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Herald Reporter
GOVERNMENT has commended community-based and non-governmental organisations for becoming key partners in protecting and conserving the environment. Environment, Water and Climate Minister Saviour Kasukuwere, said this enhanced the Zim-Asset objectives in addressing environmental challenges through community participation. He was speaking at the UNDP — Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (UNDP-GEFSGP) Exhibition and Knowledge Fair Event in Harare last week.
“Indeed, community-based organisations and NGOs have become key partners in protecting and conserving the environment and maintaining the fine balance between human needs and environmental sustainability.
“Through this intervention, UNDP-GEFSGP has impacted positively on the environment,” he said.
He said the event was a culmination of 20 years of work in supporting community-based initiatives in the environment sector in Zimbabwe.
Minister Kasukuwere said his ministry worked very closely with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and was the national focal point for the GEF-related activities in the country.
He said this was a milestone for the ministry and their partners that it had been working with for the past 20 years.
“The GEF focal areas are bio-diversity, climate change mitigation and adaptation, land degradation and sustainable forest management, international waters and chemicals,” Minister Kasukuwere said.
He said the exhibition and knowledge fair was a platform for their stakeholders to showcase what they had been doing in the area of environmental protection at community level to promote sustainable development.
He said through the interaction, they hoped to create more awareness and understanding about GEF thematic areas.
Minister Kasukuwere said it was envisaged that a network among communities would be established.
“This can play a catalytic role by creating a dynamic constituency for positive dialogue about the environment and sustainable development in the country,” he said.
He said the GEFSGP had been in existence in the country since 1993 and had funded many projects designed to address global environmental challenges while at the same time improving people’s livelihoods.
Minister Kasukuwere said to date 167 communities had benefited from SGP funding and a total of over US$5 million had been allocated to these projects during the last five operational phases.
Online Reporter