GEF invests UD$5.2 billion in sustainable land management

As UNCCD’s financial mechanism, the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) has invested $5.2 billion in sustainable land management since 2006. Since UNCCD COP 15, GEF has facilitated the restoration of 19.7 million hectares of land and ecosystems and the sustainable management of an additional 74.8 million hectares.

Ulrich Apel, the Land Degradation Lead at the GEF Secretariat announced this at a side event during at UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh Saudi Arabia on 4 December 2024. The event, Global Environment Facility GEF-8 and Beyond: Securing a Sustainable Future for Land, highlighted significant milestones and ongoing efforts under GEF’s eighth replenishment cycle. Ulrich outlined future priorities, including integrating land tenure security and scaling cross-sectoral projects to address climate and biodiversity challenges.

In his opening remarks, Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, GEF CEO and Environment Specialist, who reiterated the importance of the record GEF-8 Replenishment of US$5.33 billion (a 29% increase in funding from the GEF-7 replenishment period) from which, the facility has allocated US$618 million to combat land degradation.

Andrea Meza, UNCCD Deputy Executive Secretary, praised the collaboration between GEF and UNCCD, noting its pivotal role in addressing desertification and promoting sustainable land management.

Country representatives highlighted the transformative potential of GEF-supported projects in securing sustainable land futures. For instance, Lieutenant Colonel Abodou Messan, Togo’s Chief Division for Land Management, shared the country’s successes in advancing soil restoration through integrated sustainable land management practices. He emphasized the importance of cross-sector collaboration and innovative strategies to combat land degradation.

Similarly, Ronen Francis, a Land Management Expert from the Partnership Initiative for Sustainable Land Management, introduced SoilCare Phase II, an extension of the initiative targeting Small Island Developing States (SIDS). This program builds on earlier achievements by enhancing sustainable soil management systems and integrating community-driven solutions. Both interventions underscored the necessity of scalable, locally adapted efforts in addressing global land challenges, while also offering insights into potential priorities for GEF-9. These examples illustrate how tailored approaches can lead to impactful results, fostering resilience and sustainability in diverse contexts.

In his closing remarks, Chizuru Aoki, Manager of Conventions and Funds at GEF, reaffirmed GEF’s commitment to fostering innovative financing and partnerships to advance the Rio Conventions. The event emphasized that securing sustainable futures for land requires collaboration, innovative funding mechanisms, and continued engagement across all sectors and geographies.

This session exemplified the importance of leveraging international mechanisms like GEF to align global, regional, and local actions for sustainable land management and resilience building.

Key takeaways

•  Focus on Multifunctional Landscapes and Integrated Approaches: The discussions emphasized the need for integrated land management approaches that balance agricultural productivity with ecosystem conservation. Initiatives such as Togo’s sustainable land management programs and SoilCare Phase II in SIDS showcased how integrated solutions can restore degraded landscapes while supporting livelihoods. These align with CGIAR’s emphasis on multifunctional landscapes that deliver food security and ecosystem benefits.
• Technical innovations for soil health and ecosystem services: Technical advancements in soil management, such as those piloted under the SoilCare Phase II program, demonstrated the potential for scalable innovations to enhance soil health. These efforts included practices for carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, and erosion control, critical for maintaining ecosystem services—a core area of interest for CGIAR.
• Strengthening food, land, water, and soil systems: Speakers highlighted the interconnections between land degradation, food security, and water systems. GEF’s investment in sustainable practices such as agroforestry and water-efficient agriculture provided a blueprint for tackling challenges in fragile ecosystems. This approach reflects CGIAR’s focus on integrated food, land, and water systems to ensure resilience and sustainability.
• Social innovations and community-driven solutions: The event underlined the importance of community involvement in implementing land restoration strategies. Programs like Togo’s soil restoration initiative demonstrated the role of participatory approaches in building local capacity and ensuring the sustainability of interventions—a principle critical to CGIAR’s work in fostering social innovation.
• Future directions with GEF-9: Discussions on GEF-9 outlined priorities for expanding investments in biodiversity-friendly farming and cross-sector partnerships. These directions present opportunities for CGIAR to collaborate on projects that link research to practical solutions for biodiversity conservation and sustainable agriculture.