Mohamed BakarrSenior Environmental Specialist

GEF Familiarization SeminarWashington, DC

January 17 – 19, 2012

GEF Strategies, Activities and Accomplishment: Land Degradation Focal Area

GEF is a Financial Mechanism of the UNCCD

Land Degradation Focal Area is main GEF financing window Sustainable Land Management

GEF financing leverages resources in agriculture, livestock, forestry for global environmental benefits

Investing in Sustainable Land Management supports implementation of the UNCCD by affected country Parties

Land Degradation Focal Area GEF Mandate – Finance efforts to arrest and reverse current global trends in land degradation, specifically desertification and deforestation.

GEF Focus – Sustainable Land Management (SLM) in production landscapes

Impacts:• Flow of ecosystem services increased or maintained• Sustained crop, livestock, and forest productivity• Sustainable livelihoods for people

Financial Leverage for SLM

4

Total Investments to-date

Total Investments in GEF-4(US$ Millions)

GEF Investing in SLM Globally• Respond to Country Demands

- Local and national level investment in SLM

• Support Regional Development Priorities• Support the implementation of UNCCD 10 yr Strategy

GEF Financingby Region (GEF-4)

GEF-5 Priorities•Address three main drivers of ecosystem degradation (i.e. loss of ecosystem services):

- land use change (loss of vegetative cover)- natural resources consumption (loss of biodiversity) - climate change (GHG emissions, vulnerability risks)

• Facilitate enabling environments at national and regional levels – policies, institutions, and investment frameworks (Sustainability)

• Targeted interventions at local, national, and regional scales, including transboundary areas

GEF-5 Results-based Framework$405 million allocated to the LD Focal Area

Multiple Benefits in Production Landscapes

• Soil fertility restoration and enhancement• Land and water conservation and improvement • Carbon sequestration • Biodiversity conservation above and below

ground• Options for household food security and

income (Development)

The GEF is a Financial Mechanism of the

UNCCD

GEF Objectives in the Land Degradation Focal Area

1 Maintain or improve flow of agro-ecosystem services to sustaining livelihoods

2 Generate sustainable flows of forest ecosystem services in drylands

3 Reduce pressures on natural resources from competing land uses in the wider landscape

4 Increase capacity to apply adaptive management tools in Sustainable Land Management

GEF and the UNCCD Ten-Year Strategy

GEF Outcomes and Impacts

• Enhanced enabling environment for SLM• Improved agricultural and rangeland

management• Reduced GHG emissions from agriculture and

deforestation • Increased carbon stocks in production

landscapes

GEF Outcomes and Impacts (contd.)

• Improved forest landscape management in drylands

• Increased adoption of good land management practices in landscape

• Increased capacities of affected Parties to fulfill obligations under the UNCCD

GEF-5 ProgressCouncil Approvals with LD Resources (through Nov 2010)• 4 Programmatic Approaches

– Sahel and West Africa (World Bank)

– Lake Chad Basin (AfDB)– MENA Deserts and

Livelihoods (World Bank)– Greater Mekong Regional

(ADB)

• 29 separate PIFs• All regions represented

Total Investments (millions US$)

GEF-5 Progress (contd.)Investment by LD FA Objectives (millions US$)

Questions?

Thank you for your attention