Least Developed Countries Fund

 

Following a request from the Conference of the Parties (COP), the GEF developed a paper titled Operationalizing Support to the Preparation of the National Adaptation Plan Process in Response to Guidance from the UNFCCC COP, that provides an operational basis for supporting the process to formulate and implement NAPs in eligible developing countries. The paper provides the scope of the LDCF/SCCF support, and that the GEF will continue to apply the policies presented in the updated operational guidelines for the LDCF and the SCCF (documents GEF/LDCF.SCCF.13/04 and GEF/LDCF.SCCF.13/05, respectively).

 

LDCs can access resources from the LDCF for the formulation of NAPs through existing GEF modalities of medium-sized projects, full-sized projects and programmatic approaches, consistent with the objectives and principles of the LDCF. Accessing the LDCF involves iterative steps between the country, a GEF agency and the GEF. First, an LDC would develop a project concept in the form of a Project Identification Form (PIF) with the assistance of one of the GEF agencies. For the process to formulate and implement NAPs, this will likely involve an initial scoping of existing activities and awareness-raising among key stakeholders, and may therefore need to be facilitated with a small preparation grant. The PIF would be submitted to the GEF for approval by the LDCF/SCCF Council, and can be accompanied by a request for a project preparation grant (PPG).

 

Once the PIF is approved, the country embarks on development of a full project document, and PPG funding is provided to the country if requested. Once completed, the full project document is submitted to the GEF for GEF CEO endorsement, which would then enable disbursement of requested amount of funding to the country for full implementation of the project. In some cases, a country may combine the PIF and PPG stages.

 

The project can be a Medium-Sized Project (MSP) if the total cost from the LDCF is less than or equal to USD 2 million, or can be a Full-Sized project (FSP) if more. The FSP undergoes a full review process under the LDCF Council, and would take longer to process than the MSP. The latter is directly approved and endorsed by the GEF CEO. A complete description of the GEF modalities for accessing the LDCF is contained in the GEF document GEF/LDCF.SCCF.13/04 titled Updated Operational Guidelines for the Least Developed Countries Fund.

 
SAMPLE ACTIVITIES FOR A PROPOSAL TO THE LDCF

 

A country would have identified activities integral to the formulation and subsequent impmentation of NAPs, after due consideration of what exists. The table below shows how some activities could be arranged and how these could be presented in the stages of the proposal to the LDCF, from a PIF to a PPG then the full project – either as a medium-sized project or full-sized project (the case whether only activities for the formulation of NAP are included within a NAPA implementation project is discussed below). These activities include only those that would be additional to what a country would be doing with its own resources, such as routine collection of climate and related data. Given the modular nature of the activities, additional funding from non-LDCF sources could be mapped to specific activities that would complement those activities supported through the LDCF funding.
 
After the first iteration of a National Adaptation Plan (e.g. in 2–3 years) a country would start implementing projects, strategies and programmes and subsequently revise the work plan according to new scientific findings and assessments as well as the outcomes of the monitoring and review. The mandate for the process to formulate and implement NAPs would have specified the frequency for producing the NAP documents and a process for continuous assessment and monitoring to support subsequent plans.