Damascus, July 3 (SANA)The Green Climate Fund’s (GCF) Board of Directors has approved funding for Syria’s first national project, valued at $27.7 million, under the title “Strengthening the capacity to address water scarcity risks in the areas most affected by climate change and water shortage in Syria,” theMinistry of Local Administration and Environmentsaid Friday.

The approval came during the participation of a Syrian delegation, headed by Deputy Minister for Environmental Affairs Youssef Sharaf, in the Fund’s 45th Board meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, held from June 29 to July 3, the Ministry’s Information Department told SANA.

The ministry said the project’s approval followed six months of technical study by the ministry’s central directorates in cooperation with partners, culminating in its presentation to and approval by the GCF Board.

The ministry said the project represents Syria’s first benefit from GCF funding, closing the page on its absence from the Fund’s financing and opening a new chapter of cooperation with the Fund in climate action andsustainable development. The project paves the way for developing new national projects that respond to Syria’s priorities, it added.

The project aims to enhance Syria’s capacity to address water scarcity risks caused byclimate changethrough improved management of limited water resources, supporting water security in urban and rural areas, protecting agriculture and livelihoods in the hardest-hit regions, and strengthening the state’s capacity to adapt to future climate crises, the ministry said.

The achievement comes as part of the ministry’s efforts to strengthen Syria’s presence in the international climate finance system and build effective partnerships with international institutions and funds to support national priorities inenvironment, climate change adaptation and sustainable development, contributing to recovery and reconstruction, it added.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF), established in 2010, is the world’s largest fund dedicated to financing climate change adaptation and mitigation projects in developing countries. It has approved over $20 billion in funding for more than 130 countries since its inception, with about $6 billion approved in 2025 alone. The GCF is the financial arm of theUNFramework Convention on Climate Change and operates under its guidance.

Approval for Syria’s project follows a 2021 FAO-GCF capacity-building program that strengthened Syria’s National Designated Authority and prepared the country’s climate profile. Syria’s Country Programme for the GCF, published in June 2023, set out the country’s priorities for engagement with the Fund, including projects focused on agriculture, resilient cities and sustainable infrastructure. Water scarcity is particularly acute in Syria due to reduced rainfall, drought and the impacts of climate change.