LocationsSmall Grants Programme Places Communities at the Centre of the National Climate Strategy, says NRES Deputy Minister
April 1, 2026
Communities at the heart of climate strategy: (Second from right) YB Tuan Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) flanked by Edward Vrkić (left), Resident Representative, UNDP Malaysia; and YBrs. Dr. Noranida Zainal (right), GEF Political Focal Point and Director of Environmental and Natural Resources Division, Ministry of Economy, with the participants of the conference in Putrajaya on Wednesday (April 1).
PUTRAJAYA, Wednesday (April 1) — Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES), YB Tuan Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh, announces an increase in Small Grants Programme (SGP) grants to further strengthen communities' position at the centre of Malaysia’s climate strategy.
In the upcoming cycle of the operational phase, the SGP will provide grants of up to USD75,000 per project, an increase from the current ceiling of USD50,000.
YB Tuan Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES), delivering his opening speech, highlighting that lasting sustainability begins with communities leading environmental action.
He said that this effort reflects a stronger commitment to empower community-based organisations with greater resources to implement impactful, locally driven solutions for environmental sustainability and resilience.
“Resilience is not built by infrastructure alone. It is built by communities and the systems they sustain.
“Ultimately, sustainability is shaped by people, and lasting change begins at the community level,” he said when opening the GEF SGP Malaysia National Conference 2026 here.
Syed Ibrahim also said that the SGP initiative presents a valuable opportunity to strengthen community preparedness and resilience in mitigating and adapting to potential environmental and socio-economic impacts due to environmental and climate conflicts.
“Across Malaysia — from remote forests and protected areas to our urban centres — communities are stepping forward to address environmental pressures.
“They are protecting forests, managing rivers, restoring ecosystems, and sustaining livelihoods through practices that are closely tied to their natural environment,” he said.
The two-day conference brings together communities, government officials, civil society organisations, and development partners under the theme “Local Action, Global Impact”, serving as a national platform to share lessons, celebrate achievements, and chart the course for community-led environmental action across Malaysia.
Edward Vrkić, Resident Representative, UNDP Malaysia, delivering his welcoming remarks where he emphasised the need to bring global sustainability goals into local communities, calling for united action to protect Malaysia’s biodiversity and natural resources.
In his welcoming remarks, UNDP Resident Representative to Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam, Edward Vrkić, noted that the UNDP Executive Board in New York earlier this year reviewed Malaysia’s new Country Programme Document (CPD) for 2026–2030, which places strong emphasis on advancing a nature-positive development pathway.
“The goal is to ensure that by 2030, Malaysia's natural resources are managed more sustainably, and its incredible biodiversity is preserved.
“But how do we move from the halls of New York to the forests of the Crocker Range in Sabah or the indigenous landscapes of the Upper Baram in Sarawak? We do it through you,” said Vrkić, calling for a whole-of-nation approach in environmental preservation and climate action.
The SGP is a flagship global programme and the only mechanism under the Global Environment Facility (GEF) that directly disperses funding to local communities on the ground.
This model is so effective that UNDP is now looking to leverage the Adaptation Fund, using this same community-based mechanism to further strengthen local climate resilience.
Implemented by UNDP on behalf of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Small Grants Programme has, for over 30 years, demonstrated that community action is powerful in achieving global environmental outcomes.
In Malaysia, SGP has been active for 26 years, supporting more than 294 projects led by over 200 community-based organisations, with over USD10 million disbursed in grants.
Under the Seventh Operational Phase (OP7), SGP Malaysia operationalised integrated landscape-based approaches across three priority landscapes — the Crocker Range Conservation Reserve in Sabah, the Middle and Upper Baram Region in Sarawak, and urban green spaces in Klang Valley — testing practical, community-led solutions to environmental challenges while strengthening local livelihoods and building leadership.
For media enquiries
Kindly contact Aiezat Fadzell, Head of Communications for UNDP Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam: aiezat.fadzell@undp.org | +60126685747
About UNDP Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei Darussalam
Established in 1965, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) partners with Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam to advance sustainable, inclusive and resilient development. Part of a global network in 170 countries, UNDP works with governments, civil society and the private sector to deliver impact on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), strengthen governance and institutions, and promote climate action, innovation and social inclusion.
About the GEF Small Grants Programme
The GEF Small Grants Programme is a global initiative implemented by UNDP on behalf of the Global Environment Facility, with a network of more than 28,000 grantees across 127 countries. In Malaysia, SGP has been active for 26 years, supporting 294 projects led by more than 200 community-based organisations, with over USD10 million disbursed in grants.
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