Welcome to The GEF Small Grants Programme

Traditional knowledge for a sustainable future: how Indigenous traditions are protecting biodiversity in the savannahs of Tanzania

On a cloudy day in June 2020, dozens of herders dressed in brightly coloured robes gathered under the widely spaced trees that are typical of savannah landscapes in northern Tanzania. It was the beginning of the dry season in Kiteto district, which is home to a variety of Indigenous Peoples, including the semi-nomadic Maasai pastoralists that had congregated in anticipation: “We have been waiting for this event for a long time and we are relieved to see it happen today", said Kimirei Mathiaya, chair of the Partimbo grazing cluster. On this o...

An ancestral answer to climate change: forest restoration with native plant in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Fumbwa (Gnetum africanum) is a wild vine with thick papery leaves found in the tropic...

Award-winning SGP project leads Nepal to a mercury-free health sector

Chemicals are an integral part of everyday life, including for having heat, goods and clothing. While they are a significant contributor to our economies, their sound management is essential to avoid ...

Our Mission

Established in 1992, the year of the Rio Earth Summit, the GEF Small Grants Programme embodies the very essence of sustainable development by "thinking globally acting locally". By providing financial and technical support to projects that conserve and restore the environment while enhancing people's well-being and livelihoods, SGP demonstrates that community action can maintain the fine balance between human needs and environmental imperatives.