Contacts In Washington: Ana Elisa Luna Barros +1 (202) 473 2907 alunabarros@worldbank.org In Cotonou: Sylvie Nenonene (229) 21 30 58 57 snenonenene@worldbank.org Nadiath Allakê Dende (229) 21 30 58 57 ndende@worldbank.org WASHINGTON, February 19, 2008 – The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved a Community-Based Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Management Project (CBCBM) for the Republic of Benin. The project is funded by a Global Environment Facility (GEF) grant of US$4.3 million (this grant is to be managed by the World Bank). The approved project aims to promote the conservation and sustainable use of the biological diversity of the coastal zone and marine resources, while supporting the livelihood and economic development opportunities of communities living in the project areas. The project’s activities revolve around four (4) main components, namely: (i) institutional and technical capacity building for integrated coastal zone management; (ii) community-based biodiversity management; (iii) monitoring and evaluation of coastal zones and coastal and marine biodiversity; and (iv) project management and coordination. According to Rémi Kini, World Bank task team leader: “The Community-Based Coastal and MarineBiodiversity Management Project, which is fully consistent with the GEF Biodiversity Operational Program, especially the coastal and marine ecosystems component, will help to effectively implement the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. The project supports the second pillar of Benin’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, which focuses on the development of human capital and environmental management. The World Bank’s involvement in Benin’s environmental management operations and budget support programs for the Ministry of Environment and Nature Protection (MEPN) gives it a comparative advantage in terms of the support that it will provide to the Government to achieve the project’s objectives.” The project will be implemented over five (5) years by the Benin Environmental Agency [Agence Béninoise pour l’Environnement ABE]. The GEF is a mechanism for providing new and additional grant funding to meet the incremental costs of measures to achieve global environmental benefits in six focal areas: climate change, biodiversity, international waters, ozone layer depletion, land degradation, and persistent organic pollutants. The World Bank Group is one of GEF’s implementing agencies and supports countries in preparing GEF co-financed projects and supervises their implementation. It plays the primary role in the development and management of investment projects. The Bank draws upon its operational experience in eligible countries to promote investment opportunities and to mobilize private sector, bilateral, multilateral, government, and non-government sector resources for interventions that are consistent with GEF objectives and national sustainable development strategies. Since 1991, the World Bank Group has committed $1.972 billion in GEF resources, and $3.037 billion in Bank Group co-financing for GEF projects in 80 countries. In addition to GEF and Bank resources, it has also mobilized additional co-financing of $6.952 billion from other donors.
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