Tajikistan holds unique mountain ecosystems and rich biodiversity, yet faces serious pressures from land degradation, climate change, and chemicals, making the effectiveness of GEF support an important question for both national priorities and global benefits.

This country portfolio evaluation reviews all GEF activities from 1999 to 2015, covering 23 national projects, and applies portfolio analysis and field visits to assess relevance, effectiveness, and sustainability.

Results are strongest in biodiversity, where GEF support expands protected areas, strengthens management, and introduces participatory approaches now endorsed nationally. Climate change and land degradation projects help establish new laws and frameworks, though broader impacts remain limited and replication uneven. Support for chemicals achieves the phase-out of ozone-depleting substances, but progress on persistent organic pollutants is modest. Across focal areas, knowledge generation and awareness raising are most effective at local levels, while monitoring systems and gender integration require further attention.

The report recommends strengthening the GEF focal point mechanism, improving coordination and lesson sharing, prioritizing hazardous chemicals including mercury, and systematically mainstreaming gender in project design and monitoring.