Deadline: 18-Aug-23
The Eswatini Environment Authority is inviting applications to provide financial support for programmes, projects and activities aimed at the enhancement, protection and conservation of the environment and the sustainable management of natural resources and supporting community participation in these activities.
The Fund is managed a by the Eswatini Environment Fund Board of Trustees (BoT) and the Eswatini Environment Authority performs the administration function of the Fund. The BoT is responsible for approving projects that are to be awarded grants from the Fund, from shortlisted projects that have been identified by a technical proposal selection committee of the experts from the pool of applications that have responded to the open national call for proposals.
Priority Areas
- The Eswatini Environment Fund seek to tackle emerging environmental risks facing the country in all four administrative regions of the country. In this year funding cycle, the focus is on five thematic areas:
- Sustainable Land Management
- Sustainable land management (SLM) refers to practices and technologies that aim to integrate the management of land, water, and other environmental resources to meet human needs while ensuring long-term sustainability, ecosystem services, biodiversity, and livelihoods. SLM is crucial to minimizing land degradation, rehabilitating degraded areas and ensuring the optimal use of land resources for the benefit of present and future generations.
- SLM enables farmers to intensify existing land more sustainably, enhancing productivity without degrading land resources. SLM is thus a key element in international goal of sustainable development.
- SLM encompasses established approaches such as soil and water conservation, natural resource management and integrated landscape management. A number of projects that have been supported by the Fund in the past include:
- Land degradation projects.
- Run-off water management
- Climate Change
- Climate change refers to the long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Climate change has many local consequences such as, intense droughts, water scarcity, severe fires, catastrophic storms and declining biodiversity. Climate change affects the health, ability to grow food, housing, safety and work.
- Climate Change Adaptation supports interventions that respond directly to the needs of vulnerable communities and are most impacted by climate change. This year adaptation themes include:
- Climate-Smart Agriculture: These projects are expected to address the direct or indirect impacts of climate change on agricultural production and could target livestock and/or crop production.
- Climate-Resilient Livelihoods: These projects are anticipated to increase the resilience of income generating activities and associated assets in the face of a changing climate.
- Capacity building and Governance: These projects are expected to address the capacity building/skills development needs of communities to facilitate local adaptation action plans and disaster risk preparedness plans.
- Given the scale of climate change and the urgency of climate action, the Fund is looking to support more projects under this theme.
- Sustainable Water Management
- Sustainable water management means the consumption of water in a way that meets current, ecological, social, and economic needs without compromising the ability to meet those needs in the future. The focus is here water sources like rivers, earth dams, springs, and wells to name but a few.
- A number of projects that have been supported by the Fund in the past include:
- Management of water sources e.g. water springs.
- Water harvesting
- Chemical and Waste Management
- Chemicals play a key role in agriculture, health and almost every aspect of modern industries, while they also pose potentially great threats to a healthy ecosystem and human health. Illicit and improper use of hazardous chemicals is still on-going, and lack of awareness in handling pesticides and herbicides is an issue for many communities.
- The Eswatini Environment Fund (EEF) provides financial and technical support to communities and civil society organizations for addressing national environmental challenges, while also promoting poverty reduction and sustainable development. In the chemicals and waste priority area the following projects may be funded: supporting organic farming as an alternative to using harmful pesticides and herbicides, community recycling project, community waste management project, reduction of waste through segregation and compost production.
- Projects in this sector that have been supported by the Fund in the past include:
- Youth led waste recycling business
- Provision electronic waste sorting equipment for youth associations
- Community waste water treatment projects
- Ecosystem, Habitat, Biodiversity Protection and Sustainable Use
- Biodiversity is the variety of all forms of life and it is essential to the existence and proper functioning of all ecosystems. Biodiversity supports habitats for all species by providing many unique environments in which species can exist; these include ecosystems of all types and sizes, rare ecosystems, and corridors between habitats. Biodiversity promotes food security, clean air, water security, energy security, and provides raw materials economic development.
- Many human activities can have a negative effect on biodiversity. Land developments for socioeconomic purposes can be especially detrimental because land conversion and subsequent loss of habitats can affect the stability or continued existence of species. People can also harm biodiversity by putting stress on environments and species through overuse of an environment and its resources. Habitat loss is a challenge for virtually all species, as humans convert natural habitats to other land uses.
- A number of projects that have been supported by the Fund in the past include:
- Fencing of wetlands and water pans.
- Community ecosystem tourism developments
- Sustainable Land Management
Funding Information
- The Fund will award small grants up to a maximum of E300, 000 for eligible projects.
- A minimum of 80% of this grant should go direct into the environmental action.
- In-kind contributions from involved stakeholders and community members are encouraged.
Eligibility Criteria
- Projects that are eligible for funding by the Fund must satisfy the following minimum requirements:
- Must have positive impact on community environmental protection and rehabilitations;
- Enhance community livelihoods;
- Must demonstrate sustainability beyond the funding period;
- Must demonstrate community ownership or stakeholder involvement;
- Must demonstrate youth participation;
- Must have the capacity to leverage additional resources.
- The call for funding is open to:
- Communities (rural, peri-urban, and urban);
- Environmental groups within communities;
- Non-Governmental Organizations engaged environmental protection initiatives;
- Individuals whose projects portray clear positive impacts to the environment and wider community;
- Educational and Research institutions.
For more information, visit Eswatini Environment Authority.