benefited more than 77.6 million people and strengthened the management of more than 14.2 million hectares of land for climate resilience.
About the Special Climate Change Fund
The GEF-managed Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) helps developing countries address the negative impacts of climate change through innovation, technology transfer, and private sector engagement. It also offers targeted support to Small Island Developing States, given their specific climate adaptation needs. The SCCF has provided $408 million in grants for 103 projects related to climate-resilient agriculture value chains, improved water management, integrated coastal management, climate risk insurance, nature-based solutions, and more. These initiatives have benefited approximately 9.5 million people and helped bring almost 5.3 million hectares of land under more sustainable management.
About the Global Environment Facility
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a multilateral family of funds dedicated to confronting biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution, and supporting land and ocean health. Its financing enables developing countries to address complex challenges and work towards international environmental goals. The partnership includes 186 member governments as well as civil society, Indigenous Peoples, women, and youth, with a focus on integration and inclusivity. Over the past three decades, the GEF has provided more than $26 billion in financing and mobilized $149 billion for country-driven priority projects. The family of funds includes the Global Environment Facility Trust Fund, Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF), Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), Nagoya Protocol Implementation Fund (NPIF), and Capacity-building Initiative for Transparency Trust Fund (CBIT).
