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The Global Environment Facility Council approved in December 2024 an exciting sustainable tourism initiative that will be led by the UN Development Programme (UNDP). The ultimate goal of the iCOAST (Integrated Collaborative Approaches to Sustainable Tourism) program is to reduce pollution of water, soil, and air; reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses; reduce the over-consumption of natural resources, products, and materials; and reverse the tourism sector’s impact on biodiversity loss, while creating equitable livelihoods and jobs for local communities.

This publication provides an overview of initiatives under the GEF Small Grants Programme's (SGP) climate change portfolio which fall under the following thematic areas:

This year’s International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples offers a moment to reflect on how difficult the COVID-19 pandemic has been for indigenous peoples around the world and how much promise there is from ongoing initiatives to support and engage these communities who have much to teach the world about resilience, traditional medicine, and protection of both land and sea.

Seeing a lionfish while diving in the Caribbean is a cause for mixed emotions. On the one hand, one marvels at the exquisite beauty of the fishes’ flowery fins and its amazing adaptability to a range of habitats, from shallow estuaries with low salinity to deep reef environments. But then you remember that these fish don’t belong in the Caribbean, and that the very versatility noted above makes them an invasive menace.