Introduction
Africa is endowed with a significant share of the world’s renewable and non-renewable natural resources – arable land, water, oil, natural gas, minerals, forests and wildlife. Africa is home to 60 percent of the world’s best solar resources and about 30 percent of the world’s mineral reserves are in Africa. In addition, the continent has 40 percent of the world’s gold, up to 90 percent of chromium and platinum, and the largest reserves of cobalt, diamonds, platinum and uranium. Africa holds 65 percent of the world’s arable land and 10 percent of its internal renewable freshwater resources. Finally, Africa is home to many biodiversity hotspots and provides habitats for critical ecosystems, biomes and wildlife.
Despite its rich biodiversity and natural resources, Africa struggles with numerous environmental challenges exacerbated by climate change. These include land degradation, drought, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, overexploitation of water resources, climate change, air and water pollution, coastal erosion and pollution of air, water and of the soil.
The GEF is the largest multilateral fund dedicated to addressing these threats. During its 30-year history, the GEF has been actively involved on the African continent, supporting countries in implementing provisions related to conventions such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the Stockholm Convention and, more recently, the Minamata Convention on mercury. In particular, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) recently launched by the GEF aims to boost investments in nature restoration and renewal. Efforts are also being made to help countries prepare to ratify the United Nations Convention on the High Seas or the Convention on Biological Diversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) — a legally binding instrument for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond national jurisdiction.
Today, the GEF is the world’s leading public finance fund, dedicated to smart, environmentally sound choices that strengthen local economies and protect the planet. Recognizing the threat of climate change to the continent, the GEF is actively engaged in climate action by supporting low-carbon development and climate resilience in Africa. Mitigation efforts cover areas such as decarbonized energy access, energy efficiency, net zero mobility and nature-based solutions with high mitigation potential. Adaptation efforts are channeled through two trust funds: the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) dedicated to supporting the adaptation needs of LDCs (33 of Africa’s 54 countries) and the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) in which other developing countries have access to. Adaptation projects span areas such as agriculture, water, climate information services and nature-based solutions. The GEF works closely with other climate funds, such as the Green Climate Fund, through a long-term vision implemented in ongoing joint programming in Africa.
Fresh water resources in Africa are shared among many countries through underground aquifers, lakes, rivers and wetlands. The GEF provides support to countries dealing with various surface and groundwater basins and freshwater ecosystems, including, for example, the Okavango Delta, Lake Victoria (the largest lake in Africa) and Lake Tanganyika, among others.
Based on its experience and achievements in focus areas over the past three decades, the GEF emphasizes an integrated approach for transformative impact. The GEF operates as a partnership, delivering its work in Africa through collaboration with GEF actors. The 12 GEF Agencies operating in Africa provide diverse experiences and options for African governments in developing projects for global environmental benefits. These organizations include four multilateral banks, including the African Development Bank (AfDB), the West African Development Bank (BOAD), the World Bank and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA). In addition, five United Nations Agencies (FAO, UNEP, UNDP, UNIDO, IFAD) and three international Non-Governmental Organizations (WWF-US, CI, IUCN) contribute to GEF projects. The partnership involves various stakeholders at national and regional levels, including government representatives, civil society organizations, community representatives and indigenous peoples.
The increasing complexity of GEF’s work has not happened in isolation, but rather as a result of its long experience with hundreds of programs and projects across Africa, which provide tangible evidence of how deeply human health and well-being depend on healthy ecosystems, and of the limits to which we can exploit these systems before they collapse. This understanding has led to new ways of thinking about how to design and implement both general programs and focused national efforts. This document reflects how GEF engagement has evolved across the continent through the various replenishment cycles.
First, it describes progress and achievements from focal area investments focused on conserving the continent’s rich and unique biodiversity, addressing deforestation and forest degradation, promoting sustainable land management practices to contain and reverse desertification , providing climate change mitigation benefits in many sectors and eliminating hazardous chemicals and wastes that pose threats to people and the environment. Second, it describes how countries in the African region have adopted the integrated approach through GEF programs designed to address the main drivers of global environmental degradation and promote transformative change in key economic systems. This includes programs on food systems and land use, the commodities that drive deforestation and urbanization. This report concludes by outlining future directions for seizing new opportunities associated with multilateral environmental agreements and within commitments made through regional and sub-regional actors across the continent.