IUCN to implement US$23 million GEF project portfolio to tackle biodiversity loss and boost climate resilience

“From Himalayan forests to Pacific coral reefs and the globally significant wetlands of North Africa, this latest round of GEF funding will help restore and strengthen the vital ecosystems on which endangered species and millions of people rely for their survival and well-being,” said IUCN Director General Dr Grethel Aguilar. “At a time of accelerating biodiversity loss and climate impacts, these projects demonstrate the power of science, partnership and community leadership to drive real change on the ground. As implementing agency, IUCN is proud to empower and work alongside governments, local communities and partners to turn global ambition into tangible action – strengthening resilience, restoring nature and helping build a more sustainable future for people and planet alike.”

“This new support shows what global partnerships can achieve. Through country-led action, the GEF is helping deliver lasting environmental benefits for communities, ecosystems and the planet,” said Claude Gascon, Interim CEO and Chairperson of the GEF.

With a duration of 5 years, the project “Accelerating Community-led Actions for Ecosystem Resilience and Biodiversity Conservation through Integrated Landscape Management” in India will receive an investment of US$7.28 million from the GEF. IUCN will serve as the GEF lead agency, with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as co-implementing agency. Executed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India, the project is designed to strengthen institutional collaboration and participatory approaches in the States of Jharkhand and Uttarakhand, integrating solutions to address threats to forest ecosystems at a landscape scale. It will reduce forest-fire degradation, enhance resilience to invasive species, replicate fire-smart forest restoration models involving local communities, and improve the management of at least 300,000 hectares of forests and productive landscapes. More than 2,500 households and 10,000 people are expected to benefit from the initiative.

In the South Pacific, the project “Ridge to Reef Ecosystem Restoration in Solomon Islands” will be implemented by IUCN and executed by the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology of the Solomon Islands, with a 4-year investment of US$6 million from the GEF. From watershed forests to riparian and coastal areas, the project will bring more than 45,000 hectares of land and other ecosystems under restoration, while improving the management of over 155,00 landscapes and marine habitats. Various threatened and native species will benefit, including plants, birds, bats, skinks, corals, cetaceans, dugongs, turtles, fish and sharks. A national ecosystem restoration policy will be developed and a variety of stakeholders will be involved at national, provincial and project site levels, ensuring local livelihoods and community resilience are supported.

New initiatives in Indonesia, Mongolia and Tunisia

Beyond the full-sized projects in India and the Solomon Islands approved at the 71st GEF Council meeting, a range of IUCN-led mid-sized projects also received clearance from the GEF in the lead-up to the session.

Based on the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems methodology, the “Land and Ecosystem National Threat Evaluation and Risk Assessment” project will establish a standard for National Ecosystem Risk Assessments to inform Indonesia’s environmental protection and management plans. Currently, Indonesia lacks a standard metric to scientifically define 'ecosystem collapse' or 'environmental damage' for complex, non-forest ecosystems – a gap that the project will fill, helping enforce legal limits on ecosystem damage and negotiate legally binding restoration zones. The 3-year project will be implemented by IUCN and executed by the Ministry of Environment / Environmental Control Agency of Indonesia with a GEF investment of US$4.23 million.

In Mongolia, the “UNCCD Mongolia COP17 Legacy Project” aims to support the country's delivery in its role as President of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17), with a US$3.35 million GEF investment. IUCN will serve as the GEF Implementing Agency and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of Mongolia will serve as the Executing Agency.

Finally, in Tunisia, the US$2 million project “Restoration of Degraded Ecosystems in the Ichkeul Watershed” will focus on ecosystem restoration, protected area management and climate-resilient livelihoods in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ichkeul National Park, one of the Mediterranean’s last remaining freshwater wetlands and a critical stopover for migratory bird populations. With IUCN serving as the GEF implementing Agency, the project will be executed by the Directorate-General for Forestry and the Regional Commission for Agricultural Development of the Governorate of Bizerte over a 2-year period.  

IUCN will showcase these and other initiatives from its GEF portfolio during the 8th GEF Assembly. Learn more about IUCN’s engagements and side events here.

About IUCN

IUCN is a membership Union composed of both governments and civil society organisations. It harnesses the experience, resources and reach of its more than 1,500 Member organisations and the input of more than 19,000 experts. IUCN is the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it.

About the GEF

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is the world’s largest multilateral fund for the environment. Its family of funds work together to address the planet's most pressing challenges in an integrated way. Its financing helps developing countries address complex challenges and work towards meeting international environmental goals. Over the past three decades, the GEF has provided more than $27 billion in financing, primarily as grants, and mobilized another $155 billion for country-driven priority projects. For more information visit https://www.thegef.org/.