Two impactful projects supported by IKI Small Grants were prominently featured at the recent UN Ocean Conference, highlighting innovative approaches to biodiversity conservation and community empowerment. Under the motto “The ocean is not only the cradle of life, it holds the keys to an equitable and sustainable future”, the Ocean Decade Week took place in Barcelona, Spain 8^th – 12^th  April 2024, hosted by the Spanish government. Among the many activities happening around the city, the Ocean Decade Conference was the highlight of the week, bringing together projects, communities and partners all around the world to evaluate the progress of the decade. In the framework of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), the year 2024 marked the fourth year of implementation. Under the leadership of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC/UNESCO) on behalf of the United Nations System, the Ocean Decade has already catalysed more than 350 national and regional projects, and formalised close to 100 contributions of financial resources to work towards the Ocean Decade Challenge.

Representatives from Sea Sense in Tanzania and Reef Check Malaysia shared their experiences, showcasing the vital role of local initiatives in achieving global ocean sustainability goals by directly engaging with communities, addressing local environmental and social issues, and implementing sustainable practices. These grassroots initiatives, supported by IKI Small Grants, are vital for translating global ocean sustainability goals into actionable local solutions.

Bridging biodiversity and gender equality in Tanzania

Dr. Lindsey West, Technical Advisor for Sea Sense, attended the conference to present the project “Empowering female fish workers for participatory coastal management in Tanzania”, an initiative that tackles the intersection of biodiversity loss and gender inequality in Tanzania. Their work aligns well with Challenge 2 of the Ocean Decade Challenge (Protect and Restore Ecosystems and Biodiversity) and emphasizes the human dimensions of ocean sustainability. Her contributions to the Challenge 2 White Paper discussions were well-received, leading to her invitation to participate in the final review.

West participated in various events focusing on Ocean Literacy and transdisciplinary approach, two of the main concepts of the Vision 2030 Outcomes Report. The sessions underscored the necessity of “understanding our individual and collective impact on the ocean and its impact on our lives”, she said.

Two key takeaways for West were the evolution of ocean literacy and its role in promoting sustainable practices, and the empowerment of women in ocean sciences. Additionally, she is aiming to contribute to the Vision 2030 process and engage with UNESCO to enhance Sea Sense’s impact.

West also showcased the importance of IKI Small Grants by discussing how the IKI Gender Strategy and Guidelines have guided Sea Sense’s projects. This endorsement highlighted the significant support IKI Small Grants provides in advancing gender equality and biodiversity conservation.

Empowering local communities in Malaysia

Adzmin Fatta, Programme Manager for Reef Check Malaysia, shared insights on their “Coral restoration toolkit for community-based action at the east coast of Sabah” project, funded by IKI Small Grants. His presentation emphasized a science-based approach to empowering local communities in marine conservation, aligning with Ocean Decade Challenge 1 (Ocean Literacy).

Before the main conference, Fatta attended a satellite event at the Institut De Ciencies del Mar, where he participated in a session on global ocean literacy initiatives. The event provided valuable insights into various efforts aimed at enhancing ocean literacy among different stakeholders, including an initiative that engaged surfers in plastic cleanup efforts and also featuring Reef Check Malaysia’s approach.

During the conference, his presentation underscored the importance of involving indigenous and local communities in marine biodiversity conservation. The White Paper for Challenge 2, which incorporated these aspects, received positive feedback and will be revised based on inputs from the conference.

The conference provided networking opportunities. It was “a good reassurance that everyone is doing their part to contribute to a global effort”, Fatta affirmed. He was able to attend the conference thanks to capacity building funding by IKI Small Grants.

The participation of Sea Sense and Reef Check Malaysia in the UN Ocean Conference, facilitated by IKI Small Grants, underscores the critical role of community-based initiatives in global ocean conservation efforts. Both Dr. Lindsey West and Adzmin Fatta demonstrated how local action, supported by international funding and strategic guidance, contribute significantly to the Ocean Decade Challenges. Their testimonies highlighted the importance of integrating human dimensions into ocean sustainability and showcased the tangible impacts of IKI Small Grants in fostering innovative and inclusive conservation practices.

IKI Small Grants presents a series of new videos from ongoing projects in Nepal streaming on our YouTube channel and on the project’s pages. The videos illustrate the innovative and sustainable methods the small organisations use to tackle the challenges of deforestation, sustainable cooking and invasive species.

From firewood to electric cooking

“Promoting electric cooking in Nepalese households” features the project implemented by People, Energy and Environment Development Association (PEEDA), in Nepal’s Baiteswor rural municipality. An estimated 70 per cent of Nepalese households cook with firewood. However, use of traditional wood-fuelled cookstoves is one of the main causes of indoor air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in Nepal. As women are the primary users of cookstoves, traditional means of cooking severely impact women’s health and well-being. Not only does the traditional approach pose a risk to health. Extracting firewood puts pressure on forests due to deforestation and loss of soil fertility. The project promotes using electric stoves to provide cleaner, healthier, and cooking with less pollution to 500 households in the municipality. At the same time, cooking with electricity is less time-consuming, helping to empower women and promote equality in Baiteswor’s communities.

