Cameroon’s role as a global biodiversity hotspot and early GEF partner underscores the importance of assessing how well international support strengthens national systems.

Since 1992, Cameroon has received GEF funding across ten national projects, primarily in biodiversity and land degradation, with smaller shares in climate change and persistent organic pollutants. This country portfolio evaluation (1992–2007) reviewed national and regional projects to assess relevance, effectiveness, and sustainability.

The evaluation finds that GEF support expanded the protected area system and contributed to biodiversity, international waters, and land degradation objectives, yet local incentives for conservation remain insufficient to sustain results.

Weak financial, institutional, and socioeconomic capacities place outcomes at risk, while externally driven project identification limits country ownership. The Activity Cycle’s complexity further constrains efficiency, and knowledge management requires strengthening.

The evaluation concludes that GEF support is relevant to Cameroon’s priorities but needs deeper integration with national systems, recommending stronger incentives for local communities, greater support for trust funds, improved financial management, and closer engagement of GEF Agencies with national stakeholders.