Under the 2012 cycle of the AEWA Small Grants Fund, two projects were funded for a total of EUR 45,382 and are currently still ongoing. The first project, which is being carried out by the Department of National Parks, Senegal, aims to support the sustainable management of the Tocc Tocc Community Natural Reserve located in northern Senegal, by the Lac de Guiers. The latter is 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 second project is being implemented by NatureUganda, the Ugandan BirdLife partner. It 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 seeks to promote sustainable land use practices, restoring degraded areas and strengthening flamingo monitoring programmes.

For the 2012 SGF cycle, the UNEP/AEWA Secretariat was particularly glad to receive a financial contribution of GBP 23,000 from the Government of the United Kingdom. These funds complemented the EUR 20,000, allocated from the AEWA core budget.

For more information on the two projects currently being implemented under the 2012 cycle of the SGF, as well as on those recommended for potential future funding please click here.

Further information on the AEWA SGF can be found here.