Lessons from an Evaluation of the GEF's Interventions in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Situations
On:
Venue:
Virtual Meeting
The GEF Independent Evaluation Office, the Environmental Law Institute and the World Bank hosted a webinar on Lessons from an Evaluation of the GEF's Interventions in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Situations. The event was part of the gLOCAL Evaluation Week 2021.
Summary
Environmental issues, fragility, and conflict are intrinsically linked, and the dynamics of these diverse linkages can fundamentally determine the course of post-conflict recovery, cooperation, and transformation. Natural resources in fragile and conflict-affected situations, if managed well, can support livelihoods, reduce poverty, and help strengthen the post-conflict economy. The Global Environmental Facility(GEF) has invested over $4.0 billion in countries affected by major armed conflict, comprising 29 percent of its global portfolio, indicating that GEF-supported environmental interventions are likely exposed to risks related to conflict and fragility. For the first time since the GEF's inception 30 years ago, the GEF IEO, with the Environmental Law Institute, conducted an evaluation of GEF's interventions in these fragile and conflict-affected situations. We applied a mixed-methods approach including remote sensing, statistical analysis, and qualitative methods to explore five critical pathways through which conflict and fragility affect GEF projects, and the approaches taken by the GEF to address implementation challenges. This session will also present some of the broader issues at the intersection of environment, conflict, and fragility, and discuss the implications of the evaluation findings for future conflict-sensitive programming.
Speakers
Geeta Batra
Independent Evaluation Office, Global Environment Facility
Chief Evaluation Officer and Deputy Director
Dr. Geeta Batra has over 25 years of experience in international development including 15 years of experience in program evaluation. At the IEO, she manages a team of evaluation professionals and provides oversight on the design, implementation, and quality of evaluations.
Tracy Hart
The World Bank
Global Lead for Fragile and Conflict States, ENB Global Practice
Dr. Hart's career has spanned 30 years and 75 countries, with substantial experience in Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. Her current role includes thought leadership in how FCS at sub-national, national, and regional levels influence the management of natural resource assets, and vice versa.
Carl Bruch
Environmental Law Institute
Director of International Programs
Carl Bruch, Esq., is the Director of International Programs at the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) and the founding President of the Environmental Peacebuilding Association (EnPAx). His work focuses on environmental peacebuilding, environmental governance, and adaptation.
Anupam Anand
Independent Evaluation Office, Global Environment Facility
Evaluation Officer
Dr. Anand has over 15 years of experience in evaluation, international development, academic research, and teaching. At the GEF-IEO, he has led evaluations on biodiversity, SFM and REDD+, land degradation, fragility and conflict, and illegal wildlife trade.