Ramsar Small Grants Fund Donor Support
How to provide financial support to the Small Grants Fund?
The Fund relies exclusively upon voluntary contributions from governments and individuals. For example, voluntary financial contributions have been recently made to the SGF by the governments of Bangladesh, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Sweden, as well as from Danone-Evian.
In recent years, many very worthwhile projects have not been supported due to insufficient funds. In 2009 this was 70% of all those evaluated as feasible. So far, for 2010, we have received funding for three projects but 37 excellent ones still need funding. Support for projects is accepted year-round.
Would you like to give these projects a chance to be implemented – have a look in our yearly SGF portfolio!
The SGF Portfolio 2011 (PDF) describes 15 projects that have been favourably evaluated. We strongly encourage you to consider providing financial support for one or more of these projects. For more information, please contact Ms Alexia Dufour (dufour@ramsar.org).
Click here to read more about 2010 SGF portfolio of project funding opportunities (PDF). It describes 40 projects that have been favourably evaluated. We strongly encourage you to consider providing financial support for one or more of these projects.
If you are able to help or would like additional information, please contact Ms Alexia Dufour (dufour@ramsar.org).
>> Read more on achievements of the Ramsar Small Grants Fund
Four example projects that need funding include:
LAO PDR: Developing tools for implementing the Convention. Toward strengthened institutional & technical capacities at national & local levels
Lao PDR joined the Ramsar Convention in 2010 and is now planning to undertake various projects as part of their national implementation of the Convention. Through this project, IUCN Lao PDR plans to work with the Department of Environment, the Ramsar Administrative Authority, and local authorities to strengthen their institutional and technical capacity. The aim is to implement Ramsar guidelines at the two Ramsar Sites and to better manage wetlands in the country as a whole. This will be achieved through workshops and training sessions at the national and local levels, translation of relevant Ramsar handbooks, awareness raising and designing a knowledge-based information system.
ECUADOR: Ñucanchi Turupampa wetland complex Ramsar Site, a pilot site to implement environmental flows
Ecuador adopted environmental water flows as a requirement for any development of water use projects. Applying this principle would require the development of a national implementation plan based on field experience. To develop such a plan, the Ñucanchi Turupampa wetland complex has been chosen as a pilot site. The project seeks to apply the environmental flows regime in this Ramsar Site through the definition of an implementation methodology, the measurement of the impact of the new water regime on the hydrology and aquatic fauna of the site. It will include capacity building activities on field monitoring. The project will also establish a diffusion mechanism for the national wetlands inventory for Ecuador. The project will be carried out by an NGO in close collaboration with the public entity for water and sanitation in Quito.
UGANDA: Building community climate change resilience through improved incomes and wise use of Mabamba wetland system
Traditional extractive economic activities such as sand mining, timber cutting and burning of papyrus vegetation are threatening this wetland located at the border of the Lake Victoria. The project aims to raise awareness among local communities on wetlands ecosystems services, their importance in climate change adaptation and their sustainable management. The aim is also to design appropriate actions for adaptation and to develop alternative sources of income. Activities will include training sessions on sustainable wetland management, sustainable land use management and farm planning, production of drought resistant and early maturating food crops. It will also support ecotourism activities.
BELARUS: Toward international recognition of Buh River Valley. Developing an integrated approach for conservation
Western Buh River, one of Europe’s biggest remaining intact river, located at the Polish and Ukrainian border has a high conservation value and is partly covered by protection at national and international levels. However it lacks an integrated conservation approach for the entire valley. The project aims to (1) designate the valley as a Ramsar Site and an Important Bird Area, (2) establish a caretaker’s network responsible for the monitoring of the site during and after the completion of the project, (3) develop and implement an integrated management approach by preparing a management plan and (4) initiate collaboration with Polish and Ukrainian partners to establish a functional transboundary Ramsar Site.
