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| Tanzania is expected to secures $41 million from the GEF to boost biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration, and climate change resilience through multiple funding windows. |
Tanzania is set to benefit from approximately US$41 million through various Global Environment Facility (GEF) funding windows, aimed at strengthening biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration, and building resilience against the impacts of climate change.
This was revealed during discussions between Dr. Richard Muyungi, Permanent Secretary of the Vice President's Office, and Mr. Jurgis Sapijanskas, GEF Biodiversity Coordinator for Africa, held in Nairobi, Kenya, on the sidelines of the SBSTTA-28 and SBI-7 meetings over the weekend.
During the talks, it was explained that approximately US$16 million has been allocated through the GEF Trust Fund under its 9th replenishment cycle (GEF-9). Additional opportunities include $20 million through the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) for addressing climate change impacts, and $5 million through the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) to advance the implementation of national biodiversity priorities.
As a result, Tanzania becomes the third country in Africa to secure such a substantial amount of funding, attributed to the sound management of GEF-funded projects.
Dr. Muyungi thanked the GEF for its long-standing partnership with Tanzania, while emphasising the importance of increasing access to financial resources given the country's immense wealth of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems, with 32% of its total land area under conservation.
Furthermore, both parties discussed preparations for the GEF-9 National Dialogue, which will bring together stakeholders to discuss Tanzania's priorities under GEF-9, draw lessons from the implementation of GEF-8 projects, and set priorities for new projects with environmental, social, and economic benefits.
These projects are therefore expected to contribute to the implementation of the National Development Vision 2050, the National Environmental Master Plan, NDC 3.0, and other national strategies. Meanwhile, the United Republic of Tanzania has committed to hosting the GEF Regional Meeting expected to take place between September and October 2026.