Investing in coastal ecosystems: Snapshots of MFF Phase 1 Small Grants

The SGF projects in MFF countries have contributed to alleviating poverty and empowering both men and women through the development of sustainable livelihoods. Projects have stimulated changes in behavior that help to reduce pressure on natural resources, and at the same time have created new and additional sources of income. In total over 5,000 people took part in awareness-raising programmes and over 700 people were directly trained in alternative income- generating activities. The projects have contributed to improving coastal governance by supporting integrated coastal management, and by influencing relevant policies and practices.

Many projects supported rehabilitation of several thousand hectares of mangroves--the flagship ecosystem of MFF--by mobilizing people to participate in demarcation, replanting and tending. A total of 234,150 trees have been planted, 95% in mangroves. In addition some 12,519 hectares of land has been demarcated, brought under protection or community management. Twenty-three areas have been identified or demarcated for special purposes (six for heavy metal contamination, the others for nurseries, demonstration plots and cultivating marine species).

In the process, local NGOs and community-based organizations (CBOs) have gained valuable knowledge, contributed a great deal of information to local and national authorities, and improved their capacities for management of mangrove ecosystems. A diverse range of communications products, including training and awareness raising materials have been produced, many in local languages.

The SGF was launched in June 2008. The responsibility for managing the SGF in each member country rests with the MFF National Coordinating Body (NCB). Each MFF member country has adapted SGF national guidelines that reflect the geographic and thematic priorities in each country’s MFF National Strategy and Action Plan (NSAP), within the context of MFF’s 15 Programmes of Work. Each of the six initial member countries was allocated US$150,000. Grants are limited to 18 months and are awarded in amounts up to US$25,000.

A snapshot of each of the 79 implemented projects is available in two-page profiles covering objectives, context, beneficiaries, outputs and impacts, grant value, duration and contacts. The profiles are organised by the six MFF member countries who took part in the first phase of the SGF. Download the MFF SGF Project Snapshots here.