GEF Small Grants Programme (FSM): Grant signing ceremony in support of Nukuoro Island community-based adaptation project

Senator Lekka and Mayor Leopold with Mr. Fred at signing

On November 14, 2013, the FSM Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF-SGP) in partnership with the AusAid supported Mekong Asia Pacific-Community Based Adaptation (MAP-CBA) initiative fund conducted a project signing ceremony through a memorandum of agreement.  This will enable FSM SGP to provide support to Nukuoro island community through Four Founders Corporation (FFC-NGO) in the amount of $43,750.00 USD over a two year project period.   

Primarily, the project will directly support Nukuoro Island community’s collective efforts to restore their taro patches that have been impacted by salt water intrusion which threatens Nukuoro residents’ food security and livelihood.  Additionally it will provide support to restoration of old coconut trees on the island to improve their coconut production levels in the near future as one project objective to improve Nukuoro’s opportunity to benefit from the increasing demand of copra industry share.  Other components of the project will involve demonstration of nature based mitigation strategies to address land loss as result of coastal erosions.    

In attendance were Senator Sendilina Lekka, representative of Nukuoro in the Pohnpei State Legislature, Nukuoro Mayor Senard Leopold, President of FFC Mr. Itaia Fred and members of the FFC.  Chairman of the National Steering Committee, Mr. Snyther Biza, gave his congratulatory remark on behalf of SGP. In accepting the grant on behalf of the Nukuoro community and FFC, Senator Lekka expressed her people’s gratitude and commits to supporting the project on its implementation.   The signing ceremony was held at United Nations Joint Presence Initiative (UN JPI) Office conference room.  

Generally, the SGP provides support to community-based projects that directly avert threats to the global environment and support community empowerment and sustainable livelihoods.  The SGP is a funding modality of the GEF, approved by the GEF Council on a rolling replenishment basis and implemented by UNDP on behalf of the GEF partnership.  Within guidelines established by the GEF council, the Programme seeks to provide for maximum country and community-level ownership.  As a global Programme, the SGP brings together over 120 country Programmes across world regions.  Within the FSM, the Programme is hosted by the United Nations Joint Presence Initiative Office located on Kaselehlie Street in Pohnpei.