ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTMENT PROGRAM’S (EIP) SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM FOR NGO CAPACITY BUILDING (SGP) ALONG THE SCP AND BTC PIPELINE ROUTES

In 2004 Save the Children Federation and NACRES jointly designed and implemented a project to strengthen the local environmental NGO sector along the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline route through the provision of small grants. Environmental Investment Program (EIP) initiated by BP and its partners in BTC Co and SCP Co Ltd. supported the project. The Small Grants Program (SGP) was dedicated to award grants for environmental projects with tangible outcomes and demonstrated ability to make a difference in the Districts of Gardabani, Tetritskaro, Marneuli, Tsalka, Adigeni, Borjomi and Akhaltsikhe.

In the initial stage of the Small Grants Program (SGP) NACRES team conducted an assessment along the pipeline route i.e. in Gardabani, Tetritskaro, Marneuli, Tsalka, Adigeni, Borjomi and Akhaltsikhe Districts to identify environmental priorities. The following priority issues were selected:

• Biodiversity and its sustainable use
• Soil degradation
• Water pollution
• Waste

Guidelines for the 2004-2005 Small Grants Program were established and they were based on the above-mentioned priorities. The activities of the NACRES team were conducted in two stages.

The first stage involved a series of consultations for local NGOs and initiative groups. NACRES team members carried out meetings in each of the seven target districts in order to present program priorities, and to further assist potential applicants with project proposal development.

In the next (second) stage NACRES team activities were focused on providing technical assistance to the successful applicants. A series of trainings and seminars based on organizations’ individual needs was then held. We also provided advice about specific environmental issues related to the implementation of individual projects under the terms of the SGP.

A total of 28 environmental projects were funded in the two target regions: 1) Samtskhe-Javakheti (districts of Tsalka, Adigeni, Borjomi and Akhaltsikhe) and 2) Kvemo Kartli (districts of Gardabani, Tetritskaro and Marneuli) under the project. It was the first time that some of the NGOs e.g. in Tsalka, Adigeni and Tetritskaro had ever been involved with the implementing of environmental projects. The result was an increased interest in the field of environment among the selected districts.

The majority of grant applications in the beginning had a larger social dimension and in few instances involved environmental benefits and outcomes. In reality these projects were not fully within the scope of SGP. As a result of active consultations, those grant applications that were submitted later into the project were more in line with the goals of the project. The emphasis had been shifted toward mainstream environmental issues and the most recent applications were much better qualified for SGP assistance and on target.

Projects implemented under SGP during 2006 addressed such issues as the rehabilitation of fauna and flora species and their habitats, restoration of degraded forests and landslides affected slopes, as well as setting up nurseries, assistance to protected areas, status assessment and restoration of local natural monuments. Some projects were dedicated to identification/mapping of soil degradation/erosion and the creation of environmental databases, as well as the promotion and use of alternative energy sources, addressing waste management issues, including the shutting down and removal of illegal dumps and the overall improvement of waste management at a local level.

Almost all projects had a public awareness component. The program placed a special emphasis on youth education. Numerous publications, newspaper articles and brochures were published and widely distributed. Environmental camps were set up for students and a range of special environmental events were also organised.

One of the achievements of SGP has been an increased level of awareness and degree of confidence among local NGOs as to the role of local initiative in being able to solve local environmental problems and in ensuring the sustainable use and management of natural resources. Overall, the programme was highly successful in that the capacities of the environmental NGOs in the seven target districts were considerably strengthened, several young organizations gained a valuable experience of project application development and implementation and public awareness and participation was increased. The second stage of the project started in 2007.