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The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved over USD 120 million in new funding to strengthen climate resilience in Ghana, the Maldives, and Mauritania.
The projects, developed by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) at the request of the three countries, aim to help vulnerable communities anticipate and adapt to the increasingly severe impacts of climate change.
Key interventions include nature-based solutions, climate-resilient agriculture, early warning systems, and improved water security.
“The approval of these projects demonstrates how GCF is supporting country ownership of national climate action priorities in Ghana, Maldives, and Mauritania,” said Henry Gonzalez, Chief Investment Officer of the Green Climate Fund (GCF).
“These investments will positively impact key areas of climate resilience in all three countries.”
The new funding represents a significant step forward in deploying adaptation finance where it is most urgently needed—particularly in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and the Sahel region.
Together, the initiatives are expected to benefit more than 3.5 million people.
“These new projects reflect UNEP’s deep commitment to supporting countries on the frontlines of climate change,” said Martin Krause, Director of UNEP’s Climate Change Division.
“Our focus is on contextualizing climate solutions to the benefit of the most vulnerable nations and communities with tailored, locally led, and science-based solutions.”
Ghana: Resilient Agroecosystems
In northern Ghana, increasingly erratic rainfall and extended dry seasons have led to chronic food shortages, drying water bodies, and the destruction of infrastructure from flooding. Smallholder farmers—dependent on rainfed subsistence agriculture—are particularly at risk.
High temperatures reduce land’s water-retention capacity, while extreme rainfall increases the danger of dam collapse and downstream flooding.
A new USD 70 million project—supported by a USD 63 million GCF grant—seeks to build resilience in agroecosystems and rural livelihoods.
The project will benefit 120 communities across eight districts in the Northeast, Upper East, and Upper West regions.
Key interventions include
- Improving access to climate data and early warnings
- Enabling dry season farming through water storage solutions
- Restoring 28,000 hectares of degraded land to boost soil health, increase water retention, and reduce flood risk.
Implemented by the Government of Ghana through the Environmental Protection Agency and the Ghana Meteorological Agency, the initiative will benefit 619,000 people directly, while early warning alerts will reach up to 2.9 million.
Around 120,000 people are expected to experience improved food security as a result of adopting climate-resilient farming practices.
Maldives: Early Warnings for All
Comprising 1,192 islands, nearly 80% of which lie less than one meter above sea level, the Maldives is the world’s most exposed country to climate change.
The country faces constant threats from rising sea levels, as well as more frequent and severe storm surges, floods, heatwaves, and coastal erosion.
These climate hazards are already affecting vital sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, and tourism, impacting the entire population.
The poorest, most marginalized remote communities—especially women and children—are particularly vulnerable.
To strengthen the country’s adaptive capacity and reduce vulnerability, UNEP, in coordination with national and international partners, developed the project Toward Risk-Aware and Climate-Resilient Communities (TRACT) – Strengthening Climate Services and Impact-Based Multi-Hazard Early Warning in the Maldives.
The USD 25 million project—expected to benefit more than half a million people—will be implemented over five years under UNEP leadership.
It aligns with the Early Warnings for All initiative (EW4All), which aims to ensure that everyone on Earth is protected from hazardous climate events through early warning systems by 2027.
The project will deliver on the Maldives’ EW4All roadmap, developed by the government and partners to guide the scale-up of early warning systems.
Mauritania: Fighting Drought and Desertification
In the fragile zone between the Sahara and the Sahel, Mauritania is grappling with prolonged droughts, sand encroachment, and water scarcity.
Accelerating dune movement, the siltation of water sources, and mounting pressure on socio-economic infrastructure such as roads and schools threaten lives and livelihoods.
The country’s agricultural output remains extremely low, with up to 85% of its food being imported.
A USD 33 million investment—including a USD 30 million GCF grant—will support ecosystem restoration and secure livelihoods in four vulnerable areas: Aoujeft, Rachid, Tamcheket, and Nema.
The project will develop green-grey infrastructure to fix dunes and control sand encroachment, improve access to water for farming and land rehabilitation, and scale up climate-resilient agriculture to enhance food security and household income.
Led by Mauritania’s Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, the initiative will directly benefit 85,000 people and improve resilience for 145,000 more.
It will also protect 2,100 hectares of land and contribute to the Great Green Wall—a multilateral African effort to combat desertification and build climate resilience.
About the UN Environment Programme
UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment.
It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
About the Green Climate Fund
The Green Climate Fund – a critical element of the historic Paris Agreement – is the world’s largest climate fund, mandated to support developing countries raise and realize their Nationally Determined Contributions ambitions towards low-emissions, climate-resilient pathways.
