Wetlands International is supporting organisations all over the world in the development of project proposals dealing with wetlands and poverty issues. Up to the end of 2008 the Seed Funding Facility of the Wetlands and Poverty Reduction Project is making €350,000 available to support partnership processes in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
The Seed Funds support conservation and development organisations in the South to collaborate with local actors in developing project proposals dealing with poverty reduction and sustainable use of wetlands. Seed funds are small grants of maximum Euro 25,000 but can have a big influence in stimulating partnerships among organisations.
The organisations we support:
In Mali the NGO Association Malienne Pour la Conservation de la Faune et de l’Environnement (AMCFE) got a Seed Fund for their Lake Magui Community Integrated Development Project Concept Paper. According to the selection committee "The poverty-wetlands linkages and relationship with the local communities in the region are strong and well developed aspects of this proposal, which is already a good demonstration model for the sustainable management of wetlands in Mali."
In Uganda the Wetlands Inspection Division of the Ugandan Ministry of Water and Environment was rewarded a Seed Fund for their project proposal called Integrated Environmental Sanitation Approach towards Sustainable Use of Wetlands for Livelihoods of the Poor in Uganda. According to the selection committee the existing positive political scenario and coordination between governments and other NGOs in the region are strong points of this proposal.
In Sudan the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) was awarded a Seed Fund for their project proposal Integrated Management of the Sudd Wetland: In search for Improved Livelihood and Conserved Ecosystem Services. The selection committee especially liked the current political scenario and the idea of first pilot-testing experiences from other regions in the Sudd.
In India a Seed Fund was awarded to Wetlands International's South Asia Office. The project proposal called Poverty Alleviation of Communities in Mahanadi Delta through Conservation and Sustainable Use of Floodplain Wetlands was considered to be strong because of the livelihoods component and the coordination between government and local NGOs.
In Paraguay the project proposal Consolidating a Partnership for the Sustainable Development of the Paraguayan Pantanal by the NGO Guyra Paraguay was awarded. Besides from it already being an excellent demonstration model for the sustainable management of Paraguayan wetlands, the selection committee also liked the existing positive political scenario and coordination between governments and NGOs in the region.
In Ecuador the Women from Muisne are rehabilitating their cockle gathering grounds and share experiences with cockle fisher women from Portugal. The partnership between the National Mangrove Defense Coordination Platform (C-CONDEM Ecuador) and Viveiros Ana Manjua (Portugal) supported by the Development Areas Research Network of Newcastle University (UK) runs a small pilot project in Ecuador to identify environmental and social drivers and constrains to the productivity and the socio-economic importance of the cockle fishery and then look for funding to extend the project to the neighboring countries Peru and Colombia.
In Argentina the local NGO PROTEGER, based in Santa Fe, will continue working with partner NGOs in supporting the sustainable use of the Paraguay-Parana Wetlands System and promoting the establishment of its Sustainability Program that contains action strategies to reduce poverty and to promote new public policies for the whole System. PROTEGER works closely with the local office of Wetlands International in Buenos Aires as well as with local communities and partner NGOs, development organizations, academic and government organizations from five the System countries namely Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay. The Parana-Paraguay Wetland System includes the world well-known Pantanal where more than 20 million people live and depend on.
In threatened wetlands areas of Eastern and Central Uganda the Centre for Integrated Development works with Environment Alert (a policy advocacy organisation) and Youth Initiatives for Development Association (a policy advocacy organisation) to facilitate the making of community based wetland management plan. This partnership is well placed to demonstrate to Ugandan policy makers how sustainable wetlands management can play a key role in supporting the vulnerable community members who include women-headed households, elderly-headed households, HIV/AIDS affected households and children. Their project will strengthen local communities to participate in decision-making and asserting their rights and access to micro-credits, and will also support protection of existing water springs and wells to enhance permanent access to water.
Wetlands International's China office is working in Hengshui Lake to facilitate the dialogue between different governmental sectors such as forestry, agriculture, aquaculture and tourism with NGOs and local communities to address the interconnection between poverty reduction, tourism and wetlands conservation. High population density, overfishing, unsustainable tourism, lack of political support and lack of knowledge on wetlands issues are the main threats to Hengshui Lake. This cross-sectoral partnership involving the local government and communities is therefore well placed to make a difference in developing an innovative community based sustainable tourism project for their own benefit.