Page 30 - Vol.36-No.8 issue

GLOBAL CLIMATE

GLOBAL CLIMATE FUND APPROVES $160 MILLION TO

SUPPORT FAO-LED PROJECTS

The Board of the Green Climate Fund development and the Paris Agreement tems, improved crop varieties, as well
(GCF) approved three new FAO-de- goals. The new project, jointly exe- as efficient soil and water management
signed projects in Argentina, Gua- cuted by FAO and the Ministry of the techniques. The project will provide
temala, and Sudan for a total amount Environment and Sustainable Devel- direct technical assistance to 116 000
of $158.6 million aimed at mitigating opment, will promote territorial forest smallholder farmers - many belong-
greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen- management and forest restoration, the ing to indigenous Achi, Quechi, Mopan
ing resilience to climate change, and sustainable use of wood and non-wood and Chorti ethnic groups, including 46
combating deforestation. forest products, and the improvement 000 women, in five departments of the
of prevention and early response to country; it will also indirectly benefit
FAO Director-General QU Dongyu another 583 000 people.
stressed FAO’s willingness to continue forest fires.
working closely with GCF in support
of food system transformation on the
ground for the benefit of society, en-
vironment, farmers, and consumers at
large. He participated, together with
Yannick Glemarec, Executive Director
of the Green Climate Fund, at the sign-
ing ceremony of the Funded Activity
Agreement (FAA) approved for Argen-
tina, worth a total of $82 million.
Qu also reaffirmed FAO’s commit-
ment to the Paris Agreement and the
global fight against the impacts of cli-
mate change and stressed the impor-
tance of taking action with “concrete Fire management and prevention RELIVE has a total budget of $66.7
projects”. At the twenty-seventh meet-
ing of the GCF Board, held from 11-13 project activities are especially impor- million, of which the Green Climate
November, three projects have been tant and timely for Argentina, consid- Fund will provide $29.8 million. The re-
maining $36.84 million will be funded
ering an increase in the frequency and
approved with FAO as the accredited intensity of wildfires this year. The pro- by the Government of Guatemala and
entity. FAO’s growing Green Climate ject will also contribute to the country’s the Korea International Cooperation
Fund portfolio is now composed of 13
projects amounting to USD 793 million long-term, low-emissions strategy. Agency, KOICA. The FAO-supported
in funding that helps countries tackle More specifically, the GCF funds RELIVE project will be implemented
by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food
the climate crisis, paving the way for a destined for Argentina will be used (MAGA), the National Forest Institute
greener and cleaner future. to develop and implement 95 commu- (INAB), and the German Cooperation
nity forest management plans and 92
Yannick Glemarec said the GCF was forest-friendly livestock management, Agency (GIZ).
focused on obtaining “tangible re- six strategic plans for fire prevention
sults” and speeding up the approvals Climate change mitigation
process to ensure funding was allocat- and establish seven sustainable forest and adaptation in Sudan’s
ed as quickly as possible to countries basins to support and serve 7000 fami- gum Arabic belt
lies of producers, local and indigenous
in need.
communities as well as timber workers.
Leandro Gorgal, National Director of The Gums for Adaptation and Miti-
Post-COVID-19 recovery will be an
Financing with International Credit Or- integral component of the project, gation (GAMS) project in Sudan is the
ganizations of Argentina, said the fund- demonstrating the role of forests in first GCF funding proposal approved
ing initiative represented a big step in what FAO defines as the Near East
forward for promoting better forest “building back better”. and North Africa region. It aims to en-
management and sustainability in Ar- RELIVE project in hance rural smallholders’ resilience to
gentina and thanked FAO and the GCF Guatemala climate change in the states of North,
for their support. West, and South Kordofan through cli-
mate-resilient gum agroforestry and
The RELIVE project in Guatema- rangeland restoration.
Combatting deforestation la, worth $66.6 million, will help vul-
in Argentina nerable farmers in the Dry Corridor More specifically, the project will
adapt to the impacts of climate change support the restoration of 75 000 hec-
The $82 million FAO-led projects to through climate-resilient agricultural tares of smallholder gum agroforestry
reduce deforestation and forest degra- and water management practices. systems and 50 000 hectares of de-
dation, entitled “Argentina REDD-plus graded lands while also improving
RBP for results period 2014-2016”, will Smallholder farmers will learn how to smallholder gum value chains.
help Argentina advance its sustainable use improved climate information sys- Circle 35 on enquiry card

28 Vol. 36 No. 8