GEF Strategies, Activities and Accomplishment: Land Degradation Focal Area

1. GEF Strategies, Activities and Accomplishment: Land Degradation Focal Area Mohamed Bakarr Senior Environmental Specialist GEF Familiarization Seminar Washington, DC January 17 – 19, 2012

2. 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

3. 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

4. Financial Leverage for SLM Total Investments to-date Total Investments in GEF-4 (US$ Millions)

5. GEF Investing in SLM Globally GEF Financing by Region (GEF-4) Respond to Country Demands - Local and national level investment in SLM Support Regional Development Priorities Support the implementation of UNCCD 10 yr Strategy

6. 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

7. $405 million allocated to the LD Focal Area GEF-5 Results-based Framework

8. 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)

9. GEF and the UNCCD Ten-Year Strategy 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 The GEF is a Financial Mechanism of the UNCCD

10. 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

11. 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

12. GEF-5 Progress Council Approvals with LD Resources (through Nov 2010) Total Investments (millions US$) • 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

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