Brief project description:

The seventh operational Phase (OP7) of the GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP) in Egypt aims to build upon the long-standing achievements of SGP in the country, specifically involving strengthening civil society organizations and improving socioeconomic conditions for local communities through implementation of participatory conservation, restoration, and climate change mitigation interventions. Expanding upon the integrated approaches initiated during the sixth Operational Phase in the target landscapes of Greater Cairo, Fayoum, and Upper Egypt, OP7 also includes the West Delta landscape, an important region of the country including the second largest city of Alexandria, within the Nile Delta and extending along the Mediterranean coast. 

The target landscapes cover expansive and complex rural and urban geographies across desert, agricultural, and coastal ecosystems. Globally significant biodiversity in these regions faces a variety of threats influenced by a range of drivers, including poor agricultural practices, irrational utilization of scarce water resources, inefficient incentive framework, poorly coordinated development of infrastructure, and weak and conflicting governance conditions. These factors, many of which have been exacerbated by the impacts of climate change, have led to biodiversity loss, degradation of fragile ecosystems, and restricted opportunities for local communities to sustain nature-based livelihoods. Many of the local communities in the target regions also lack knowledge and access to clean energy solutions. The project addresses the threats and barriers in the target regions to generate multiple benefits for biodiversity, climate change, land degradation, and the well-being of local communities through participatory, integrated land and resource management approaches implemented across socio-ecological production landscapes. 

Reaching an estimated 10,000 direct beneficiaries, 50% of whom are women, the project facilitates community-driven interventions that generate global environmental benefits, including bringing an estimated 20,000 ha under improved management practices to benefit biodiversity, restoring 10,000 ha of degraded ecosystems, and increasing adoption of renewable energy and energy efficient solutions at the community level, resulting in the mitigation of more than 20,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent of greenhouse gas emissions. The durability of the results achieved will be ensured through implementation of integrated landscape approaches, supported by multi-stakeholder governance platforms that foster enabling partnerships among civil society.

Project objectives:

SGP OP 7 aims to build socio-ecological resilience in Greater Cairo, Fayoum, Delta, and Upper Egypt landscapes through community-based activities for global environmental benefits and sustainable development.

Expected results:

Component 1: Resilient landscapes for sustainable development and global environmental protection
Strengthening biodiversity conservation and ecosystem protection through participatory conservation, restoration, and sustainable livelihood activities, while promoting the adoption of renewable energy, energy-efficient technologies, and community-level mitigation solutions.

Component 2: Durable landscape resilience through participatory governance and strengthened capacities for upscaling
Enhancing community institutions for participatory governance to improve socio-ecological resilience and supporting the upscaling of successful practices through capacity building and knowledge management.

Component 3: Monitoring and evaluation
Ensuring sustainability of project results through participatory monitoring and evaluation that engages communities and stakeholders.

Project achievements: 

The Small Grants Programme (SGP) projects are directly aligned with Egypt’s national priorities as articulated in its key environmental and development frameworks. By advancing biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration, these projects support the Egyptian National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (2015–2030) and the Country’s NBSAP under the CBD, reinforcing commitments to protect genetic, species, and habitat diversity. Furthermore, through sustainable land management and anti-desertification interventions, the SGP projects contribute to the Egyptian National Action Program to Combat Desertification 2030 and the implementation of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Climate mitigation and resilience outcomes embedded in the projects reflect the goals of the Egypt National Climate Change Strategy 2050 (NCCS) and Egypt’s obligations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), while community-based plastic waste reduction initiatives resonate with the National Strategy to Limit Single-Use Plastic.

In alignment with Egypt’s broader development vision, the SGP projects also reinforce the Egyptian National Agenda for Sustainable Development – Egypt’s Vision 2030, by integrating environmental sustainability with socio-economic empowerment at the grassroots level. Interventions that enhance disaster risk reduction and adaptive capacity are consistent with the National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy 2030, and gender-inclusive approaches in project design reflect priorities of the National Strategy for the Empowerment of Egyptian Women 2030. By catalyzing local action on biodiversity, climate, land degradation, pollution control, and social inclusion, the SGP contributes tangible benefits to Egypt’s sustainable development, strengthening resilience, supporting livelihoods, and enabling the country to meet both international obligations and national objectives.