Global Environment Facility/ Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP) funds another three projects to protect environment in Jordan
Three grant agreements totaling US$ 96,500 to support environmental projects by non-government organizations will be signed today.
The agreements will be signed by Mr. Luc Stevens the UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Jordan, and representatives of the concerned organizations. This comes as part of the activities of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-implemented GEF Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP) in Jordan, which supports community projects in the areas of biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation and persistent organic pollutants, simultaneously contributing to enhanced and improved livelihoods of the local communities and their capacities to manage their natural resources.
The above three grants constitute the first projects to be supported in the current Fourth Operational Phase of the GEF SGP, which started in July 2007.
In this context, Al Kitteh Society for Social Developmentwill implement the “Alternative Energy and Forest Conservation” project in Al Kitteh area/ Jerash governorate. The project aims at raising awareness of the importance of conservation and promoting the use of solar water heaters for domestic purposes in a bid to reduce using fire-wood from nearby forests. Total grant for this project amounts to US$ 20,000.
In the field of sustainable land management, the Faqou’ Livestock Cooperative will implement the “Sustainable Rangeland Management in Mujib Reserve” project, which aims at developing an effective and environmentally sustainable rangeland management model within and around the Mujib Nature Reserve within a framework of institutional partnership between the Faqou’ Livestock Cooperative and the Mujib Reserve management. Total grant for this project amounts to US$ 50,000.
In order to contribute to the conservation efforts in the Dibeen Nature Reserve, a UNDP/GEF project, the grant of US$26.500 will support the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) to implement the “Participatory Management of Horse-riding Service in Dibeen Nature Reserve” project. The project aims at organizing the horse-riding service in the Reserve through participatory management that would ensure biodiversity protection in the area and achieve sustainable use of natural resources by the local community, at the same time providing visitors with a high quality tourist service and improving the living conditions of the local horse-riding service providers. This initiative will coordinate with the socio-economic component of the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in Dibeen Nature Reserve Project (GEF medium-size project).
By signing the above agreements, and over its lifetime stretching from the beginning of 1993 until now, the GEF SGP would have supported (143) projects in various parts of the country, for a total grant value of around US$ 4.6 million, with national additional contributions of at least triple that amount.
For further information, please contact Ms. Khawla Fayad, Small Grants Programme, 079 5832064