Cooking with biogas in Tulsipur

“Clean energy initiatives in Dang District, Nepal” also promotes clean energy for households in rural areas in Tulsipur Sub-Metropolitan City. Besides firewood, the Nepal’s rural population uses cow dung cakes for cooking and heating. Wildlife Conservation Nepal (WCN) is working on installing up to 200 biogas plants, a sustainable source of cooking and heating. Thanks to the installations, emissions are already decreasing and the ease on forests burden has opened the path for reforestation. Up to 5,000 households benefited from trees planted on 100 hectares of community forest. A further 200 households benefit from reduced soil nutrient depletion, relevant as drought is one of the major threats in the region. To promote further awareness on climate change and mitigation strategies, a new radio programme started in coordination with Tulsipur Sub-Metropolitan City, broadcasting educational content on climate action for the local population.

Transforming thorns into manure for livelihoods

Forest conservation is at the heart of the project “Managing invasive species in community forests in Nepal” in Chitwan National Park. The local NGO Forest Resources Studies & Action Team is working on the challenge of managing Invasive Alien Plant Species (IAPS), a growing burden in many of Nepal’s community forests. Species such as Mikania micrantha, Chromolaena odorata and Lantana camera compromise biodiversity and ecosystems and people’s access to forest resources. Chitwan National Park represents 13% of Nepal’s forest area, and Forest Resources Studies and Action Team works together with local community forest user groups (CFUGs) to turn IAPS into manure for agriculture. So far, Forest Resources Studies and Action Team and other IKI Small Grants projects in Nepal have together restored 5,000 hectares of community forest, an area that equals approximately the size of the country’s capital, Kathmandu. Through methods and tools in line with local people’s traditions and ecosystem, the project also works to reduce the use of chemicals.

Over three Tuesdays, IKI Small Grants is holding Online Consultation Hours to address queries or concerns about the application process for the 5th call for proposals. On 20th and 27th February, and on 5th March between 9-10am CET and 4-5pm CET, these sessions offer an opportunity for potential applicants to ask questions on application procedures, program prerequisites, and any other related matters. All organisations interested in submitting an application or that have created an account are welcome to join the consultation as an aid for their application process.

The Online Consultation Hours are over three Tuesdays in February and March, providing a platform for organisations to engage directly with the IKI Small Grants applications team. Whether they require support navigating application requirements or simply need further insights into programmes, the team is here to provide guidance.

Details:

📅 Dates: 20.02.2024, 27.02.2024 & 05.03.2024

⏰ Times: 9:00-10:00 and 16:00-17:00 CET

🖥️ Links:

Select the date for the 9:00 – 10:00 CET time slots

20th February 2024

27th February 2024

5th March 2024

Select the date for the 16:00 – 17:00 CET time slots

20th February 2024

27th February 2024

5th March 2024

IKI Small Grants understands the importance of a well-informed application process and is dedicated to ensuring our organisation’s journey is as seamless as possible.

For urgent questions, organisations can contact IKI Small Grants at iki-small-grants@giz.de.

On Friday 23rd February, Friday 1st and Thursday 7th March, IKI Small Grants is holding morning and afternoon online sessions to provide guidance on filling in the budget section of IKI Small Grants applications for the 5th Call for Proposals. Organisations that have created an account and are waiting to submit are welcome to join the budget information sessions as an aid for their application process.

The sessions equip potential applicants with the knowledge needed for the budget templates and give guidance on how to properly fill in the revenue template to ensure alignment with IKI’s guidelines and requirements.

Details:

📅 Dates: 23.02.2024, 01.03.2024 & 07.03.2024

⏰ Times: Morning session between 9:00-10:00 and afternoon session between 16:00-17:00 CET

🖥️ Links:

Select the date for the morning 9:00 – 10:00 CET time slots

23rd February 2024

1st March 2024

7th March 2024

Select the date for the afternoon 16:00 – 17:00 CET time slots

23rd February 2024

1st March 2024

7th March 2024

The sessions walk applicants through the specifics of the IKI Small Grants budget template, best practices and what to bear in mind when filling out the revenue template.

The sessions also provide opportunities for addressing any queries applicants have. The team at IKI Small Grants is also available at iki-small-grants@giz.de if applicants are encountering problems or have questions

Small organisations in ODA-eligible countries can apply for funding for climate and biodiversity projects. The IKI Small Grants call for proposals is open until 13 March 2024.

This international call for proposals addresses small regional, national, and local organisations based in ODA-eligible countries (except for current and potential EU member candidates, other than Ukraine).

They are invited to apply directly for funding for local or regional climate and biodiversity projects. IKI Small Grants provides funding of between EUR 60,000 and 200,000 and is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Government.

Local initiatives and solutions for global challenges

Ambitious project proposals should focus on one or more of the following IKI funding areas:

• Mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions
• Adaptation to the impacts of climate change 
• Conserving natural carbon sinks with a focus on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation
• Conserving biological diversity

We further explicitly encourage projects which:

• Support action on the ground to contribute to the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030
• Promote a just transition of economies towards decarbonization including fair social change especially for vulnerable groups
• Strengthen networks, knowledge sharing and cooperation of organisations working on climate change and biodiversity related issues
• Develop and promote use of climate smart technologies
• Contribute to awareness raising and education regarding climate change and biodiversity
• Engage in cross-sectoral and multi-stakeholder cooperation
• Support implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

The selected organisations are accompanied and supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, which implements the IKI Small Grants Programme on behalf of Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, the Federal Foreign Office (AA) and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV).

