DAMASCUS: The Green Climate Fund’s Board of Directors has approved $27.7 million in funding for Syria’s first national project, aimed at addressing water scarcity risks in areas hit hardest by climate change, the Ministry of Local Administration and Environment said Friday.
The approval came during the GCF’s 45th Board meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, held from June 29 to July 3, where a Syrian delegation was headed by Deputy Minister for Environmental Affairs Youssef Sharaf, the ministry’s Information Department told SANA.
The project follows six months of technical study by the ministry’s central directorates in cooperation with partners before its presentation to the GCF Board, the ministry said.
It marks Syria’s first funding from the GCF, ending the country’s absence from the Fund’s financing and opening a new chapter of cooperation in climate action and sustainable development, the ministry added. Officials said the project also paves the way for new national initiatives aligned with Syria’s priorities.
The project aims to strengthen Syria’s capacity to manage limited water resources, support water security in urban and rural areas, protect agriculture and livelihoods in the hardest-hit regions, and bolster the state’s ability to adapt to future climate shocks, according to the ministry.
The ministry described the funding as part of a broader push to strengthen Syria’s presence in international climate finance and build partnerships with global institutions to support environmental recovery, climate adaptation and reconstruction.
Established in 2010, the GCF is the world’s largest fund dedicated to financing climate adaptation and mitigation projects in developing countries. It has approved more than $20 billion for over 130 countries since its inception, including about $6 billion in 2025 alone. The Fund operates under the guidance of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Syria’s approval follows a 2021 FAO-GCF capacity-building program that strengthened the country’s National Designated Authority and prepared its climate profile. Syria’s Country Programme for the GCF, published in June 2023, outlined priorities including agriculture, resilient cities and sustainable infrastructure. Water scarcity remains particularly acute in Syria due to reduced rainfall, drought and the broader impacts of climate change.
