SGP’s Community-based approach to the Implementation of the Stockholm Convention

By Small Grants Programme

GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP) is GEF’s window for small-scale activities at the community level to support the implementation of the Stockholm Convention.  It has contributed to the implementation of the Stockholm Convention through piloting innovative demonstration models through community-based interventions, developing communities’ capacities, and strengthening partnerships to generate greater impact in the persistent organic pollutants (POP) focal area.  SGP has funded 236 POPs projects (see Figure 1 for the regional distribution of the POPs portfolio).  Despite the relatively short duration of SGP’s intervention in POPs focal area, it has provided innovative models and approaches, enhanced technical and management capacities in POPs focal area at the community level through online training, and established partnership with international NGO network for awareness-raising and collaboration.

Innovation and Demonstration

SGP has piloted innovative demonstration models and approaches to prevent, reduce and eliminate POPs at the community level.  SGP’s POPs portfolio mainly contains the following types of projects in POPs focal area: prevention of open burning of plastics and other solid waste, integrated pesticide management, organic farming, and awareness raising and capacity building activities.  SGP pilot activities have not only provided innovative models for replication and upscaling but also increased awareness of POPs through UNDP’s practice network and the media. 
A dump for domestic solid waste was severely affecting the community of Isleta Sur in Cuba. Approximately 150 tons of solid waste was being burnt at the site on daily basis, emitting large quantity of dioxin and furan, noxious vectors, smoke, and other emissions. Through a SGP project, the community eradicated the source of the pollution and transformed the site into a garden. Three hectares of the dump have now been planted with fruit a tree, compost is being produced, and a plant nursery and recycling facility for rubber, plastics, and metals. The recycling centre is also providing employment for 40 local residents, including 19 women. The transformation of the dump has been led by a community member, who was also awarded the National Environmental Award 2006, the top annual prize given by the Ministry for the Environment.  The project leader has won the CNN Hero Award in 2007 and the final nominee for the UNDP Administrator’s Innovative Award.

Capacity Development

POPs focal area is relatively new to SGP.  NGOs and communities have relatively low awareness and technical capacity in POPs focal area. Similarly, many national steering committee (NSC) members and national coordinators (NCs) of the SGP lack adequate knowledge regarding this new focal area.  An interactive online POPs Training Module (www.sgp-pops.org) was developed and launched to build technical and management capacities of NGOs and communities in developing and implementing small scale community projects to support the implementation of the Stockholm Convention.  This is the first and the only online training course available for focal area development at the community level.  There are four language versions available online (English, French, Spanish and Russian), and the Arabic version is to be put online soon.  As of February 2010, 512 national coordinators, SGP grantees and partners have taken the online training and given highly positive feedbacks to the training module. 

Partnership

SGP has established a collaborative partnership with the International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN) to promote the POPs focal area and to facilitate communication, coordination and effectiveness in assisting NGOs and CBOs in their efforts to implement the Stockholm Convention and to reduce and eliminate POPs.  A joint communiqué was signed between SGP and IPEN, laying out the foundation for the cooperation between SGP and IPEN.  SGP works closely with IPEN to build capacity among eligible NGOs, CBOs and SGP country offices by providing information about POPs; reaching out to NGOs and communities; sharing the knowledge and experience throughout SGP and IPEN networks, supporting the development and implementation of POPs projects with information and available SGP funds, and leveraging co-financing for SGP POPs projects.