The document discusses integrated natural resources management as essential for achieving sustainable development, highlighting its alignment with the Millennium Development Goals and the need for cooperation across various focal areas. It emphasizes the importance of a coordinated approach, identifies obstacles to integration, and suggests concrete actions to enhance collaboration among GEF focal areas. Examples such as the Caspian Sea basin showcase potential successful integrated management strategies addressing environmental challenges.

1. Integrated Natural Resources Management
and the GEF - Reconciling global environmental
values and sustainable development
Multi-Focal Area Task Force Meeting
Washington, November 15th 2004

2. Target 9, Goal 7 of the Millennium Development Goals
““Ensure Environmental Sustainability””
“Integrate the principles of sustainable development into
country policies and programs and reverse the loss
of environmental resources.”
The indicators linked to this target refer to:
•Forest cover and biodiversity
•Sustainable energy
•Water

3. WSSD Plan of Implementation
Managing natural resources in an integrated
Manner is essential for sustainable development
In Johannesburg, international consensus was reached around
the two basic approaches that should organize the global effort
towards environmentally sustainable development:
•Integrated management of natural resources, including energy;
•Enhancement of cooperation and synergies, with emphasis
on the regional level.

4. · Combat desertification and mitigate the effects of extreme
climatic events through land and natural resources management;
• Improve access to reliable, affordable, economically viable,
socially acceptable and environmentally sound energy
• Develop integrated water resources management and water
efficiency plans by 2005;
• Develop and implement national/regional strategies, with regard
to integrated river basin and groundwater management;
• Develop programs for mitigating the effects of extreme
water-related events, and implement an integrated multi-hazard,
inclusive approach
• Develop and implement integrated land management and
water-use plans that are based on sustainable use of renewable
resources and on integrated assessments of socio-economic and
environmental potentials;
• Encourage the UNFCCC, the CBD and the CCD to continue
exploring and enhancing synergies

5. The GEF is identified as a key institution by
WSSD to experiment and demonstrate ways to
translate these principles and approaches into on
the ground practices
One specific reference: “utilize…the GEF..to provide
financial resources to developing countries, in particular
to LDCs and SIDS, to meet their needs in … reliable,
affordable, economically viable, socially acceptable
and environmentally sound energy.”

6. A compelling rationale for the need of a GEF response
to the call for integration:
•The clear and coherent message deriving from MDGs and WSSD
•The GEF Operational Strategy that recognizes the need for
integrating water, land use and biodiversity, and adopts the
ecosystem approach
•The size of the GEF portfolio - risks of overlaps and antagonistic
linkages in many geographic areas
•The addition of the Land Degradation focal area
•The new focus on climate change adaptation
•The recommendations of STAP on interlinkages and groundwater

7. So far, the integration and joining of forces among
GEF focal areas has not occurred spontaneously
Major internal obstacles add to
well known external constraints:
•The operational structure, organized in GEFSEC and IAs,
around focal areas (OPs, Task Forces, etc.)
•Lack of coordination in Strategic Priorities, lack of an
overall strategic priority
•The focal area nominal allocation of resources
•The organizational structure by focal area teams

8. A possible way ahead towards
integration intended as the joining of forces
across focal areas towards a common
objective
The concrete steps that GEF can undertake in the
short term will have
(i) to be of an experimental/demonstration
nature, and
(i) build upon existing opportunities.

9. A clear Geographical Context
Integration requires a clear geographical context, i.e.:
a system with defined boundaries. This system may
vary according to the “entry point”:
•Water: a river/lake/aquifer basin, or a large marine
ecosystem
•Land degradation: a productive landscape?
•Biodiversity: a higher level ecosystem?
•Climate change, a region sharing a common sustainable
energy resource, or a country as a whole?
Given its overarching nature, climate adaptation measures and
considerations may have to be introduced in each of the four
above contexts.

10. A Principal Objective
Every integrated program of interventions will be
aimed at achieving a principal objective, whose nature
will depend upon the “entry point” and whose goal, in
line with the MDGs and the WSSD Plan of
Implementation, will be the fostering of
environmentally sustainable development. In doing so,
global benefits will be accrued in a cluster of focal
areas, or even in all of them. A tentative/preliminary
Operational Program indication will correspond to the
Principal Objective.

11. A Diagnostic Analysis
The design of an integrated project or program will
require a sufficient level of understanding of the region,
of the problems and their root causes, of the possible
solutions and actions. Hence, integrated action can only
be undertaken when a Diagnostic Analysis based on
solid science and around which the consensus at the
inter-ministerial level in the country (ies) has been
reached, is available

12. An enabling environment for stress reduction
On the ground integration can be experimented more
effectively when the stage of the implementation of
stress reduction/mitigation measures has been
reached, and the enabling environment is in place.
These four pre-requisites may provide the criteria for
identifying and selecting the opportunities for
integration where action can be taken in the short
term.

