New AEWA Small Grants Fund Projects Selected and Two Projects Successfully Completed
Bonn, 8 March 2013 - The UNEP/AEWA Secretariat is pleased to announce that two projects have been chosen under the 2012 funding cycle of the AEWA Small Grants Fund (SGF). The projects were selected through an evaluation and ranking process involving the UNEP/AEWA Secretariat and AEWA Technical Committee, and subsequent approval by the AEWA Standing Committee.
At the same time, the first two projects carried out under the Small Grants Fund, which was launched in 2010, have been successfully completed.
2012 Cycle Projects Selected
The
first of the projects which will be realized under the 2012
SGF cycle, will support the sustainable management of the
Tocc Tocc Community Natural Reserve located in northern
Senegal, by the Lac de Guiers, a large lake which is designated
an Important Bird Area (IBA) and provides drinking water
for the capital Dakar.
The project’s main aims are to improve habitat conservation and the waterbird population dynamics of the reserve as well as to improve the perception that local communities and policy makers have of the importance of waterbirds and their flyways. The project was proposed, and will be implemented, by the Department of National Parks, Senegal.
The second project focuses on the conservation of the Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor) in the Queen Elizabeth conservation area in South-Western Uganda. Among other activities, the project will seek to promote sustainable land use practices, restoring degraded areas and strengthening flamingo monitoring programmes. It will be carried out by the Ugandan BirdLife partner, NatureUganda.
The UNEP/AEWA Secretariat is particularly glad to have received additional SGF funding in the form of a voluntary financial contribution of GBP 23,000 from the Government of the United Kingdom. These funds complement the sum of EUR 20,000, allocated from the AEWA core budget for the SGF 2012 cycle, and will increase the number of projects able to be implemented from one to two.
In addition to the two projects selected for immediate funding, two further proposals for projects in Zimbabwe and Benin have been recommended for funding. These projects can, however, only be supported by the AEWA SGF, if additional funds become available. The UNEP/AEWA Secretariat would therefore like to invite donations from stakeholders with an interest in promoting and supporting waterbird conservation. The implementation of the two recommended projects will require SGF funding of a total of EUR 49,850.
The third cycle of the AEWA SGF programme was launched in April 2012. By the submission deadline in July 2012, a total of 22 project proposals had been received from 15 African countries. The proposals which fulfilled the conditions of eligibility for evaluation, as outlined in the operational guidelines for the AEWA SGF programme, underwent a three-phase evaluation process, in which their overall quality, as well as the feasibility and technical quality of the projects were assessed. Projects were subsequently ranked reflecting their relevance for the conservation of migratory waterbirds in Africa.
For an overview of the AEWA SGF project proposals approved for immediate funding, and those recommended for potential future funding, under the 2012 cycle please click here.
2010 Cycle Projects Completed
While the implementation of projects under the 2012 funding cycle is about to commence, two projects carried out under the Fund’s very first cycle have been successfully completed. The two conservation projects are among a total of five that were chosen for funding under the 2010 SGF cycle.
Both
projects focused on the conservation of the
Madagascar Pond-heron (Ardeola idae),
a small heron listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List
of Threatened Species. Under the auspices of AEWA and the
Convention on Migratory Species, an International
Single Species Action Plan (SSAP) was developed
for the species in 2008. The now completed projects address
a number of the priority actions set out in this SSAP.
The
first project was carried out in Kenya, in the non-breeding
range of the Madagascar Pond-heron, by the National Museums
of Kenya. In the course of the project implementation, a
total of 102 wetlands were visited in order to identify
key sites for the species and increase knowledge on its
distribution, ecology and habitat requirements. A total
of 49 Madagascar Pond-herons were recorded in 23 of the
monitored wetlands, 16 of which had no previous documented
occurrence of the species.
The
project also enabled the training of six project monitors
and some 50 African Waterfowl Census volunteers in the identification
of the species. In addition, awareness-raising activities
were carried out, such as the organization of a workshop
at which the project results were presented, as well as
the development and dissemination to various stakeholders
of species posters and brochures. A newly set-up team of
17 individuals and 4 community-based organizations will
be involved in future monitoring activities.
For more information on this project, please contact Mr Henry K. Ndithia, National Museums of Kenya, at [email protected]
The
second project was implemented in Madagascar where the species’
main breeding grounds are located. Led by Asity
Madagascar, the country’s BirdLife International’s
partner, and in cooperation with a number of governmental
and non-governmental stakeholders, project activities included
the development and maintenance of a database containing
information on the heron’s distribution and ecology,
as well as the establishment of a national expert network
aimed at facilitating exchange of data on the Madagascar
Pond-heron.
A monitoring
programme was, furthermore, established which helped to
identify two new breeding sites for the species (Lake Ravelobe
and Lake Mataborimena). Overall, 17 sites were visited during
the project phase and monitoring continues to be provided
for 14 wetlands. In addition, a heron identification guide
was produced and disseminated, and training on the identification
of the species was carried out for key stakeholders. For
the purposes of awareness-raising, posters, radio programmes
and a film on the Madagascar Pond-heron, were produced and
distributed or broadcast.
More information on this project can be obtained from Mr Rivo Rabarisoa, Asity Madagascar, at [email protected]
The UNEP/AEWA Secretariat congratulates the project partners on the successful implementation of the projects which mark an important step towards the conservation of the Madagascar Pond-heron and are hoped to continue to produce sustainable results.
AEWA Small Grants Fund: Background information
The AEWA Small Grants Fund aims at promoting and supporting the implementation of AEWA in developing countries and countries with economies in transition. Since its launch, the Fund has benefited both governmental and non-governmental organizations carrying out a wide range of conservation work. It has so far focused exclusively on the African region.
This important AEWA support scheme became
operational in 2010, after the 4th Meeting of the AEWA Parties
(MOP4) had decided, in 2008, to make available an annual
sum of EUR 20,000 from the AEWA core budget. These funds
were complemented by voluntary contributions from the Government
of France, and subsequently, the Government of Switzerland.
Overall, five projects for a total of EUR 93,071 could thus
be funded under the first cycle of the Small Grants Fund.
In addition to the two successfully completed projects,
activities are still ongoing for 2010 cycle projects in
Egypt, Ethiopia and Gambia, and for two projects in Tanzania
and Ghana, funded under the 2011 cycle for the total amount
of EUR 43,300.
If you wish to receive further information on the AEWA Small
Grants Fund please contact the UNEP/AEWA Secretariat at
[email protected]