Small-scale projects on climate and biodiversity action worldwide

Under the IKI Small Grants programme, many projects are to be selected in the coming years via international calls for proposals and funded with up to EUR 200,000 each. Four calls for proposals have already been implemented, and more than 120 projects in over 50 countries have been selected so far.  

Further information including the funding information and application guidelines can be found at https://iki-small-grants.de/application/ 

Community spaces, known locally as hatis, are elevated grounds scattered within Bangladesh’s haor wetland regions. With the support of the IKI Small Grants project ‘Climate-resilient Infrastructure for Sustainable Community Life in The Haor Region of Bangladesh’, several hatis will be equipped with protection walls and wave-breaker plantations. These climate-resilient infrastructures serve as protection for vulnerable communities.

This August, Ms. Sharifa Khan, Secretary of the Economic Relations Division (ERD), visited the Sunamganj Haor region to see adaptation measures to protect community spaces from flash flooding.

The ERD secretary requested Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) implement the project immediately. She expressed her willingness to approach other development partners to upscale similar adaptation measures.

The ‘Improved Coordination of International Climate Finance’ project supported PKSF in developing the project proposal. PKSF received a grant of about one million euros from the IKI Small Grants Programme, envisioned to be upscaled to a project proposal for the Green Climate Fund (GCF) amounting to an estimated 50 million US-dollars.

The Khan’s visit underlines the potential of this project to advance much needed climate change adaptation measures locally. The experience won in this IKI Small Grants project can subsequently be applied on a broader scale.

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Recent events show that the project of IKI Small Grants and NCPC meets current needs: Last year, Sri Lanka was hit hard by a shortage of imported oil, resulting from the global energy crisis. Petrol prices have risen by 300 per cent and electricity tariffs for some sectors by up to 800 per cent, resulting in kilometres long lines of citizens waiting in front of petrol stations.

With its project, NCPC targets small and medium-sized companies that consume a particularly large amount of energy. These companies receive professional advice on energy efficiency over a period of two years. The declared goal is to achieve as many ISO certifications as possible, to reduce emissions and help Sri Lankan companies to move towards a green transition. Within the frame of the launching event, selected companies received official certifications.

These 25 companies were selected out of 115 applicants from a public call for applications and now enjoy the benefits of intensive energy consulting by NCPC throughout the next two years.On top of that, carrying out energy audits in production facilities and use them to identify potential energy savings fits perfectly into the mitigation approach of the International Climate Initiative. The project’s innovative approach has high potential for upscaling in other contexts.

The IKI Small Grants project ‘Strengthening youth and women’s actions for the sustainable protection of the Guma Water Catchment’ in Sierra Leone shows why young people are essential in tackling the climate crisis. The project focuses on environmental education and creation of alternative livelihoods. By involving young people, women and forest guards, it ensures the protection of the forest reserve, tackles root causes of forest degradation, and provides the target group with alternative livelihoods.

Ahmid C. Jalloh, founder of YARDO, talks about why youth are pivotal in preserving the environment and their way to become part of IKI Small Grants.

Tanzania is one of the countries with fast growing economies in Africa. Its economy relies on the climate sensitive sectors such as agriculture, livestock, fisheries, trade, tourism, and manufacturing. In addition, Tanzania is a very biodiversity-rich country hosting six out of twenty-five globally known biodiversity hotspots. This biodiversity richness is threatened by several drivers and pressures from anthropogenic activities such as habitat conversion, loss, degradation and fragmentation, and over-exploitation of species. The three IKI Small Grants projects, selected out of 450 applications, will contribute to tackle these challenges.

About the launched projects

The project ‘Empowering female fish workers for participatory coastal management’, implemented by Sea Sense, focuses on addressing marine biodiversity loss in selected coastlines of Tanzania. The project works towards mainstreaming marine biodiversity conservation and protection in local governance systems. Through capacity building at a local level, coastal communities are empowered to become agents of change for marine biodiversity.

The project ‘Developing risk awareness through joint action for the middle Msimbazi river’ aims to increase the adaptive capacity of local communities who live in poor quality housing in low-income informal settlements, prone to floods. The project works to increase the residents’ capacity to take action to mitigate the impact of severe weather on lives and property. In particular, the project aims at improving accessibility, understanding and mobilisation on the importance and use of weather and climate information. The Centre for Community Initiatives (CCI) developed and implements this project.

The third project works on strengthening multi-stakeholder cooperation in addressing climate change on the southern part of Tanzania where climate change seriously affects agriculture production. The project ‘Multi-stakeholder climate action plan in Njombe’ is implemented by Southern Highlands Participatory Organisation. SHIPO aims to increase awareness and participation of local stakeholders in implementing jointly agreed climate change and environmental conservation activities.