“Emad Adly: The Projects Combine Land Degradation Mitigation with Climate Change Adaptation”
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP16), held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from December 2 to 13, 2023, witnessed the active participation of the Small Grants Programme (GEF/SGP), which supports national and international efforts to address the challenges of desertification and its adverse effects on the environment and local communities.
During the conference, the Small Grants Programme team presented a comprehensive overview of key projects implemented in Egypt with SGP funding, focusing on land degradation mitigation and environmental sustainability.
The projects implemented in Egypt under the seventh operational phase of the Small Grants Programme include multiple initiatives aimed at rehabilitating degraded lands, promoting sustainable agriculture, and supporting vulnerable local communities most affected by environmental changes. They also focus on enhancing soil fertility using modern and eco-friendly techniques, such as drip irrigation and organic fertilizers, with the ultimate goal of achieving food security and reducing migration caused by land degradation.
Dr. Emad El-Din Adly, the National Coordinator of the Small Grants Programme in Egypt, stated that since the programme’s launch in 1992, land degradation prevention has been one of its key areas of focus. Over the past 32 years, the programme has allocated numerous grants to pioneering projects implemented by NGOs and civil society organizations across Egypt to preserve agricultural lands.
He added that the programme continues to advance toward its land restoration goals during the seventh operational phase (2022–2026) by providing more grants to finance projects in Upper Egypt and the Nile Delta, in addition to multi-objective projects that integrate climate change mitigation, pollution control, and land preservation.
The projects implemented by civil society organizations in Egypt with SGP funding demonstrate how international financing can drive tangible local change—through the creation of sustainable jobs, improvement of living standards, and enhancement of community resilience against climate change challenges. These initiatives also contribute to achieving Egypt’s Vision 2030 for Sustainable Development.
During its participation in the UNCCD Conference, the Small Grants Programme reaffirmed its commitment to supporting national and regional efforts to combat desertification, emphasizing that investing in the environment is an investment in the future of humanity.