Twelve Asian Project Proposals Awarded Grant
Chengdu/Bangkok, 7 September 2007 – Twelve project proposals from civil society groups, research institutes, and an environment ministry in Asia Pacific will receive an award of up to US$ 30,000 for their novel approaches to development. The 12 proposals were selected from among nearly 300 proposals received under the Asia Pacific Forum for Environment and Development (APFED) Showcase Programme this year.
The APFED Showcase Programme, which began in 2006, grants up to US$30,000 to Asia Pacific projects that demonstrate innovative approaches to development, implementation, monitoring, and information dissemination.
“A key criterion for selection of these projects is that they generate tangible outcomes. This can be through improving environmental performance, changing behaviours, or encouraging business practices that enhance sustainability,” said Mr. Hiroshi Nishimiya, Coordinator of the APFED Showcase Facility Secretariat.
The winning projects include a climate change farming practices in vulnerable areas in Bangladesh, links between agriculture and environment / human health in Cambodia, e-waste collection and treatment in China, carbon-neutral initiative and climate change mitigation in Indonesia, improved agricultural practises in peat soil in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, a multi-stakeholder partnership for education for sustainable development in Mongolia, 3R for solid waste in Nepal, facilitating access to safe drinking water in rural areas in Pakistan, reforestation project in Papua New Guinea, a community-based solid waste management in the Philippines, mangrove restoration in Thailand, and development of settlement in the Karakum desert in Turkmenistan.
These projects, including those selected for 2006, will be shared with stakeholders through the APFED Good Practice Database to encourage replication in other countries in the region. The projects will be also monitored and evaluated by the Network of Research Institutes for Sustainable Development (NetRes) established under APFED.
“We sought proposals that led to innovative policies, that use emerging technologies for prevention, mitigation or adaptation, or proposals that encourage creative social practices by civil groups and that stimulate multilevel partnerships. Most of the projects that we received this year met at least one of these requirements, and it was not an easy choice to make,” said Mr. Nishimiya.
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Satwant Kaur, Regional Information Officer, UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Tel: + (66 2) 2882127; Mobile: + (66 8) 9086000
E-mail: kaur@un.org
Ms. Aretha Aprilia, Programme Specialist, UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Tel: (66 2) 2881898; Email: aprilia@un.org
For further information go to: http://www.apfed.net/showcase/index.html
Proposals selected by the APFED Showcase Panel in 2007
No. |
Country |
Project Title |
Implementing organization |
1 |
Bangladesh |
Field testing of innovative farming practices related to climate change in the vulnerable areas of Bangladesh |
Bangladesh Centre for Advance Studies (BCAS) |
2 |
Cambodia |
The study on linkage of sustainable development between agricultural sector and environment/human health |
Ministry of Environment |
3 |
China |
Project on collection and treatment schemes for e-waste |
Basel Convention Coordinating Centre for Asia and the Pacific |
4 |
Indonesia |
Community based educational and partnership actions - Carbon neutral initiative for community empowerment and climate change mitigation in Indonesia |
Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI) |
5 |
Indonesia |
Improving agricultural practices in peat soil in West Kalimantan |
Yayasan Swadaya Dian Khatulistiwa |
6 |
Mongolia |
Multi-stakeholder partnership building to promote education for sustainable development in Mongolia |
Mongolian Environmental Education and Research Institute (EERI) [EcoAsia Mongolia] |
7 |
Nepal |
Promoting 3R Concept (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle) for the Sustainable Solid Waste Management in Gokarneswor Village Development Committee of Kathmandu Valley |
Marsyangdi Rural Development Organisation (MARDO) |
8 |
Pakistan |
Access to safe drinking water in rural areas by provision of 1,000 Nadi filter water units in Jati coastal area of district Thatta |
Association for Humanitarian Development (AHD) |
9 |
Papua New Guinea |
Ona Keto Reforestation Project |
Partners With Melanesians Inc. (PWM) |
10 |
Philippines |
Solid Waste Management as a Social Enterprise: A Community-based 3R Approaches in Bago |
City Solid Waste Management Board, Bago City Government |
11 |
Thailand |
Demonstrating Ecological Mangrove Restoration at Krabi Estuary RAMSAR site |
Wetlands International - Thailand Programme |
12 |
Turkmenistan |
Sustainable development of settlement in Karakum desert |
National Institute of Deserts, Flora and Fauna (NIDFF) of the Ministry of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan |
UNEP ROAP Information Note 07/1