13. Breaking focal area barriers:
Possible actions
•Merging of resources
•Increase in PDF-B funds for the design of integrated projects
and multi-project programs
•Incentives (fee premiums?) to encourage our agencies to
engage in integrated programs
•Adoption of a new set of overall “GEF strategic priorities”,
which would privilege integration
•Creation of new multi-focal operational programs (Integrated
Natural Resources Management in Hydrographic Basins, or “Energy for
Environmentally Sustainable Development in LDCs and SIDS)
•systematic dialogue among focal areas in the Secretariat and
Task Forces and strengthening of Task Forces

14. The new challenge in the
IW focal area:
Catalyzing an Integrated Response to
Strategic Action Programs
LAND
WATER
BIODIVERSITY
CLIMATE
CONTAMINANTS

15. EXAMPLE OF A
POSSIBLE INTEGRATED
APPROACH
THE CASPIAN SEA BASIN
The Challenge:
Sustainable Integrated
Management of the
Caspian Environment

16. Russian Federation
Azerbaijan
Kazakhstan
Turkmenistan
Iran

17. As a result of a first IW - GEF project,
the riparian countries have agreed on a
Strategic Action Programme and on a
binding environmental Caspian Convention
Payvand's Iran News ...
11/5/03
Convention for Protection of Caspian Environment signed in
Iran
The Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of
the Caspian Sea (Tehran Convention) was signed by the
plenipotentiary representatives of the five littoral countries of the
sea in Tehran on Tuesday, IRNA reported.
Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan are the
five countries situated around the world's biggest lake.
According to the Tehran Convention, all Caspian Sea littoral
countries are committed to take all necessary measures,
individually or collectively, to reduce and control pollution of the
sea.

18. Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis
A science based TDA
has guided in defining targets,
strategies, priorities
Strategic Action Programme
The SAP for the Caspian Basin
has been adopted by the littoral
countries. It is a commitment to action.
National Caspian Action Plans
Actions identified in the SAP
are being translated into national
commitments

19. Priority regional environmental
concerns identified by the TDA and
addressed by the SAP:
Over-exploitation
of bio-resources
Threats to biodiversity
Water pollution
Unsustainable coastal
area development

20. Objective 1
Conservation and Sustainable
Use of Bioresources
Target 1: Sustainable Commercial
Fisheries
Target 2: Rehabilitate Stocks
of Sturgeon, Herring
Target 3: Reduce dependency
of coastal communities
Promote regional agreement
Introduce Quota System
Strengthen Compliance, enforcement and monitoring
Reduce Illegal Trade
Protect and manage natural spawning grounds
Improve hatchery efficiency
Creation of a gene bank for anadromous fish stocks
Promote small scale aquaculture
Promote alternative livelihoods (pilot
projects)

21. Objective 2
Conservation of Biodiversity
Target 1: Increased Regional Collaboration
Target 2: Key species maintained/restored to viable levels
Target 3: Control of alien species
Target 4: Implementation of regional system for protection
of marine and coastal habitats
Target 5: Restored priority coastal habitats
Target 6: Restored priority marine habitats (five demos)

22. Objective 3
Improve the Water Quality
Target 1: Strengthen enforcement and management
Target 2: Implement regional water quality monitoring
Target 3: Adopt Protocols on LBA, Hazardous substances and
Dumping - Implement regional strategies
for pollution reduction
Target 4: Implement POPs stockpiles disposal and land
decontamination plans
Target 5: Promote env. sound agricultural practices
Target 6: Disaster prevention response (oil spills)

23. Objective 4:
Sustainable Development
Of Coastal Zones
Target 1: Introduction of ICZM (five demos)
Target 2: Combat Desertification and Deforestation
Process
Reverse land degradation in priority areas (demos)
Introduce renewable energy alternatives to fuel-wood
Introduce sustainable grazing practices

24. By joining forces in SAP Implementation, the GEF Focal Areas
(IW, Biodiversity, POPs, Land Degradation, Climate Change)
can assist the Caspian countries to respond to the challenge
of integrated natural resources management in the Caspian Basin
POPs: Stockpiles Disposal,
IW: Coastal management, Decontamination of sites
Fisheries, pollution reduction
Biodiversity: Protected areas,
control of alien species,
habitat restoration
Land Degradation:
Sustainable grazing,
Soil Conservation demos
Climate Change: Rural
electrification - RETs as
alternatives to fuel-wood

25. Conservation of Wetland Biodiversity
in the Lower Volga Region
Integrated Conservation of
Priority
Globally Significant
Migratory
Bird Wetland Habitat -
Kazakhstan
Conservation of Iranian Wetlands
Kura Aras Basin
Management
GEF Projects under
implementation or
preparation
with relevance for the
Caspian Basin
Lack of integration

26. Strategic Partnership
Investment Fund
Investment projects,
demonstrations
Regional Project
Reforms,
capacity building
Replication mechanisms
Projects

27. New Strategic Partnerships have entered the GEF Pipeline:
The Pollution Reduction Fund for
the East Asian LMEs
(World Bank with UNDP - IMO)
The Sustainable Fisheries Fund
for Sub-Saharan Africa LMEs
(World Bank - FAO – WWF
With UNDP and UNEP)
Others are being identified and designed:
The Strategic Partnership for the
Mediterranean Sea LME
(World Bank - UNEP)