1. Sub-Regional Workshop for GEF Focal Points North Africa, Middle East, South & West Asia Bali, Indonesia2-3 December 2007) Sub-Regional Workshop for GEF Focal Points North Africa, Middle East, South & West Asia Bali, Indonesia (2-3 December 2007) Lebanon’s GEF Portfolio By Layal Neaimeh NCSA Project Assistant

2. Outline Background Key Players Results & Achievements Constraints & Challenges Recommendations

3. Background Lebanon has implemented around 20 GEF funded projects so far (1996 – 2007) Biodiversity: 10 Climate Change: 6 POPs: 1 Multifocal: 3

4. Background Total co-financing: US$ 3 million approximately No projects implemented in the focal areas of: International Waters & Land Degradation GEF total contribution: US$ 11 million approximately Biodiversity Climate Change POPsMultifocal ~ 5.3~ 5~ 0.4~ 0.3

5. Key Players Implementing agencies:  UNDP (15 projects)  UNEP (4 projects)  World Bank (1 project) Executing agencies:  Ministry of Environment (13 projects)  American University of Beirut (2 projects)  Ministry of Agriculture (1 project)  Council for Development & Reconstruction (1 project)  Ministry of Public Works & Transport (1 project)  Ministry of Energy & Water (1 project)  Society for Protection of Nature in Lebanon (NGO) (1 project)

6. Results & Achievements GEF Projects have:  Contributed to sound ecological development  Produced job opportunities for professionals in the domain  Contributed to enhancement of the economy  Allowed Lebanon to flag its environmental leadership at a regional and international community

7. More tangible achievements…

8. GEF Reports and Publications’ Database (stock was taken, hard copies were compiled & delivered to MoE’s Public Library for Environmental Archives)

9. Data on all GEF funded projects in Lebanon was collected. Inventory of projects’ outputs was undertaken & these were made physically available @ NCSA unit when possible GEF Funded Projects’ Database

10. Execution of a GEF database exhibition

12. Data on GEF allocation of Resources for Arab countries was processed Source: Operational Report on GEF Projects-June 2005 Prepared by: NCSA Project-July 2006

13. All above mentioned can be accessed on the following web address… http://www.moe.gov.lb/Projects/Ongoing/NCSA.htm

14. Constraints & Challenges *Operational GEF focal point overwhelmed *GEF portfolio is being handled by someone other than GEF operational focal point (usually a GEF funded project at MoE, i.e. NCSA) *Lack of sustainability *RAF procedures have made access to funds more complicated

15. Recommendations  A GEF supported person/unit within the focal point agency (MoE) to insure sustainability  RAF procedures should make access to funds easier

16. Good News!!!  A regional initiative serving its beneficiaries with regional resources  A public-private environmental initiative hosted by the financial sector  It is supplementary to GEF interventions in the region  Tackles the specificity of environmental needs & priorities of the Arab region  Produces job opportunities The Arab Environment Facility (AEF)

17. Thank you!