United Nations Development Programme Global Environment Facility Group

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United Nations Development Programme Global
Environment Facility Group

• Protecting the Earths Life Support Systems
• Biosphere
• Atmosphere
• Hydrosphere

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The Biosphere

• BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY is shrinking due to species
  extinction.
• This permanent loss of genetic resources
  threatens
• ecosystem functioning
• agrobiodiversity
• the entire web of life
• Primary human-induced causes degradation of
  ecosystems, deforestation and desertification

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The Atmosphere

• CLIMATE CHANGE - 1998 had the highest average
  temperature since beginning of record-keeping 150
  years ago. Records set in each of last 18 months.
• Climate change threatens to
• Inundate coastal areas due to sea level rise
• Generate more frequent extreme weather events
• Degrade agro/ecosystems, spread desertification
• Primary human-induced cause green house gas
  emissions of CO2, methane, and nitrous oxide from
  burning of fossil fuels and wood

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The Hydrosphere

• INTERNATIONAL WATERS are being polluted and
  over-exploited on a massive scale.
• Degradation of the oceans and shared fresh water
  bodies threatens
• all aquatic species, food-chains, ecosystems
• fresh water resources available for human uses
• Primary causes discharge of contaminants from
  ship-borne and land-based sources

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Environmental Conventions

• Global Environment Facility provides the
  financial mechanism for implementation of
• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
  Change (UNFCCC)

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Global Environment Facility Timeline

• 1991 - 1994 1 Billion to launch GEF Pilot
  Phase1995 - 1998 2.2 Billion allocation-GEF
  Operational Phase 1
• 1999 - 2001 2.8 Billion replenishment-GEF Phase
  2

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GEF Governance Structure
COUNCIL 32 Members 18 Recipient 14 Donor
ASSEMBLY All 164 Members
CONVENTIONS Provide Policy Guidance

• GEF Council meets every 6 months to review and
  approve all projects, Work Programmes, Business
  Plans, policies.
• GEF Assembly meets every 3 years to review
  general policies, operations, and amendments to
  the GEF Instrument.

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GEF Operational Framework
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GEF Implementing AgenciesA Tripartite
Partnership
World Bank investment projects, GEF fund
trustee UNDP technical assistance / capacity
building projects UNEP certain global projects,
support STAP
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GEF Funding Opportunities

• Full-size Projects (1 million and up)
• Medium-sized Projects (up to 1 million)
• Project Development Funds (up to 350,000)
• Small Grants Programme (up to 50,000)
• Enabling Activities

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GEF Operational Programmes

• 1) Biodiversity Arid and semi-arid
  ecosystems
• 2) Biodiversity Coastal, marine, freshwater
  ecosystems
• 3) Biodiversity Forest ecosystems
• 4) Biodiversity Mountain ecosystems
• 5) Climate Change Removing Barriers to energy
  conservation
• 6) Climate Change Promoting adoption of
  renewable energy by removing barriers and
  reducing implementation costs
• 7) Climate Change Reducing the long-term costs
  of low GHG-emitting energy technologies
• 8) International Waters Water-based program
• 9) International Waters Integrated land and
  water Multiple Focal Area
• 10) International Waters Contaminant-based
  program

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Key to GEF Partnership Incremental Cost

• Cost of activities for the global environment
  beyond what is required for national development
• GEF projects must complement national programmes
  and policies to maximize global benefits
• Establish the baseline
• Determine cost of GEF alternative
• Incremental Cost (project budget) GEF
  Alternative - Cost of Baseline

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Other Project Eligibility Requirements

• Country-driven and endorsed by host government
• Produce identifiable global benefits
• Participation of all affected groups and
  transparency
• Consistency with the Conventions
• Possess strong scientific and technical merit
• Financially sustainable and cost-effective
• Include processes for monitoring, evaluation, and
  incorporation of lessons learned
• Play catalytic role that leverages other financing

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Biodiversity Project Examples

• Belize Coastal Zone Management
• Created coastal zone authority, legislation, and
  plans for managing longest barrier reef in
  Western Hemisphere
• Azraq Oasis
• Developed and implemented successful restoration
  of oasis ecosystem vital to local and migratory
  species
• Mesoamerican Biological Corridor
• Coordinating multi-donor, region-wide initiative
  to assemble jointly managed system of protected
  areas

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Climate Change Project Examples

• Brazil Biomass Gasification Turbine (BIG-GT)
• Coordinated public/private partnership to
  develop and build worlds first commercial scale
  BIG-GT plant
• Zimbabwe Rural Solar Energy Project
• Created special production and financing system
  that has installed over 9,000 small-scale PV
  units to date
• China Coal-bed Methane Recovery Project
• Transferred and adapted technology that has
  since attracted over 200m for further
  implementation

