Egypt’s long-standing partnership with the GEF provides a critical test of how sustained engagement advances global environmental goals.

The country was selected for portfolio evaluation because of this history and its prominent role in international environmental conventions. The evaluation, conducted from November 2008 to March 2009, reviewed 19 national projects totaling $87.87 million, as well as seven regional and one global project.

It finds GEF support in Egypt raised awareness of global environmental issues and contributed to national policy change, particularly in biodiversity and climate change. Biodiversity projects strengthened institutions, introduced new conservation models, and developed national strategies, while climate change initiatives advanced energy efficiency and built institutional capacity. International waters projects supported regional cooperation and piloted technologies with potential for replication. By contrast, support for land degradation and POPs was limited, and long-term sustainability across focal areas often suffered from weak planning, insufficient resources, and inadequate dissemination of results.

Recommendations emphasize addressing the funding gap in land degradation, preparing a national GEF framework to improve strategic use of funds, and strengthening coordination, sustainability planning, and visibility of GEF-supported activities.