LocationsThe launch of the new portfolio is particularly significant as the UNDP GEF Small Grants Programme marks 30 years of engagement in Mauritius.
Seven New UNDP GEF Small Grants Projects Mark a New Chapter for Community-Led Environmental Action
August 13, 2026
Representatives of the organisations awarded GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP) Operational Phase 8 (OP8) grants in Mauritius and Rodrigues pose for a group photo with UNDP Mauritius Resident Representative, Ms. Alka Bhatia, and UNDP GEF SGP National Coordinator and Eco-Counselor, Ms. Pamela Bapoo-Dundoo.
Stéphane Bellerose/UNDP Mauritius
Port Louis, Mauritius – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and seven civil society organisations have signed new grant agreements under the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP), marking a new phase of community-led action to address environmental challenges while strengthening livelihoods across Mauritius and Rodrigues. The launch ceremony was led by Ms Pamela Bapoo-Dundoo, Small Grants Programme National Coordinator and Eco-Counselor, and brought together members of the National Steering Committee, civil society organisations, development partners and media representatives.
The seven organisations awarded grants under the first year of the Operational Phase 8 (OP8) Grants Portfolio of the GEF Small Grants Programme are Marine Megafauna Conservation Organisation, mru2025, Association des Consommateurs de l'Ile Maurice (ACIM) and We-Recycle from Mauritius, as well as the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation in Rodrigues, Association pour le Développement de la Pêche au Thon à Rodrigues, and TER-MER Rodriguez from Rodrigues. Their projects span a range of priority areas, including biodiversity conservation, sustainable fisheries, marine protection, chemicals and waste management, plastic circularity, and sustainable natural resource management.
This new round of projects also coincides with the start of the GEF-9 replenishment cycle (2026–2030). With a programming level of approximately US$3.9 billion, GEF-9 places greater emphasis on integrated approaches and whole-of-society engagement, with stronger participation from civil society, women, youth, local communities and the private sector. The new cycle also increases support for vulnerable countries, including Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Speaking at the signature ceremony, UNDP Resident Representative, Ms. Alka Bhatia, thanked the National Steering Committee of the GEF Small Grants Programme, and underscored the importance of linking environmental action to tangible benefits for people and communities. She also emphasized on the importance of finding ways to best sustain and upscale theses contributions within Mauritius’ broader environmental priorities.
“To the organisations present here, I encourage you to be ambitious. Success is not only about activities and budgets. It is about restoring ecosystems, protecting species, strengthening livelihoods, producing safer food, reducing plastic waste, and using evidence from the ground to shape better policies and practices,” she said.
SGP: 30 years of engagement in Mauritius
The launch of the new portfolio is particularly significant as the GEF Small Grants Programme marks 30 years of engagement in Mauritius. Since 1995, the programme has supported 207 projects across the Republic of Mauritius, addressing biodiversity conservation, climate change, land degradation, international waters, and chemicals and waste management, while strengthening the capacity of civil society organisations and local communities.
Over the past three decades, the programme has become a key mechanism for empowering civil society organisations and community groups to pilot innovative solutions at the local level. Through its support to grassroots initiatives, the programme has influenced policy and helped test new approaches, generate local evidence, strengthen community participation, and identify successful models, some of which have been scaled up and replicated.
As Mauritius enters the GEF-9 cycle, the country will benefit from a new System for Transparent Allocation of Resources (STAR) of US$8 million, with flexibility across the biodiversity, climate change and land degradation focal areas. UNDP highlighted the importance of continuing to invest in community-led environmental action and reaffirmed the critical role that civil society plays in advancing national development and environmental objectives.