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International Waters Project Examples

• East Asian Seas Regional Programme
• Demonstrated successful approaches to integrated
  coastal zone management that will be replicated
  across region
• Black Sea Regional Programme
• Assisted countries in identifying priority
  transboundary issues and developed Strategic
  Action Programme
• Gulf of Guinea Large Marine Ecosystem Project
• Built regional and national capacities for
  sustainable management of marine and coastal
  ecosystems

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Annual UNDP-GEF Work Programmes Fiscal Years
1995-2000
Figures as of Jan. 1999. FY 1999 2000
projections are based on approved 3 year Business
Plan
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UNDP-GEF Total Portfolio

• Number of full Projects
• 136 Climate Change
• 129 Biodiversity
• 17 Intl Waters

Total Portfolio (with PDFs) as of Jan. 1999
756 million
FY99 Projection
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Project Distribution by Region
Africa Arab States 140.8m
94.55m Asia Pacific
Global 189.29
25.66m Europe CIS 72.11m Latin America
Caribbean 153.43m
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UNDP-GEF Enabling Activity Projects

• 79 countries have Biodiversity Enabling
  Activities
• 84 countries have Climate Change Enabling
  Activities
• -- To prepare national communications to a
  convention compilation of information,
  inventories, dissemination of information.
• -- To prepare plans, strategies or programmes to
  fulfill Convention commitments policy analysis,
  training, strategy and action plan development.

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GEF Small Grants Programme

• Managed by UNDP
• Provided up to 50,000 to over 1,100 projects
• Operational in 43 countries
• 30 million replenishment 50 must be cofinanced
• National level Coordinators and Selection
  Committees guided by Country Strategies

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Project Implementation Review

• 1996
• Increase Time Frames
• Ensure stakeholder participation in project
  decision-making

• 1997
• Importance of Legislation
• Form Technical Committees
• Establish Impact Ratings

• 1998
• Perform capacity needs assessment
• Leveraging continues throughout project
  implementation
• Importance of local income-generating
  activities
• Use Logical Framework for monitoring/evaluation

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UNDP-GEF Administrative Budget

• UNDP-GEF Group is financially independent of
  UNDP.
• GEF Fiscal Year runs 1 July to 30 June. GEF
  Council approves annual Work Programme targets in
  October.
• Administrative budget determined by approved Work
  Programme targets.
• Administrative budget resources must be returned
  if Work Programme targets are not met.

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Corporate GEF Programmes Managed by UNDP

• Small Grants Programme
• Climate Change Enabling Activity Support
• Biodiversity Enabling Activity Support
• GEF Country Workshops

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GEF Project Cycle
Work Program Approval
Concept Paper
Project Brief
Project Document
IN-COUNTRY CONSULTATION REVIEW
GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATION SUPPORT
Independent Technical Review
IA Field Project Approval
IA Country Office
IA Headquarters Review
GEF CEO/Chairman GEF Council
IA Headquarters
GEFOP
Signing by IA Government
GEF CEO/Chairman
Project Development Funds
FUNDING AND IMPLEMENTATION
GEF Council
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Reasons for the UNDP-GEF Growth

• Clear mission provide support to project
  developers and implementers both on the ground
  and in relations with the GEF Council,
  Secretariat, World Bank and UNEP.
• Group structure is decentralized yet adapted to
  high-level interaction - very efficient for
  producing GEF-able projects.
• HQ professionals are expert at arranging
  incremental costs -- paving the way for
  approval of projects by GEF Council

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Annual UNDP-GEF Strategies

• 1996 The GEF A Strategic Imperative for UNDP
• Predicted GEF could account for 20 of UNDP
  business by 1998. Identified need to strengthen
  management capacity
• 1997 Reengineering UNDP-GEF
• Focused on decentralizing expertise through
  development of subregional consultant networks
• 1998 UNDP-GEF Action Plan
• Focused on training - HQ hands-on program
• Systems development - PIMS II and intranet

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1999 Strategy / Challenges

• Set up Country Workshops Unit
• Set up new Small Grants Programme Team
• Set up Enabling Activity Support Teams
• Enhance Monitoring, Evaluation, and Project
  Implementation support
• Enhance internal and external project
  communications
• Strengthen subregional consultants network

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UNDP-GEF Organizational Chart
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Global Environment and the Future of
International Cooperation

• GEF reflects a new spirit of global cooperation
  rooted in collective dependence on the earths
  biosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere.