By Albert Ansah
Accra, March 10, GNA -The Global Environmental Facility (GEF) says it is likely to focus on its focal areas, including biodiversity, climate change, chemicals, waste, and land degradation in its next funding cycle-GEF nine.
The GEF, a multilateral fund working together to address the planet’s most pressing challenges, said although a major decision on the focus areas of the next strategy would be made in May 2025 in Paris, building on its successes.
Ms Susan Waithaka, Senior Country Relations Officer at GEF, said this at the opening of a two-day training for Operational Focal Points (OFPs) from across West Africa to enhance governance, oversight, and strategic management of environmental projects in Accra.
The training is jointly being organised by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), in collaboration with the Tropical Biology Association would foster stronger collaboration and learning among African nations in the effective utilization of GEF resources
Participants are from Western Africa countries, including Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Sao Tome Principe, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Liberia, Cabo Verdie, Cameroon, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Cote D’Ivoire and Benin.
The workshop features key sessions on best practices in project oversight, ensuring greater financial accountability, and strategic alignment with national priorities.
Ms Waithaka said, “What is also happening now is that we also have the GEF independent evaluation office. They typically do a review of what GEF has achieved during the GEF eight period which will inform our strategy for GEF nine. The strategy is currently being developed.”
She said the final decision would inculcate lessons, learning from new developments and new science.
“We have a scientific and technical advisory panel (2:25) that will also provide scientific advice for the replenishment,” she noted.
Dr Peter Justice Derry, the Operational Focal Person for Ghana, said the country was preparing to take full advantage of the upcoming GEF replenishment cycle, to bolster its environmental and sustainable development initiatives.
He said Ghana had consistently accessed funding to the tune of 100 million dollars from the GEF since 1992 and remained one of the few countries that have participated in every replenishment cycle.
Some of the projects Dr Dery said included Ghana Landscape Restoration Project, Forest conservation, Gold Plus Initiative targeting responsible mining, and e-waste management projects.
“These projects have not only provided critical infrastructure but also improved agricultural yields, rehabilitated national parks, and strengthened sustainable water and land management across communities,” the official noted.
The GEF, he said, used geospatial technologies to monitor project implementation in real time and required both mid-term and final evaluations.
Dr Dery said a challenge remained that rigidity of GEF programming frameworks, which sometimes do not align with national development priorities.
“There’s often a need to tailor national projects to fit GEF requirements, which may not always reflect what a country truly wishes to pursue at a particular time,” the official said.
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