The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Approves US$1.25 million Medium-Sized Project to Strengthen The Gambia’s Capacity to Monitor and Report Climate Action

The three-year project will streamline collection, processing, management and reporting of quality greenhouse gas emissions data

Banjul, The Gambia (November 15, 2021)—The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has approved a US$1,245,000 medium-sized project to strengthen the capacity of the Republic of The Gambia to effectively track and report progress in achieving national targets in combating climate change, in line with the transparency requirements of the Paris Agreement (Article 13).

The three-year project is anchored on the Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT), which was established in 2016 by the GEF, at the request of Parties of the Paris Agreement, to promote transparency and accountability in reporting climate action to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).    

The project will be implemented by the Gambia’s Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources (MECCNAR) and supported by Conservation International, a GEF Agency, in collaboration with Conservation International’s Vital Signs program, and the Human Rights Advancement, Development and Advocacy Centre (HURIDAC). It is financed by a US$1.1 million GEF grant and US$145,000 co-financing from project partners.

The project will empower The Gambia to meet the requirements of the enhanced transparency framework of the Paris Agreement in reporting progress towards achieving targets in its updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). The Gambia’s NDC, submitted to the UNFCCC in September, commits to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 49.7 percent by 2030 compared to business-as-usual.

The CBIT project will strengthen the coordination, data sharing, and engagement of key institutions and stakeholders in developing and managing the National Green House Gas Inventory (GHGI) and Measuring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) system in line with UNFCCC standards. It will also enhance the capacity of stakeholders to collect, process and feed GHG sectoral data into the GHGI. 

In addition, it will develop an integrated knowledge management platform used by stakeholders as a one-stop source of information for transparency-related activities. 

All the project activities will focus on key GHG-emitting sectors including Energy, Transport, Waste, Industrial Processes and Product Use (IPPU), and Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU).

As one of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) party to the UNFCCC, The Gambia is among the 100 most vulnerable countries to climate change and variability, hence at the forefront of international climate action. The country signed the UNFCCC in 1992, ratified it in 1994, and signed the Paris Agreement  in 2016. 

The CBIT Gambia project will strengthen key tools that support climate transparency such as coordination frameworks and institutional arrangements for GHG data sharing; institutional engagements in GHG data collection, processing, management, and monitoring; GHG data access and quality; technology gaps and tools; and institutional and technical capacity at the national level to collect and manage GHG data and operationalize MRV systems. 

“This project will enable The Gambia to acquire best practices in managing climate change data. It will also result in increased skilled staff and equipment for effective GHG data collection and processing and efficient national and international climate change reporting. These outputs will enable the country move towards achieving its commitments in the NDC and the Paris Agreement resulting in increased climate resilience and low emissions,” said Mr. Alpha Jallow, The Gambia’s UNFCCC Focal Person.

“Gambia has expressed the need for technical capacity building to support the implementation of the reporting requirements under the Paris Agreement. We look forward to delivering on this critical area, leveraging on our experience of developing and implementing similar projects across 11 countries across Africa,” said Michael O’Brien-Onyeka, Senior Vice President, Conservation International, Africa Field Division.

“This project belongs to The Gambian people, and will involve many stakeholders from government, private sector, trade unions and civil society in its implementation,” said Ayodele Ameen, Executive Director, HURIDAC.

More information about the project is available here.

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About the Gambia Ministry of Environment Climate Change and Natural Resources (MECCNAR)

The Gambia’s Ministry of Environment Climate Change and Natural Resources (MECCNAR) is mandated to oversee and coordinate the development and implementation of policies and programs relevant to the environment, climate change, and natural resources management in the Gambia. 

This project will be implemented through the Central Project Coordination Unit of the Ministry which already oversees 7 projects in the areas of Climate change Adaptation and mitigation, Sustainable Land Management, Reforestation of Mangroves and Forests and Chemical Management. For more information, please visit us at www.meccnar.gov.gm

About Conservation International

Conservation International works to protect the critical benefits that nature provides to people. Through science, partnerships, and fieldwork, Conservation International is driving innovation and investments in nature-based solutions to the climate crisis, supporting protections for critical habitats, and fostering economic development that is grounded in the conservation of nature. Conservation International works in 30 countries around the world, empowering societies at all levels to create a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable planet. Follow Conservation International's work on Conservation News, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

About the Global Environment Facility 

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) was established 30 years ago on the eve of the Rio Earth Summit to tackle our planet’s most pressing environmental problems. Since then, it has provided more than $21.5 billion in grants and mobilized an additional $117 billion in co-financing for more than 5,000 projects and programs. The GEF is the largest multilateral trust fund focused on enabling developing countries to invest in nature and supports the implementation of major international environmental conventions including biodiversity, climate change, chemicals, and desertification. It brings together 184 member governments in addition to civil society, international organizations, and private sector partners. Through its Small Grants Programme, the GEF has provided support to more than 25,000 civil society and community initiatives in 135 countries. 

About Human Rights Advancement, Development and Advocacy Centre (HURIDAC)

Human Rights Advancement, Development and Advocacy Centre is a West Africa regional civil society organisation with focus on following programme areas: Rule of Law, Election and Human Rights and the Protection of the Environment. Huridac has an ongoing partnership arrangement with Ministry of Environment, climate Change and Natural Resources, The Gambia, Ministry of Environment of Nigeria, Conservation International and a Sub-Grantee of MacAthur Foundation. Huridac presently has operations in Nigeria, The Gambia and Sierra Leone. More information is available at www.huridac.org.