Biodiversity in the GEF Operational Strategy Strategic Priorities

The GEF biodiversity portfolio supports initiatives that promote in situ and sustainable biodiversity conservation in protected areas and production landscapes as well as capacity building for implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety(CPB) and knowledge dissemination.

The GEF defines its approach to biodiversity conservation through its four strategic priorities (SPs). Four major themes continue to cut across all four these priorities:

• building capacity
• increasing mainstreaming, i.e., the participation of non-environmental government agencies in biodiversity projects
• enhancing and sustaining participation of local and indigenous communities and the private sector in GEF projects
• improving the linkages with other focal areas of the GEF to maximize synergies that generate local and global environmental benefits.

Protected Areas - SP 1
The key objective of this priority is to conserve biodiversity through the expansion, consolidation, and rationalization of national protected area (PA) systems. Its operational focus will be flexible and be based on a thorough understanding of key strengths and weaknesses at the system and national institutional levels, and on how any given individual intervention contributes towards long-term sustainability within a PA systems-context.

Mainstreaming Biodiversity - SP 2
The principal objective is to integrate biodiversity conservation in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, tourism and other production systems and sectors to secure national and global environmental benefits. Given the broad character of mainstreaming, the operational emphasis will be flexible to allow for the development of tailored activities based on an understanding of country context, biodiversity conservation problems, opportunities and demand.

Capacity Building - SP 3
The main objective under this priority is to build national capacity for the implementation of the Cartagena Protocol of the CBD.

Best Practices - SP 4
The key objective is to improve the analysis, synthesis, and dissemination of best practices, innovative approaches, and new tools. This will in turn lead to GEF’s biodiversity efforts being more effective and sustainable. This objective will address best practices in strategic priorities 1 to 3, ad within the context of CBD guidance.

Operational Programs
Six operational programs, which cover a range of ecosystems and other existing GEF policies, provide further guidance.

Arid and Semi-Arid Zone Ecosystems -OP 1
Activities under this program focus on the conservation and sustainable use of endemic biodiversity in dryland ecosystems.

Coastal, Marine, and Freshwater Ecosystems - OP 2
Activities under this program concentrate on the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in coastal, wetland, mangrove, estuarine, marine, and freshwater ecosystems.

Forest Ecosystems - OP 3
Activities under this program focus on forest ecosystems in protected areas and increasingly in landscapes as a key to the conservation, sustainable use and equitable sharing of benefits from biodiversity.

Mountain Ecosystems- OP 4
Activities under this program the GEF funds initiatives that seek to establish sustainable land use practices on mountain slopes in order to protect representative habitats and strengthen the network of conservation areas in the alpine, mountain, grassland, montane forest zones and freshwater ecosystems.

Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity Important to Agriculture- OP 13
The goal of this operational program is to promote the objectives of the Convention, in the area of agricultural biodiversity. It responds to decisions of the Conference of Parties relevant to the GEF mandate.