Current Projects

To restore the ecosystem functions of three South African peatland systems and their catchments for the provision of benefits to communities while contributing to global environmental goals

To assist GEF-Eligible Parties to the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing to prepare and submit their First National Reports on measures that each Party has taken to implement the Nagoya Protocol.

In response to outcomes of COP 15 of UNCCD, decisions 9 and 11 of COP15, this project aims to support eligible countries to utilize GEF resources for implementing the Convention and the UNCCD Strategy (2018-2030), which is a comprehensive global commitment to avoid and reduce desertification and land degradation and to restore the productivity of degraded land to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN). The project will support Parties to enhance their national-level institutions and technical capacities for effective and timely preparation and submission of the 2026 UNCCD national reports. To achieve this, the project will offer technical support to the UNCCD National Focal Points, equipping them with the technical tools to collect data and submit national reports through the Performance Review and Assessment of Implementation System (PRAIS) reporting tool.

To assist GEF-Eligible Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to prepare and submit their Fifth National Reports on measures that each party has taken to implement the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.

Uncontrolled releases of PFAS from airports are eliminated.

Reduce the import, production and use of POPs in plastic-containing products in the automobile, construction and electronics sectors, and the generation of uPOPs

To assist the Government of South Africa in the development of its National Action Plan for the Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) sector, raise awareness on the Minamata Convention, and to build al national capacity for the early implementation of the National Action Plan and the Minamata Convention

To create an enabling environment and evidence-based approach for managing the effects of human-wildlife conflict in the SADC region

To fast-track readiness and early actions to implement the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework by providing financial and technical support to GEF-eligible Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in their work to review and align their national targets, NBSAPs, policy frameworks, monitoring frameworks and finance with the Global Biodiversity Framework.

The efficient and effective management of high-risk invasive alien species (IAS) directly mitigates their negative impacts on South Africa’s biodiversity assets, and indirectly contributes to the improvement of rural food security and livelihoods

To enhance national-level institutional and technical capacities for the 2021-2022 UNCCD reporting process in the context of the UNCCD Strategic Framework 2018-2030 and SDG15.3

To support the Republic of South Africa prepare and submit its Fourth National Communication (NC 4) and Fourth Biennial Update Report (BUR 4) that comply with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) reporting requirements while responding to its national development goals.

To strengthen South Africa’s capacity to combat illegal wildlife trade and improve protected area landscape management for increased community benefits.

South Africa is meeting the enhanced transparency framework requirement under the Paris Agreement

To fight against illegal wildlife trade through institutional strengthening, improved information management and monitoring (and collaboration at an international level), thereby influencing the supply system at local (protected area), national (South Africa) and regional levels

To enable country Parties to collect necessary biophysical, socioeconomic data, establish sound reporting and monitoring systems at national level and report against the UNCCD Strategy

To provide financial and technical support to GEF-eligible Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in their work to develop high quality, data driven sixth national reports (6NR) that will improve national decision-making processes for the implementation of NBSAPs; that report on progress towards achieving the Aichi Biodiversity Targets (ABTs) and inform both the fifth Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO5) and the Global Biodiversity Strategy of 2021 – 2030.

To mitigate climate change by transforming national and regional markets to energy-efficient products.

The project will foster city level resilience, resource efficiency, emission reductions and other co-benefits through area-based pilot demonstrations, systems analysis (food), and improved integrated planning.

To Assist GEF-Eligible Parties to the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing to prepare and make timely submission of their Interim National Reports on measures that each party has taken to implement the Protocol in line with Article 29

Ratification and early implementation of the Minamata Convention is facilitated by the use of scientific and technical knowledge and tools by national stakeholders in South Africa

To Reduce Impacts From Land-Based Sources and Activities and Sustainably Manage Critical Coastal-Riverine Ecosytems Through the Implementation of the WIO-SAP Priorities with the Support of Partnerships at National and Regional Levels

To foster biodiversity conservation on livestock farms, through a return to human shepherding and the development of a wildlife-friendly produce branding scheme, leading to Payment for Ecosystem Services as a tool in conservation and local economic development.

To strengthen national capabilities for implementation and scaling up of evidence-based, innovative, diversified and environmentally sound disease vector control interventions (with special emphasis on malaria) with multi-stakeholder participation within context of IVM

To Assist GEF-Eligible Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to prepare and make timely submission of their Third National Reports on measures that each party has taken to implement the Protocol in line with Article 33