DUSHANBE, July 7, 2009, Asia-Plus — On Monday July 6, President Emomali Rahmon met here with Mrs. Monique Barbut, CEO and Chairperson, Global Environment Facility (GEF). The two discussed issues related to cooperation between Tajikistan and GEF.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with President Rahmon, the GEF CEO noted that the Global Environment Facility has provided 16 million U.S. dollars worth of assistance to Tajikistan over the past 18 years. Besides, GEF has helped Tajikistan to attract 47 million U.S. worth of aid from donor countries, Mrs. Barbut said.
According to her, issues related to the global warning and climate change as well as preservation of glaciers in Tajikistan and removal of industrial waste that has been left in the country since the Soviet time were among major topics of her talks with President Rahmon.
“Over the past three years, GEF has implemented five projects aimed at tackling ecological problems in Tajikistan,” Mrs. Barbut said, noting that the Global Environment Facility will provide assistance with preventing natural disasters caused by heavy rainfalls that hit Tajikistan in the past spring.
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a global partnership among 178 countries, international institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the private sector to address global environmental issues while supporting national sustainable development initiatives. It provides grants for projects related to six focal areas: biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants. The GEF is also the designated financial mechanism for a number of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) or conventions; as such the GEF assists countries in meeting their obligations under the conventions that they have signed and ratified. These conventions and MEAs provide guidance to the two governing bodies of the GEF: the GEF Council and the GEF Assembly.
