General

Chepang and Tamang communities living in the hills of central Nepal are among the most marginalized and resource poor groups in Nepal.Their tiny land holdings provide no more than 3 to 6 months of food security and deforestation has contributed to environmental degradation. Due to lack of knowledge of efficient and sustainable agricultural practices and land-tenure rights, the communities are practicing unsustainable agriculture and animal husbandry which aggravate soil erosion that causes regular landslides that destroy agricultural fields and threaten the lives of people and animals. To improve access to remote villages, local government has started infrastructure development projects without proper social and environmental impact assessments. The objective of this project is to uplift the livelihoods and food security of the Chepang and Tamang communities through agro-forestry development and developed market access, strenghten community-based natural resource management, sustainable land use and climate change adaptation and empower women and persons with disabilities.This is achieved by, e.g. developing sound biodiversity management and sustainable livelihood activities in cooperation with community-based organizations and local government. Capacity building of forest user groups will be done to strenghten their operational capacity and local government will be supported in preparation and implementation of the local climate change adaptation plan of action. The continuation project implemented by NAFAN and supported by Swallows supports Finland's development objectives by increasing food security and promoting sustainable use of natural resources, local democracy and participation of women in decision making. The project will strengthen local partner organization's capacity and role in community capacity building and establishing linkages between communities and local government. The project is expected to benefit directly around 3000 right-holders and 150 duty-bearers. In addition, approx. 3500 people are expected to benefit indirectly.

General

The Global Environment Facility was established in October 1991 as a pilot program in the World Bank to assist in the protection of the global environment. In 1994, at the Rio Earth Summit, the GEF was restructured and moved out of the World Bank system to become a permanent, separate institution. As part of the restructuring, the GEF was entrusted to become the financial mechanism for both the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The GEF subsequently was also selected to serve as financial mechanism for three more international conventions: The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (2001), the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (2003) and the Minamata Convention on Mercury (2013). The GEF strives to achieve global environmental benefits by supporting developing countries in their efforts. After various changes agreed upon during last two replenishment negotiations the work is focused around five thematic focal areas: biodiversity; climate change mitigation; chemicals and waste; international waters; and land degradation. Furthermore, an integrated approach pilot was established during the sixth replenishment negotiations to support activities in recipient countries that can help them meet commitments to more than one global convention or thematic area by tackling underlying drivers of environmental degradation. This synergetic approach will continue in GEF-7 through Impact Programs focused on food systems, forests and cities. The GEF is a network organization. It is composed of independent secretariat and evaluation office, the World Bank acts as a trustee channelling project support to implementing entities such as to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). Finland has supported the GEF from the very beginning. The support to the seventh replenishment of the GEF (1.7.2018-30.6.2022) is about 31 million euros. This budget decision covers the remaining part of the total contribution, 4,97 million euros.

General

The Global Environment Facility was established in October 1991 as a pilot program in the World Bank to assist in the protection of the global environment. In 1994 at the Rio Earth Summit the GEF was restructured and moved out of the World Bank system to b ecome a permanent separate institution. As part of the restructuring the GEF was entrusted to become the financial mechanism for both the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and the UN Framework Conventionon Climate Change. The GEF subsequently was also selected to serve as financial mechanism for three more international conventions: The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (2001) the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (2003) and the Minamata Convention on Mercury (2013) .The GEF strives to achieve global environmental benefits by supporting developing countries in their efforts. After various changes agreed upon during last two replenishment negotiations the work is focused around five thematic focal areas: biodiversity; climate change mitigation; chemicals and waste; international waters; and land degradation. Furthermore an integrated approach pilot was established during the sixth replenishment negotiations to support activities in recipient countries that can help them meet commitments to more than one global convention or thematic area by tackling underlying drivers of environmental degradation. This synergetic approach will continue in GEF-7 through Impact Programs focused on food systems forests and cities.The GEF is a network organization. It is composed of independent secretariat and evaluation office the World Bank acts as a trustee channelling project support to implementing entities such as to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). Finland has supported t he GEF from the very beginning. The support to the seventh replenishment of the GEF (1.7.2018-30.6.2022) is about 31 million euros. This budget decision covers the remaining part of the total contribution 497 million euros.