GEF adaptation funds to accelerate action in Nigeria, 19 other countries

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 programmes will support governments in achieving national climate adaptation priorities, from upscaling nature-based solutions to build resilient rural livelihoods to enabling climate-proof infrastructure and basic services in urban centres.

The projects will be financed through the GEF’s two specialised climate change adaptation funds – the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) and the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF).

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.

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 yearly 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.

Scaling up GEF investments in the Pacific, SCCF projects will catalyse multilateral development bank funding in Fiji, Micronesia, and Nauru, reducing disaster risks through implementing multi-hazard early warning systems, as well as climate-proofing water and coastal infrastructure.

The latest programming brings GEF adaptation investments to over $620.7 million in grants under the current GEF-8 funding cycle, complemented by over $2 billion in co-finance.

The GEF-managed 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 programmes 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.

GEF CEO and Chairperson, Carlos 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.”