The GEF Small Grants Programme

Local action, Global Impact

Global Newsletter: Issue #1, July 2013

Promoting pistachio cultivation as an agro-forestry practice in arid lands of Uzbekistan The GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP), implemented by UNDP, has played the key and major role in creating a new sector in the forestry industry of

Uzbekistan - pistachio plantations. Through several interlinked SGP projects with a total GEF funding of 162,000 USD, SGP was able to raise great interest among farmers across the Uzbekistan to establish agroforestry practices that are far more environmentally sustainable than any other land use in such fragile arid landscape. Read More…

SGP Launches in Sierra Leone June 5 marked the commemoration of the World Environment Day and the official launch of the GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP) in Sierra Leone. In the opening statement, Dr. Joseph

M. Macarthy, chairman of the SGP National Steering Committee emphasized the need to bring together different partners at different levels to contribute in terms of funds, expertise and reach. Read More...

IN THIS ISSUE

Pistachio Cultivation as an agro-forestry practice in arid lands of Uzbekistan

SGP Launches in Sierra Leone COMPACT 12-Year Report SGP’s Youth Work highlighted at Bonn Climate Change Conference SGP’s Launches New ICCAs Toolkit Two SGP projects win the Green Oscars SGP Launched in Guyana Ramsar Secretary General’s site visit in Zimbabwe SGP Seychelles Launches Community-Based Adaptation Programme SGP implements $16M for Community-Based Adaptation SGP Launched in Saint Lucia Innovations from Sri Lanka and Namibia highlighted at UNFCCC Botswana: From Past to Future Organic Farming in Suriname

The GEF Small Grants Programme

Local action, Global Impact

Global Newsletter: Issue #1, July 2013

COMPACT 12-Year Report Launched at UNESCO World Heritage Committee

On 23 June 2013, SGP launched a 12-year report 'COMPACT: Engaging Local Communities in the Stewardship of World Heritage' at the UNESCO World Heritage Committee taking place in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, between 17-26 June 2013.The publication introduces the COMPACT model and reviews its twelve years of experience in providing small grants towards the shared governance of World Heritage sites. Chapters from each target country illustrate how COMPACT is working in diverse settings, highlighting the principles underlying behind its community-driven approach, and its key planning frameworks. Read More...

SGP'S Work with Youth was highlighted at Bonn Climate Change Conference The GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP), implemented by UNDP, is proud to be featured in "Youth in Action on Climate Change: Inspiration from Around the World", a new publication of the United Nations Joint Framework Initiative on Children, Youth and Climate Change. The publication made its debut at the Bonn Climate Change Conference where students and delegates from across the globe gathered to exchange ideas and mobilize for future action. The publication was launched at a side event organized by the by the UNFCCC Secretariat on June 11 and moderated by Cecilia Wesslén, World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS). Read More...

SGP Launches New ICCAs Toolkit On May 29, 2013 on the occasion of the first World Indigenous Network (WIN) in Darwin, Australia, UNDP, UNEP WCMC, and SGP launched a toolkit designed to assist civil society-led initiatives around the world to voluntarily conserve Indigenous Peoples' and Community Conserved Territories and Areas (ICCAs). Local communities and indigenous peoples make substantial contributions to global conservation efforts and sustainable development. Read More…

The GEF Small Grants Programme

Local action, Global Impact

Global Newsletter: Issue #1, July 2013

Two SGP Projects Win the Green Oscar! On May 2nd the Turkish Mediterranean Conservation Society and the Kuzey Doga Society, grantee partners of the Small Grants Programme (SGP), received the Whitley Award. The Whitley Award, also known as "Green Oscar" is a prestigious international nature conservation prize and was presented to the Turkish Mediterranean Conservation Society, for their efforts on effectively involving the local fishermen in enhancing the control over the no-fishing zones in the Gökova Special Environmental Protection Area in Turkey. The Kuzey Doga Society received their first Whitley Gold Award in 2008, and in this occasion, received the 20th Anniversary Whitley Gold Award, a recognition for

outstanding past winners who have made a significant contribution to global conservation, in this case for the creation of Turkey's First Wildlife Corridor. Read More… SGP launched in Guyana The Small Grants Programme (SGP) launched its programme in Guyana on April 26. The event started with a brief introduction of the history and achievements of the programme, followed by an explanation of the grant making process of SGP. The National coordinator Mr. Ian Kisson also invited eligible groups to start submitting their applications. Read More… Ramsar Secretary General Visits a Small Grant Programme in Zimbabwe On the occasion of the upcoming accession of Zimbabwe to the Ramsar Convention as the 164th Contracting Party, last February, the Secretary General of RAMSAR Convention on Wetlands, Anada Tiega,visited a community-based project financed by GEF Small Grant Programme (SGP) in Monavale Vlei Wetland, Zimbabwe. The project strived to address the degradation of the wetland, and to improve the biodiversity of surrounding areas. The event started with a presentation by Steve Davies, the Chairman of the Conservation Society of Monavale (COSMO) on the work of the organization in wetland conservation. After the presentation, Mr. Anada Tiega took the opportunity to congratulate COSMO for the excellent work done together with the government of Zimbabwe and other key stakeholders including the GEF Small Grants Programme. Read More…

