About the workshop

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is the only financing mechanisms of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which is exclusively dedicated to addressing the climate crisis. The GCF has a specific mandate to promote a country-driven, climate-resilient and low-carbon development. It is hoped that this will become the main channel through which international public funding for climate will flow over time.

To access support from the GCF for climate resilience-building water projects, countries need to present projects designed for impact – reflected through prioritized project ideas, compelling concept notes, and comprehensive funding proposals. However, capacity limitations constrain countries in identifying and preparing catalytic water-related adaptation interventions. Limited understanding of the GCF's funding modalities and proposal requirements poses further barriers for countries wishing to access GCF resources for adaptation planning and projects.

Technical assistance can help enable developing countries to prepare well-prioritised climate resilience-building water projects that can attract funding from the GCF. Ccountries are seeking clarification on the structured, yet evolving GCF funding modalities, especially around enhanced direct access, its range of financing instruments and project proposal requirements.

Workshop Objectives

The workshop responds to country needs and expressed demand for support to strengthen capacity of NDAs, DAEs, and water ministries to prepare climate resilient water security projects that can access GCF financing. Specifically, the workshop aims to:

  1. Present the GCF, its mandate, investment criteria, and its operational modalities and procedures for delivering climate finance through different windows
  2. Discuss GCF financing instruments, along with fit-for-purpose examples of climate rationale, project design, and financing instrument selection in the African context
  3. Discuss methodologies for articulating incremental costs of climate-proofing water projects
  4. Review challenges and constraints, and explore solutions for DAEs to coordinate with NDAs, and water ministries, water-related sectors in preparation of GCF projects
  5. Identify opportunities and follow-up activities for Concept Note preparation

Expected Outcomes

  1. Enhanced understanding of the GCF impact criteria, operational modalities and procedures
  2. Clear understanding of GCF investment criteria, finance instruments and concrete steps needed to prepare strong water-related adaptation project proposals
  3. Methodologies understood for articulating climate rationale and estimating incremental costs of climate-proofing water-related investments
  4. Enhanced understanding of the roles and responsibilities of all parties involved throughout the project cycle
  5. Identification of potential GCF project concepts and launch of post-workshop support mechanism - Climate Resilience Partnership for Preparation of Water Projects

Participants

The workshop is aimed at the following participants, to support the preparation and implementation of water projects in LAC:

  • GCF National Designated Authorities (NDA) 
  • Current and potential GCF Direct Access Entities (DAEs) 
  • Water resources planners of the ministries/agencies dealing with water issues
  • Experts in preparation and financing of projects of collaborating partners
  • Program Managers, Regional Coordinators and country representatives of GWP LAC.
  • Technical advisors, specialists in water and climate