GEF Small Grants Programme Supports Communities in Their Efforts to Preserve and Restore Forests
The GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP) recognizes the importance of raising awareness on the value of the forests. Therefore it is joining the world community in celebration of the International Year of Forests. The Small Grants Programme believes that communities play a fundamental role in protecting, restoring and influencing local and national policies on forests. Since 1992, the SGP has supported over 2,900 projects related to the protection and restoration of forests. These community-based projects helped to preserve over 13 million hectares of forest from human and non human impacts, and to restore over 1,7 billion hectares of degraded forest land.
Upon nationalization of forests in 1963 private exploitation of forests, including cutting wood for fuel and branches for fodder, were banned by government and authorities. However, this project served to compile, register and improve “Galazani” as an efficient traditional method of forest management. The project was supported by the Faculty of Natural Resources at Tehran University, and the Department of Forestry in Kurdistan province. Since the method was the same as traditional methods applied by local inhabitants, the community played a significant role in both providing the traditional know -how and in implementing the technique.
The project was very successful. Participation of indigenous people resulted in outstanding achievements during the first year, which led to increased academic interest in the method. Successful project implementation also triggered subsequent changes in the National Forestry Policies. In 2004, the project received an Award as Best National Project in the field of Natural Resources Management. As a result of this project another SGP project was executed in the neighboring area, Armardeh, to continue the tradition of using the improved “Galazani” technique as the dominnat forest management method in the region.
The SGP has reinforced its commitment in supporting community initiatives on protecting forests in its strategy for the Fifth Operational Phase of the Program. The SGP will once again support activities that reduce pressures on forests and generate sustainable flows of forest ecosystems services, as well as activities which strengthen the enabling environment to reduce green- house gas emissions resulting from deforestation and degradation of forest. These activities aim to further engage local communities in transforming their landscapes by participating in protective and productive forest management activities for improved socio-economic livelihoods.
The decisions at the Earth Summit in 1992 and all subsequent international negotiations systematically call for the inclusion of forest management in investment programmes, including at the community level. Alongside with other initiatives, SGP will address this need by acting as a catalyst for the REDD-plus mechanisms and by incentivizing the involvement of traditional and local communities in the process.
About the GEF Small Grants Programme
Launched in 1992, SGP supports activities of nongovernmental and community-based organizations in developing countries towards climate change abatement, conservation of biodiversity, protection of international waters, reduction of the impact of persistent organic pollutants and prevention of land degradation while generating sustainable livelihoods. Since its creation SGP has provided grants to 12,000 communities in 122 developing countries. Funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) as a corporate programme, SGP is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on behalf of the GEF partnership, and is executed by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).
Contact person: Ana Maria Currea, Knowledge Management Facilitator, GEF SGP,
ana.maria.currea@undp.org
As part of GEF's support to the International Year of Forest, every month we are publishing a story about a successful GEF project that is promoting sustainable forest management, and having positive impacts on forests, climate, biodiversity and local livelihoods.