UNDP and Australia support Sri Lanka to foster sustainable livelihoods
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Australia are collaborating to support Sri Lanka’s community-based organisations (CBOs) in implementing local projects that contribute to global environmental goals while fostering sustainable livelihoods.
Under the seventh Operational Phase (OP7) in Sri Lanka, 20 community grant projects, along with additional grants for capacity development, knowledge management, and social enterprise development, will receive funding totalling US$1 million, Environment Ministry sources said.
Recipients and officials.
The Ministry of Environment serves as the Operational Focal Point for these initiatives. Beyond the community grants, the funding package includes specialised grants to enhance capacity building, foster knowledge sharing, and promote social enterprise development in targeted landscapes.
The Small Grants Programme (SGP) embodies sustainable development’s core principle of “thinking globally, acting locally.” By offering financial and technical support, the SGP enables projects that conserve and restore the environment while improving people’s well-being and livelihoods, Prabath Chandrakeerthi, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment disclosed.
Azusa Kubota, the UNDP Resident Representative in Sri Lanka, signed 29 Memorandums of Agreement (MoAs) with CBOs on behalf of the Global Environment Facility-funded Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP), alongside representatives from Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Environment and the Australian High Commission.
Additionally, MoAs were signed for five community grant projects funded by Australia through the Community-Based Adaptation (CBA) Phase III project.
These projects aim to strengthen community resilience against climate shocks and disasters, crucial for environmental, economic, and social well-being, reducing inequalities, and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to achieve the 2030 agenda.
Mr. Chandrakeerthi emphasised that Sri Lanka’s upgraded status within the GEF-SGP framework offers a unique opportunity to refine and apply a community-based landscape approach.
By learning from other SGP countries and leveraging civil society and market networks, Sri Lanka can enhance the impact of its efforts.
Both GEF-SGP OP7 and CBA Phase III will be implemented in three key landscapes: Colombo’s urban wetlands, the Knuckles conservation forest, and the coastal region from Mannar Island to Jaffna.
The GEF-SGP will fund 20 community grants addressing environmental challenges such as biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation, and land degradation. Meanwhile, CBA
Phase III will focus on building climate-resilient communities, especially supporting vulnerable groups like women, youth, persons with disabilities, and indigenous peoples to adapt to challenges like pandemics, economic downturns, and social crises.
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