The Work Program for the GEF Trust Fund comprises 18 projects and one program from all five focal area envelopes – biodiversity loss, chemicals and waste, climate change, international waters, and land degradation.

The LDCF work program comprises eight projects, of which four address “urgent and immediate climate change adaptation priorities in at least four LDCs”.

The Council also endorsed the next four-year replenishment period for the GEF whose funding level of USD 5.33 billion represents a 30% increase from GEF-7. The Council of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) approved the final Work Program under the GEF’s seventh replenishment (GEF-7) cycle amounting to USD 165.8 million. Convening as the Council for the Least Developed Countries Fund/Special Climate Change Fund (LDCF/SCCF), the Council also endorsed the last GEF-7 work program for the LDCF totaling USD 72.4 million.

The 62nd meeting of the GEF Council took place from 21-23 June 2022, in McLean, Virginia, US, convening in person for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in early 2020.

The Work Program for the GEF Trust Fund comprises 18 projects and one program from all five focal area envelopes – biodiversity loss, chemicals and waste, climate change, international waters, and land degradation – and from the non-grant instrument funding window. The Secretariat said “the Work Program would contribute to a green and blue recovery and direct significant resources to small island developing States (SIDS) and least developed countries (LDCs), with Africa holding the largest share.” UNCCD Deputy Executive Secretary Andrea Meza Murillo presented highlights from the UNCCD process, including the recent successful conclusion of COP 15 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and stressed the need for implementation that was seen across the Rio Conventions. She emphasized how key messages from the second Global Land Outlook launched in the run-up to COP 15 had generated momentum and helped to reach stakeholders. She highlighted the first “Food Day.” at a Rio Convention COP, a decision that included the concept of nature-based solutions, a new intergovernmental working group on drought, and the clear acknowledgement that SDG 15.3 on land degradation neutrality (LDN) has created momentum for both implementation of the UNCCD and synergies across the three Rio Conventions.

UNCCD Deputy Executive Secretary Andrea Meza Murillo welcomed the GEF-8 replenishment and increased flexibility for countries to allocate resources across focal areas, highlighting the need for pre-project support and financial requirements to promote implementation of LDN targets.

READ further from the source and check out the report from the meeting.