Forests cover 31% of the Earth’s surface and house 80% of its land biodiversity. They are vital in combatting climate change and achieving the Paris Agreement and UN Sustainable Development Goals. Yet, the world’s forests are disappearing at an alarming rate. Despite increased focus on sustainability, the fight against deforestation needs more effective and inclusive approaches. By acknowledging the strengths and limitations of various strategies, synergies can be developed that can halt deforestation, avoid negative social impacts, and create equitable outcomes. Denmark aims to support this with a new strategic forest programme with projects in Uganda, Ethiopia, the Central African Forest Initiative and the Amazon Fund. PEM has recently finalized the appraisal of this important progamme. The team assessed the quality and feasibility of the forest programme against the Danish strategic development priorities and provided recommendations on the necessary adjustments for follow-up to be taken prior to submission of the final

FAO and UN women are implementing a Swiss-funded project aimed at empowering women dairy farmers in Georgia. It aims to establish a network of female farmers and enhance their skills through training. Additionally, the program seeks to provide valuable knowledge about women’s rights and domestic violence. In 2022 PEM conducted the mid-term evaluation of the project, which was well received and we are now pleased to inform that we will also carry out the final evaluation.

PEMconsult conducted a desk appraisal of two bilateral projects, managed by the Danish Embassy in Bamako, Mali, for the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These projects represent the second phases of the “Fonds d’Appui à la Création des Entreprises par les Jeunes” and the “Fonds d’Appui aux Moteurs du changement”. The projects begin their second phase of implementation in 2024, alongside the introduction of the new transition framework for Danish engagement in Mali spanning from 2024 to 2027. PEMconsult conducted the desk appraisal, evaluating the general justification of the project and an assessment on the project level aspects, and contributed expertise in private sector development.  

The initiative known as the “Next Generation Low Carbon, Climate Resilient Eco-Village Development in South Asia” (EVD IV) was executed through a collaborative effort involving various entities, including the Dansk International Bosætningsservice (DIB), the International Network for Sustainable Energy (INFORSE), and the Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA). Operating in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, the project expanded its influence via regional and global advocacy efforts, notably during the Conferences of the Parties (COPs) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The project promoted the Eco-Village Development (EVD) concept, emphasising community-driven, village-based approaches for low-carbon and climate-resilient development. PEMconsult carried out an evaluation of EVD IV. The evaluation included a field mission, visiting the model ecovillages in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Additionally, remote interviews were carried out with project partners in Bangladesh, India, and Denmark. In the final part of the evaluation, findings were presented