Like other small island developing states (SIDS), Pacific SIDSs are challenged by their remoteness, high vulnerability to climate change-induced disasters, and dependence on mostly imported products. The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has a long history of supporting Pacific SIDS through investments in biodiversity protection on land and in the ocean, resilience to climate change and related disaster risk management, increased energy access through renewable energy and energy efficiency, halting and reversing land degradation, cooperation on international waters, and improved chemicals management.
Given the prominence of GEF support to Pacific SIDS through programs and the need to assess their performance and trends in specific contexts, the GEF Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) is undertaking an in-depth evaluation of the topic. The evaluation will assess three programs approved in GEF-5 or later and their corresponding child projects. The primary objectives are to analyze the relevance, coherence, and effectiveness of the GEF's programs in Pacific SIDS, and to examine how these programs have evolved, integrating lessons from past projects. The evaluation aims to provide recommendations for future GEF projects in Pacific SIDS, with potential transferability to other SIDS.