Latest news and updates from the partnership
The Sound of Silence: Transforming the Lives of Deaf and Mute Farmers in Egypt’s Desert
14/10/2024
In the heart of Egypt’s Western Desert, in Kharga Oasis, 700 kilometers from Cairo, a groundbreaking initiative is transforming the lives of local farmers with hearing and speech impairments. The GEF-funded project, focused on the sustainable management of Kharga Oasis agro-ecosystems, identified the unique challenges and potential of Khaled, a farmer field school participant who is deaf and mute. In response, the project established a specialized Farmer Field School designed to support farmers with similar impairments, empowering them to thrive in the region.
Grounded in data: FAO’s take on harnessing the power of national forest inventories for climate action and transparency
11/10/2024
Around the world, efforts to create and improve National Forest Inventories (NFIs) have demonstrated significant impact by leveraging a variety of data collection methods and tools to achieve forestry and climate action results. To showcase a more detailed overview of NFI’s capabilities and case studies, FAO in collaboration with the United Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has recently published the brochure "Grounded in Data – Informing Climate Action and Reporting with National Forest Inventories."
Strengthening Evaluations within the GEF Partnership
11/10/2024
The GEF Independent Evaluation Office (GEF IEO), in partnership with the FAO-GEF Unit and the FAO Office of Evaluation, held its first-ever, partnership-wide Evaluation workshop in the GEF’s three-decade history. The workshop focused on advancing shared evaluation priorities, exchanging best practices, and aligning efforts to better capture impact from GEF-funded projects and programs.
Sustainable Cities: Greening Zimbabwe's urban landscapes
07/10/2024
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe - In a move to address the pressing challenges of urbanization and climate change, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, and members of the Bulawayo local authority, convened a crucial technical i...
Communities in Botswana embrace green value chains to combat land degradation
07/10/2024
Land degradation is a pressing ...
CACILM-2 addresses climate change and land degradation across Central Asia and Türkiye
03/10/2024
The FAO-GEF regional project, "Integrated Natural Resources Management in Drought-prone and Salinity-Affected Agricultural Production Landscapes in Central Asia and Turkey" (CACILM-2), has been successfully implemented. The final workshop,held in Bukhara, gathered representatives from the Food an...
Sustainable Cities Integrated Programme launches in Zimbabwe
05/09/2024
With 55 percent of the world’s population residing in urban areas, it is estimated that by 2050, urban population is expected to rise to 68 percent, mainly in low-income countries. Local councils are finding it increasingly challenging to ensure urban and peri-urban populations have access to inc...
Dryland landscapes and livelihoods take center stage
19/08/2024
Over one hundred cross-sectoral stakeholders including land users, government officials, technical partners and project implementers from ten different countries across dryland ecoregions gathered in the Warm Heart of Africa (Malawi) on 29 July for the second regional stakeholders workshop for Southern Africa under the GEF-7 Sustainable Forest Management Impact Program on Dryland Sustainable Landscapes (DSL-IP).
Enhancing efforts for productive and resilient dryland landscapes in Southern Africa
29/07/2024
Blantyre, Malawi – Government officials, experts and landscape managers from across Southern Africa met today for a week of discussions on the challenges and solutions for drylands in the region organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and pa...
Technology to measure greenhouse gases in Cuba
22/07/2024
The CBIT AFOLU Cuba Project is leading advances to improve the accuracy of greenhouse gas measurements in the agricultural, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) sector. In collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and with the financial support of the Glo...
An environmental and culinary revival in Iran
22/07/2024
Amidst the picturesque desert landscapes of Rigan in the Islamic Republic of Iran’s southeastern Kerman province, one community is witnessing a remarkable revival of its culinary tradition while upholding environmental sustainability.
Such a transformation is the fruit of the Rehabilita...
Reforestation and afforestation efforts in Lebanon: a restoration success story
01/07/2024
Starting in 2016, Lebanon's rugged mountain terrains witnessed a transformative initiative aimed at restoring ecological balance and uplifting rural communities. The "Smart Adaptation of Forest Landscapes in Mountain Areas" (SALMA) project, implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization ...
Alternative heating sources help preserve Afghanistan's environment
24/06/2024
Nuristan, one of Afghanistan's most forested provinces, has an estimated population of 150 000, and an area, of 9 000 square kilometers. This remote province of eastern Afghanistan is known for its breathtaking mountain landscapes, rich natural and cultural heritage, and unique traditions. The province was historically isolated and remained relatively untouched due to its rocky topography, which contributed to the preservation of its unique culture. During the past 45 years, this remoteness made Nuristan an insecure place, used as a base by mujahideen and more recently Islamic State militants.
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Global Environment Facility approves $70 million to support FAO projects in 28 countries
21/06/2024
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) this week helped 28 countries to unlock $70 million in financing from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to address urban sustainability, groundwater management, biodiversity loss, climate change and land degradation.
Investing in our lands
14/06/2024
Land holds the past, present and future of humanity. Everything from nutritious food and thriving ecosystems to agricultural heritage and livelihoods rely on healthy and productive land. Yet every year, an average of 100 million hectares of land are degraded through unsustainable agriculture, ...
Unlocking climate action – the power of forest data transparency
11/06/2024
In the battle against climate change, forests stand as stalwart allies. These green giants play a pivotal role in sequestering carbon dioxide, regulating the climate, enhancing biodiversity, and supporting livelihoods. However, the fate of forests worldwide hangs in a ...
FARM Programme: Promoting safer alternatives to highly hazardous pesticides
30/05/2024
The Financing Agrochemical Reduction and Management (FARM) programme was officially launched in Nairobi, Kenya, in March 2024. It consists of six projects in Ecuador, India, Kenya, Laos, the Philippines, Uruguay, and Vietnam. The five-year initiative aims to catalyze investments to minimize the u...
Soil remediation and green technologies offer solutions to pesticide pollution and soil sustainability in Central Asia
29/05/2024
As part of an ongoing pesticide management and disposal project from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in Central Asia and Türkiye, two international events were held in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Celebrating International Day for Biodiversity with funding for new FAO projects in the Pacific
22/05/2024
Two Pacific small island states are set to...
Traditional agrifood systems conserve biodiversity and support nutrition in Mexico
22/05/2024
Walk through farmlands in the rugged, hilly terrain of parts of Mexico and you’ll see maize plants grown widely spaced apart with pole beans climbing up them and the large leaves of squash covering the soil alongside edible herbs. These are all part of a farming system known as a milpa. It is ...