The Board of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) have approved $60 million in funding to support climate-resilient projects in Benin and the Gambia promoting sustainable practices in vulnerable rural communities of these countries.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ (FAO) will offer its expertise to both projects for the sustainable management of natural resources and to help improve the livelihoods of those threatened by the impacts of climate change.
This FAO-led project, Climate Resilient Fishery Initiative for Livelihood Improvement in the Gambia, or PROREFISH, is the first GCF-funded project with an emphasis on fisheries, helping vulnerable people belonging to the Gambia’s fishing communities.
This $25 million six-year initiative, which was designed with the assistance of the FAO Investment Centre, will benefit approximately 168 000 people who depend on the fisheries value chain.
Through climate adaptation and mitigation techniques, the project will strengthen climate-resilience for the Gambia’s fishery communities who are particularly vulnerable to sea-level rise and climate stressors.
Adaptation measures will comprise of climate-resilient aquaculture, restoring fisheries habitat through mangrove restoration and oyster cultivation and climate-proofing small-scale fishing infrastructures. Climate mitigation through the restoration of 2 350 hectares of mangroves forests will generate carbon sequestration benefits of about 238 519 tonnes over a 20-year lifespan.
Women will be equal beneficiaries in project activities for mangrove restoration which is estimated to support 750 households in the mangrove communities. PROREFISH will adopt gender empowerment activities and also support women to be active participants in the project.
The funding from GCF and partners will initiate the implementation of mitigation and adaptation strategies for vulnerable rural communities in Benin and the Gambia, to better combat climate change threats. With the approval of these two projects, the FAO GCF portfolio will now reach $1 billion.