FAO continues supporting Iran to mainstream climate action
and climate finance

During the last 12 months and despite challenges posed
by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent restrictions and lockdowns, the Food
and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) remains committed to
supporting Iran in addressing the increasing climate change challenges and
further boost the national running’s efforts to preserve the environment and
biodiversity and build resilience among millions of rural families across the
country.

In this respect, FAO, in collaboration with Iran’s
Department of Environment (DOE), pushed forward with implementing a project
funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to strengthen the country’s capacities
to access and efficiently manage, track and guide climate financing with
particular attention to adaptation and mitigation measures in all relevant
sectors at country level.

Eyeing to provide enabling environment and establish
facilitating procedures for climate action, FAO and DoE, hand in hand,
conducted studies, developed reports and organised training and consultative
sessions to detect existing gaps, obtain insider opinions, formulate solutions
and mentor stakeholders to engage in climate change adaptation and mitigation
measures. 

To provide a baseline for establishing an effective
coordination mechanism within DOE, FAO performed gap analysis, outlined its
recommendations, and craft work plans envisaged to strengthen two vesting governmental
bodies, the National Designated Authority (NDA) and the National Climate Change
Finance Committee (NCCFC).

Further to consultative meetings organised by FAO with
a broader range of stakeholders and the supports received from DOE, the
Organization finalised the mapping of climate change stakeholder’s initiative
and investment in Iran. Based on this deliverable and ensuing workshops, FAO
shall developed a stakeholder engagement strategic framework to secure the
involvement of authorities, institutions and interest parties from the public,
private and civil society sectors in NDA’s and NCCFC’s procedures.

The Organization is also developing a knowledge-sharing
web-based portal for NDA to disseminate guidelines and other GCF’s related
information among stakeholders and interested national entities.

Experiencing the pandemic-induced challenge of physical
distancing, FAO managed to provide intensive training opportunities for NDA’s
and NCFFC’s affiliated experts and managers, equipping them with the critical
visions, concepts, tools and criteria to formulate project proposals for
climate financing.

To secure a nation-level endorsement for the submitted
proposals and built on consultative and training workshops organised by FAO for
Iranian stakeholders, the Organization drafted a No-Objection Procedure (NOP)
arrangements for NDA Office aimed at streamlined provisions to evaluate,
assess, score and priorities the prospective projects.

Concluding 12 months full of challenges and expecting
the Iranian New Year, Nowruz, in less than one week, FAO carries on with its
commitment to support the country to improve its national climate change
investment planning and decision-making mechanisms.

Being the lead UN agency in promoting climate-smart
approaches in agriculture and natural resource management, FAO supports member
countries to develop and implements climate change adaptation and mitigation
policies and measures.

http://www.fao.org/iran/news/detail-events/en/c/1381671/