The GEF Small Grants Programme

Local action, Global Impact

Global Newsletter: Issue #1, July 2013

SGP Seychelles Launches Community-Based Adaptation Programme The first steps to community-based adaptation to climate change in the Seychelles were taken on 18 January 2013 by the official launch of the AusAID funded Small Islands Developing States(SIDS) Community Based Adaptation (CBA) programme. Read More…

SGP Implements Portfolio of over $16 Million for Community-Based Adaptation The GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP), implemented by UNDP announced that it is implementing a portfolio of Community-Based Adaptation projects with over US$16 million of funding leveraged from different partners and donors. The announcement was made on the first day of a five-day training workshop for the SGP National Coordinators of the Small Island developing States (SIDS) in the Caribbean, which also launches the implementation of SGP's SIDS Community-Based Adaptation project in Barbados and OECS countries. To date, SGP has supported the development and implementation of over 100 CBA projects worldwide and the production of methodologies, publications, videos, guidebooks, as well as providing technical contributions in major conferences. Read More… SGP Launched in Saint Lucia

On February 14, 2013, the SGP was formally launched in Saint Lucia. The event took place at Pigeon Island National Landmark, which is one of Saint Lucia’s key historic sites and a protected area. Participants included members of the government and development agencies as well as members of the National Steering Committee of SGP Saint Lucia, civil society, academia, the private sector, and the media. Read More…

The GEF Small Grants Programme

Local action, Global Impact

Global Newsletter: Issue #1, July 2013 Innovations from SGP Sri Lanka and Namibia Showcased at UNFCCC Momentum for Change

Two projects supported by SGP were selected as part of the 9 activities highlighted at the last UNFCCC COP and are now available at the UNFCCC website. One of the activities selected is an SGP project that helped the Lanka Electric Vehicle Association (LEVA) import the first electric vehicles to Sri Lanka by changing the current policies to include their access to the country and promoting their use by the government and the private sector. The other SGP project recognized was Creative Entrepreneurs Solutions from Namibia, a community initiative using a participatory, holistic approach to

mitigation and adaptation that includes water harvesting, sustainable agriculture and sustainable land management to combat land degradation and improve food security, flood and drought resistant crops, energy efficient wood stoves and renewable energy in combination with agro-forestry and improved natural resource management and awareness raising. Read More… SGP Botswana: Celebrating the Past by Learning for a Sustainable Future On the occasion of its 20th anniversary, the GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP) in Botswana, implemented by UNDP, organized a capacity development workshop and a knowledge fair to share the results of its portfolio and find partners to scale up some of its best practices. The event included SGP grantees, government officials, the academia and the media and was broadcasted nationwide in Botswana. The 6- day event kicked off on 22 October, 2012 and was co-hosted by the Kalahari Conservation Society and BirdLife Botswana. Read More…

Organic Farming in Suriname In a small house in the Saramacca District, one hour away from the Surinamese capital of Paramaribo, Robert Kriontani welcomes you to his family farm. He grows aubergines,cauliflowers and spring onions, three common products of Suriname's diet. However, Robert's crops are not common; he has chosen not to follow the usual way of farming. Read More…

The GEF Small Grants Programme

Local action, Global Impact

Global Newsletter: Issue #1, July 2013

Publications

20 Years: Community Action for the Global Environment This publication reviews the results achieved by the GEF Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP) over the last two decades (1992-2012), and recounts the ground gained in supporting communities and civil society organizations in their efforts to implement environment-cum-development initiatives. In essence, it is a celebration of two decades of communities and civil society organizations proving themselves capable of the task, of their hard work, of the risks they took together with their partners and supporters, and of all SGP stakeholders demonstrating that sustainable development can be achieved.

Partners in Sustainable Development: Empowering Civil Societies through SGP Malaysia Community Action to Achieve Environmental Sustainability: The experience of the GEF Small Grants Programme in Egypt and the occupied Palestinian territory El Reino de los Ecologistas Eternos