The seventh phase of the Global Environment Facility’s Small Grants Programme for the years 2022 through 2026 was initiated in Cairo. The event was inaugurated by Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad, giving the green light to 16 new projects approved for funding.

The Global Environment Facility is the primary international mechanism providing grants to governments in developing countries through UN bodies to support their commitments to international environmental agreements, including the Convention to Combat Desertification, Biodiversity Preservation, and Climate Change.

The Small Grants Programme links people’s local challenges with global environmental concerns, Fouad said.

She cited examples including sustainable transportation initiatives, the implementation of the first shared bicycle project in Fayoum, projects for recycling agricultural waste and biogas production, and innovative approaches to address food security challenges through new agricultural crops.

Fouad said the 16 projects will be launched in five governorates — Luxor, Qena, Fayoum, Giza and Cairo. The Environment Ministry is committed to supporting local projects through preserving natural resources and optimising their use, achieving sustainability, enhancing living standards, and fostering adaptability and resilience to counter the adverse impact of climate change, she added.

Alessandro Fracassetti, resident representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Egypt, hailed the Small Grants Programme as a success story in supporting the role of civil society and fostering environmental awareness among local communities. The programme contributes to preserving biodiversity, addressing climate change, and combating desertification, Fracassetti said.

The Small Grants Programme operates as the financing mechanism of the Global Environment Facility, targeting civil society organisations. It works in conjunction with major government projects funded by the facility.

Initiated in 1992 alongside the establishment of the Global Environment Facility, the Small Grants Programme is currently active in 128 countries. Its global management is overseen by the UNDP, adhering to the regulations governing the involvement of civil society organisations in each country.

Fracassetti noted that the UNDP is also engaged with civil society in implementing small-scale projects aligned with the “Think Globally and Act Locally” perspective.

Emad Adli, the national director of the Small Grants Programme, said that under the Ministry of Environment’s supervision, the programme has financed 400 small projects across its seven stages, in line with another concept “Think Locally, Act Locally, and Develop Global Environment”.

The programme funds registered associations and civil institutions under the Ministry of Social Solidarity, Adli said. They implement small projects aligning with the objectives of national strategies and the Global Environment Facility’s goals, he stated.

The programme’s first stage was launched in 1992, financing projects in key focus areas, including climate change, biodiversity, and land degradation, Adli pointed out.

The funding event featured a presentation summarising the projects and discussing the programme’s future steps.

Among the recipients of the Small Grants Programme grant was the Society for Writers of Environment and Development. Its project, titled “Knowledge Management, Communication, and Stimulating Innovation,” secured funding amidst competition among 70 environmental projects submitted to the Global Environment Facility.

The call for project proposals in the seventh phase started in May 2023, receiving a total of 70 offers from various fields and governorates. Sub-technical committees focused on climate change and biodiversity to evaluate the projects.

The committees included representatives of the National Steering Committee, government agencies, and experts in relevant fields. The projects underwent thorough evaluations whose criteria was based on suitability, impact, implementability, and sustainability.

As a result, the 16 projects were approved during the first round.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 18 January, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly