Fifteen Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are set to benefit from a historic
partnership that will make available some USD$135 million for the expansion
of nature-based solutions to combat environmental degradation.
On Day 3 of the SIDS 4 Conference which continues at the American
University of Antigua (AUA), the United Nations Development Programme and
the Global Environment Facility (GEF) unveiled the contents of the Blue and
Green Integrated Programme during a press conference.
UNDP’s Administrator Achim Steiner and CEO and Chairman of the Global
Environment Facility (GEF), Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, jointly indicated that
the programme, will result in the improvement of food systems, support
sustainable agriculture and fisheries mechanisms and promote nature friendly
tourism.
The UNDP’s Administrator told the press that the programme represents a new
wave of support for SIDS as they embark on the Decade of Action from 2024 to
2034.
“SIDS are on the frontlines of climate change and nature loss as they face harsh
realities of sea level rise, more unpredictable weather patterns, and degraded
ecosystems, yet their unique situation also means that they are also driving
forward a remarkable range of innovative and interconnected solutions," Steiner
explained.
GEF’s Chairman indicated that the project will also facilitate the development
of needed mechanisms to develop and maintain sustainable environmental
practices that will help to protect island nations from certain impacts of climate
change.
“Nowhere is the connection between a strong economy, a healthy environment,
and a healthy people, clearer than in the SIDS. Given their unique
vulnerabilities to loss of biodiversity, plastic and waste pollution, and climate
and socio-economic changes and shocks, SIDS are the best incubators of
innovation for sustainable development with many initiatives that can have
substantial impact on the planet and the people,”
Beneficiaries of the programme will come from a competitive “Expressions of
Interest” process, representing all SIDS sub-regions: the Caribbean, the Pacific,
and the Atlantic, Indian Ocean and South China Sea (AIS).
It will provide communities with the resources to expand successful initiatives
that solve challenges faced by residents in those areas.
In partnership with UNEP, FAO, the World Bank, WWF-US, IUCN and
UNCCD, among others, the initiative will provide a crucial and substantial
means of support for sustainable economic diversification and job creation.