The development goal of the GEF/SGP is to assure global environmental benefits in the areas of biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation, and protection of international waters through community-based approaches in Albania. The rationale for the programme is rooted in the belief that local solutions to global environmental problems exist and have been successfully implemented through the programme thus far, while at the same time recognizing that there still is an unrealized potential to enhance the impact of the programme within the GEF system as a whole. Given the strategic role of the GEF/SGP in furthering the overall GEF strategy and mandate, the long-term financial modality is one that ensures continuity, flexibility and accountability at the same time. Responding to recommendations in the report of the second independent evaluation of the GEF/SGP, the programme will focus on achieving the following principal objectives (outputs):

1. revision and implementation of the strategic framework and operational guidelines at global and country levels to ensure congruence with GEF Operational Strategy and Programs;
2. selection and implementation of community projects;
3. establishment of functional links with medium- and full-size GEF projects, other UNDP programmes, government agencies, and national environmental funds (mainstreaming);
4. establishment of a sound programme for capacity building for key stakeholders;
5. elaboration and implementation of global and country strategies for sharing of GEF/SGP experiences and demonstrating global benefits;
6. establishment of resource mobilization strategies at global, country and project levels to assure project and programme sustainability ; and
7. operation of a monitoring and evaluation system to track and assess global benefits.

This project enables Albania to prepare its first national communication with the Conference of the Parties (CoP) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The components of the projects are:

1. an inventory of greenhouse gases following the guidelines adopted by the CoP;
2. an assessment of potential impacts of climate change in Albania;
3. an analysis of potential measures to reduce the increase in greenhouse gas emissions in Albania and to adapt climate change;
4. preparation of a national action plan to address climate change and its adverse impacts; and
5. preparation of the first national communication of Albania to the CoP. Beside the preparation of the national communication, the project is expected to enhance general awareness and knowledge on climate change-related issues in Albania, and to strengthen the dialogue, information exchange and cooperation among all the relevant stakeholders including governmental, non-governmental, academic, and private sectors.

This project is the Albanian component of a Mediterranean regional initiative involving Albania, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority and Tunisia. The overall initiative is aimed at ensuring sustainable management of the biological diversity of coastal areas and wetlands in 6 Mediterranean countries/Authority through the development of adequate legal and regulatory frameworks, the creation of institutional organizations adapted to the complexity of the issues at stake, capacity building, and the development of an exchange network at the regional level both to achieve economies of scale and to save time when implementing and replicating the innovating actions undertaken. The objective of the project is to create or enhance the exchange structures and to facilitate their general management

by establishing interministerial coordination mechanisms for projects undertaken at the local and national levels;

by developing demonstration activities at the most significant sites;