Summary of Results—Biodiversity

A summary of the key portfolio results through the first three fiscal years of GEF-3 is provided below:

• Eight of the nine (89%) measurable coverage targets for Strategic Priorities One and Two for GEF-3 have already been achieved or exceeded.
• For Strategic Priority One, Catalyzing Sustainability of Protected Area Systems:
• 26 countries (GEF-3 target was 15) have received support to strengthen their protected area systems;
• 418 protected areas are currently being supported (GEF-3 target was 400);
• 13% of these protected areas are new additions (GEF-3 target was 20%); and
• 96 million hectares of protected areas are being supported (GEF-3 target was 70 million hectares).
• Africa received the majority of support during the first three years of GEF-3 when measured in terms of percent of the total coverage of hectares for Strategic Priority One (52%) and Two (38%) and in terms of the number of African protected areas that are receiving support under SP-1 (245 or 58% of the total number of protected areas supported).
• Fourteen (14) African countries, representing nearly one-third of the continent, have received support to strengthen their protected area systems.
• For Strategic Priority Two, Mainstreaming Biodiversity Conservation in Production Landscapes and Sectors, 81 total projects in the targeted sectors are focusing on mainstreaming biodiversity into the sector (GEF-3 target was 5 per sector or 20 total):
• 25 projects in agriculture;
• 15 projects in fisheries;
• 16 projects in forestry; and
• 15 projects in tourism.
• In addition, 36 million hectares (GEF-3 target was 20 million) in production landscapes and seascapes are being supported under Strategic Priority Two, and 30 countries (GEF-3 target was 5) are promoting conservation and sustainable use of wild species.

Under Strategic Priority Three, Capacity Building in Biosafety, 126 countries have participated in the project “Development of National Biosafety Frameworks” and 33% of them have completed draft frameworks and have started to implement them. Implementation of frameworks is at varying stages of completion in the remaining 84 countries.