The Small Grants Programme Newsletter

GEF Small Grants Programme Newsletter October 2023

Our Stories

Central do Cerrado- Supporting livelihoods while conserving traditions and ecosystems in Brazil

“We’re here to value socio-biodiversity products and support sustainable livelihoods for indigenous peoples and communities, to help them preserve territories, landscapes and ways of life. This is the purpose of Cooperative Central do Cerrado,” explains executive secretary, Luis Carrazza. The name of the cooperative can be loosely translated to “The Centre for the Brazilian Savanna”. Established in 2004, they sell products from over 40 community organizations in nine Brazilian states, across Cerrado, Caatinga and Amazonia biomes.

In Living Colour: Local action for coral reef restoration in Barbados

“I was on board from day one,” remembers Courtney Forde, Volunteer and past Vice President of the Coral Reef Restoration Alliance (CORALL). Courtney is a marine professional and conscientious citizen – who combines his skills, knowledge and passion for the ocean towards the well-being of coral reef ecosystems. He works at the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology. As part of the team developing the Coral Reef Bleaching Outlook for Barbados, he has first-hand experience on the state of Barbados’ coral reefs. For Courtney, joining the CORALL team, a local NGO dedicated to coral reef conservation, was an easy choice.

The Wonder Women and their Wonder Palm, Maldives

For many, the picture of a tropical island of the Maldives isn’t complete without the verdant presence of coconut palms. Its distinctive silhouette contours a prelude to sandy beaches and clear blue seas that glitter below. For the Maldives, coconut trees are not just ornamental signs of an island paradise. It is of historical and cultural significance and is the country’s national tree as well as one of the symbols of the Maldivian emblem. For Maldivians, it is also the ‘tree of life’: from its woody trunk all the way up to the swaying fronds, the coconut palm has been providing a bounty of natural resources for the Maldivian people for generations.

Wind of Change: Nubi’s fluttering conical prayer flags carry a conservation story in Bhutan

Bhutan is known for many things but a common sight across the country is the tapestry of prayer flags that peacefully flutter amidst its majestic mountains and valleys. A symphony of vibrant colours, Bhutanese believe that these prayer flags are emissaries of compassion, carrying the sacred blessing of Buddhist teachings far and wide. In order to bring peace, happiness and prosperity to all sentient beings, many Bhutanese fly prayer flags – next to their homes, on the hills, and near monasteries.

Sustainable Livelihoods for Human Generations and the Planet: Tangyou Community Based Ecotourism in Cambodia

Nestled in the Preah Vihear province of Cambodia, the Tangyou Community Protected Area (CPA) is a small rural community that is known for its rich natural resources. The community has a deep connection to their forest and has relied on it for their livelihoods for generations, alongside subsistence rice farming. However, over the last few decades, the community has faced challenges in preserving its natural resources due to deforestation, illegal logging, and wildlife poaching from people within the community and also outsiders.

With Us, Not For Us: People with Disabilities Help Grow Borjomi Forest in Georgia

In the picturesque town of Borjomi, the daycare centre “Tebe” is serving over 30 people with disabilities, providing them with a nurturing space for social integration, rehabilitation, and employment. But it’s not all of it! Tebe plays a substantial role in restoring the famous Borjomi forest ravaged by past wars and frequent forest fires. This inclusive green enterprise empowers people with disabilities to engage in meaningful environmental work and offers them opportunities to learn about protecting forests and adapting to climate change.

SGP celebrates local action for global impact at the 7th GEF Assembly

The 7th Assembly of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) was held in Vancouver, Canada, where environmental leaders from 185 countries gathered last month to chart a path to end nature loss and tackle climate change. The GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP), which is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), held an official reception event at the Assembly.

Restoring our relationship with nature

“The world faces a multidimensional planetary emergency of nature loss, climate change, poverty, inequality and insecurity. These are integrated crises that demand integrated solutions”, said the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Associate Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), Haoliang Xu, during a virtual official side event to the UN High-level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development, held on 12 July 2023.

GEF SGP, UNDP and Rare announce partnership to address plastic pollution

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Rare announced a global partnership to tackle plastic waste management and behavior change. The Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP) implemented by the UNDP and the Rare’s Center for Behavior and the Environment (BE.Center) are collaborating on this important initiative. This is part of UNDP’s efforts to advance the implementation of its Plastics Offer and Local Action Service Offer. Plastic waste and pollution are now among the greatest threats to environmental sustainability and human health worldwide.

Local Action for Sustainable Management of POPs including PCBs

On 8 June 2023, the SGP hosted a webinar event entitled Local Action for Sustainable Management of POPs including PCBs to highlight the critical role of local actors in the sustainable management of PCBs, and facilitate learning and sharing among stakeholders on best practices to accelerate action towards the realization of the upcoming 2025 and 2028 PCB deadlines under the Stockholm Convention. Dr. Rolph Antoine Payet, UN Executive Secretary for the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Convention provided opening remarks which touched upon the importance of sharing information on the best environmental practices and the role of SGP, towards addressing chemicals and waste challenges.

Local Action Global Impact - Celebrating three decades of local action for people and planet

This is a commemorative publication to celebrate SGP’s 30 years of local action, global impact. The publication highlights the important role of local communities, civil society and Indigenous Peoples, youth, women and persons with disabilities in addressing global environmental issues – such as biodiversity loss, climate change mitigation and adaptation, land degradation, international waters, and chemicals and waste management – while improving well-being and livelihoods.

Local Action and PCB Management

SGP supports a community-based approach to the elimination and prevention of the use of PCB-containing products. It promotes safe handling of products containing PCBs, through the piloting and testing of innovative community-based interventions. This brochure provides an overview of SGP's work on PCB management at the local level.

The Global Support Initiative to territories and areas conserved by Indigenous Peoples and local communities

As a pilot initiative, this publication presents the work of the Global Support Initiative to ICCAs (ICCA-GSI) from 2014 (pilot phase) to 2022 (with Phase 2, rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic). The ICCA-GSI is a multi-partnership initiative that is implemented by UNDP, through the Small Grants Progamme and funded by the Government of Germany, through its Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection.