Context
  • On July 2, 2025, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) approved over USD 120 million in new funding for climate adaptation projects in:
    • Ghana
    • The Maldives
    • Mauritania
  • These projects were developed by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) at the request of national governments.
  • The goal is to strengthen resilience for vulnerable communities, particularly in:
    • Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
    • The Sahel region
  • The initiatives are expected to benefit over 3.5 million people.

OVERVIEW OF THE INITIATIVES

Parameter Details
Total Funding Over USD 120 million, approved by the GCF
Implementing Agency UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
Objectives Climate resilience, early warning systems, ecosystem restoration
Key Approaches Nature-based solutions (NbS), climate-resilient agriculture, water security, and early warning systems
Target Regions SIDS (Maldives) and Sahel (Ghana, Mauritania)
Total Beneficiaries 3.5+ million people, directly and indirectly

COUNTRY SPECIFIC PROJECTS

A. Ghana: Resilience in Northern Agroecosystems
  • Climate Challenge:
Northern Ghana faces:
    • Erratic rainfall
    • Prolonged dry seasons
    • Frequent floods and food insecurity
    • Drying water bodies and infrastructure damage
  • Target Group:
Smallholder farmers reliant on rainfed subsistence agriculture
  • Project Focus
Building resilience of agroecosystems and rural livelihoods.
  • Funding:
    • Total: USD 70 million
    • GCF Grant: USD 63 million
  • Scope:
    • 120 communities in 8 districts (North East, Upper East, Upper West)
  • Key Components:
    • Early warning systems and climate data access
    • Water storage for dry-season farming
    • Restoration of 28,000 hectares of degraded land
  • Implementation:
    • Led by the Government of Ghana
    • Implemented via the Environmental Protection Agency and Ghana Meteorological Agency
  • Beneficiaries:
    • 619,000 people directly
    • 9 million reached through early warning alert
    • 120,000 with improved food security
B. Maldives: Coastal and Early Warning Resilience
  • Climate Challenge:
    • Over 80% of Maldives' 1,192 islands lie <1 metre above sea level
    • Highly vulnerable to sea-level rise, storm surges, coastal erosion, and heatwaves
  • Economic Disruption:
    • Agriculture, fisheries, and tourism impacted
    • Poorest and marginalized groups most affected
  • Project Title:
“Toward Risk-Aware and Climate-Resilient Communities (TRACT)”
  • Funding:
    • Total: USD 25 million (GCF grant)
  • Implementation:
    • Over 5 years
    • Led by UNEP, aligned with global and national early warning strategies
  • Alignment:
    • Supports "Early Warnings for All" (EW4All) initiative
    • Delivers on Maldives' EW4All Roadmap
  • Key Activities:
    • Improve access to climate services
    • Strengthen multi-hazard early warning systems
  • Beneficiaries:
    • Over 500,000 people (more than half of the nation’s population)
C. Mauritania: Sahel Ecosystem Restoration & Livelihood Security
  • Climate Challenge:
    • Situated in the Sahara-Sahel transition zone
    • Faces drought, sand encroachment, siltation of water, and low agricultural output
    • 85% of food is imported
  • Project Focus:
Restoring ecosystems and securing rural livelihoods
  • Funding:
    • Total: USD 33 million
    • GCF Grant: USD 30 million
  • Geographic Scope:
    • Four vulnerable hubs: Aoujeft, Rachid, Tamcheket, and Nema
  • Key Components:
    • Green-grey infrastructure for dune stabilization
    • Access to water for farming and land rehabilitation
    • Scaling climate-resilient agriculture
    • Protecting 2,100 hectares of land
  • Implementation
    • Led by Mauritania’s Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development
  • Strategic Contribution:
    • Supports Africa’s Great Green Wall (GGW) initiative
  • Beneficiaries:
    • 85,000 people directly
    • 145,000 people indirectly

KEY SUPPORTING ORGANISATIONS & INITIATIVES

Green Climate Fund (GCF)
  • Established: At COP16 (2010) in Cancun
  • Mandate: Support developing nations in achieving their NDCs and transitioning to low-emission, climate-resilient pathways
  • Significance: Largest dedicated fund under the Paris Agreement
UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
  • Role: Lead environmental agency of the UN
  • Mandate: Inspire and support nations to improve quality of life while protecting the environment
  • Involvement: Key implementing partner and project designer
Early Warnings for All (EW4All)
  • Launch: 2022 by UN Secretary-General António Guterres
  • Goal: Ensure universal access to early warning systems by 2027
  • Relevance: Supports Maldives’ adaptation strategy in coastal resilience
Great Green Wall (GGW) Initiative
  • Launch: 2007, African Union
  • Goal:
    • Restore 100 million hectares of degraded land
    • Capture 250 million tonnes of CO2
    • Create 10 million green jobs by 2030
  • Relevance: Mauritania’s project directly contributes to this continental initiative
Nature-based Solutions (NbS)
  • Definition: Working with nature to address societal and climate challenges
  • Examples:
    • Wetland and mangrove restoration
    • Dune stabilization
    • Reforestation
  • Outcomes: Improved water retention, flood control, biodiversity, and community resilience

SIGNIFICANCE & IMPACT

  • These investments represent a critical scale-up of adaptation finance, prioritizing countries on the frontlines of climate change.
  • The projects showcase a shift toward:
    • Locally-led, context-specific interventions
    • Integration of scientific data, community engagement, and sustainable practices
  • The initiatives illustrate:
    • The importance of multilateral climate finance (via GCF)
    • UNEP’s expanding role in delivering climate action
    • Synergy between national priorities, global frameworks, and continental efforts like the GGW