Samarkand, Uzbekistan – Tourism and Environmental Affairs Minister Jane Mkhonta Simelane is representing Eswatini at the eighth Global Environment Facility Assembly in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, where world leaders are discussing solutions to climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and sustainable development.
Addressing delegates at the assembly, the minister described the Global Environment Facility as a key partner in advancing Eswatini’s environmental and development goals.
“Eswatini acknowledges GEF as a strategic partner in our national development, consistently supporting our National Development Plan, National Adaptation Plan, and Nationally Determined Contributions,” she said. 
Simelane pointed to key initiatives supported through the GEF, including the Big Five Nature Reserve Project, food systems transformation, improved waste management, transboundary water cooperation and biodiversity conservation.
She reaffirmed Eswatini’s commitment to climate action through NDC 3.0, which targets a reduction of 2.24 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions by 2035.
“With GEF-9 STAR allocation, Eswatini is prioritizing the implementation of NDC 3.0 as we pursue a low-carbon, climate-resilient future while protecting our ecosystems and biodiversity,” Simelane said.
The assembly also provided an opportunity for Eswatini to engage in planning for the ninth GEF cycle, with the kingdom set to direct its allocated funding toward priority areas that were previously unaddressed under earlier funding cycles.
Among the areas of focus for Eswatini under the new cycle are energy matters, given that the kingdom currently sources electricity from South Africa and Mozambique. The minister indicated that addressing energy security and climate change would remain central to Eswatini’s engagement with the GEF going forward.
The transboundary Incomati Basin project, a collaborative effort involving Eswatini, Mozambique and South Africa to manage shared water resources, was also among the key programmes discussed, with the initiative directly benefiting communities living along the Mbuluzi River and surrounding areas.
