FAO and YBUL Open Environmental Funding Access for Indonesian Communities
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The FAO, in partnership with the Yayasan Bina Usaha Lingkungan (YBUL), is providing access to environmental funding of up to approximately IDR 1.2 billion through the Global Environment Facility’s Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP) for civil society organisations and communities in Indonesia.
“In addressing the current global challenges, we need an approach that enables local communities to manage natural resources sustainably and improve their livelihoods,” said Rajendra Aryal, FAO Representative in Indonesia and Timor-Leste, following the signing of the Operational Partnership Agreement at the FAO Indonesia office in Jakarta on Wednesday.
He stated that grant recipients can also receive technical support from the FAO to strengthen community actions aimed at achieving a better environment and livelihoods.
“The FAO is committed to providing technical support to GEF SGP grant recipients, enhancing the capacity of grassroots communities to deliver their own solutions,” he said.
He emphasised that the FAO and YBUL are ready to expand this partnership to reach more communities across the Indonesian archipelago.
The FAO has joined the Eighth Operational Phase (GEF SGP-OP8) of the GEF Small Grants Programme and is implementing this programme in 13 countries, including Indonesia.
The GEF SGP is a flagship programme of the GEF that aims to promote community-based environmental actions involving indigenous peoples, youth, women, and persons with disabilities.
The SGP OP8 in Indonesia will focus on Buleleng Regency in Bali, Lombok in NTB, and Labuan Bajo, Komodo National Park, Sumba, and Alor in NTT.
These five regions were selected due to their high biodiversity and pressing environmental challenges, yet they have previously received minimal GEF SGP funding.
The GEF SGP will prioritise funding for initiatives that align with Indonesia’s development plans and global commitments, as well as the five thematic priorities of GEF SGP-OP8.
These priorities include community-based conservation for threatened ecosystems and species, sustainable agriculture and fisheries along with food security, co-benefits related to low-carbon energy access, local-to-global coalitions for chemicals and waste management, and sustainable urban solutions.
Furthermore, he said the GEF SGP will also equip grant recipients with access to knowledge and skills development, as well as technical assistance and grants facilitated by the FAO.
YBUL Executive Director Yani Witjaksono said his organisation wants to localise Indonesia’s international commitments, from FOLU Net Sink 2030 to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, by empowering local and indigenous communities as the primary guardians of biodiversity.
During the 2026-2029 period, GEF SGP OP8 aims to support more than 14,000 beneficiaries, including over 7,200 women, 2,300 youth, and 2,300 persons with disabilities.
Projects funded by this programme are expected to help restore more than 6,400 hectares of land, improve management practices in more than 110,000 hectares of landscapes and 8,000 hectares of seascapes, and reduce estimated greenhouse gas emissions by 640,000 tCO2e.
The FAO and YBUL have appointed 11 members to the National Steering Committee for GEF-SGP-OP8, comprising representatives from civil society, the Indonesian government, and the private sector.
It was also mentioned that civil society organisations can submit proposals starting in June this year.