Small grants for environmental NGOs in conflict-affected countries

2008 | Area of work: Sustainable peace building

DUVILLA carried out a review of a small grants programme for environmental NGOs working in conflict-affected countries over the period 1996-2006 for IUCN National Committee of the Netherlands. The small grants programme is managed by IUCN Netherlands and funded by the Dutch Ministry of Development Cooperation.

Photo: DUVILLA/Street cleaning project in Monrovia, Liberia

For this study, five African conflict or post-conflict countries were included: Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Rwanda and Sierra Leone. Between 1996 and 2006, IUCN NL funded a total of 63 projects in conflict and post-conflict settings in these countries. The small grants programme of IUCN NL has played a key role in helping environmental NGOs to bridge the difficult times during and after prolonged civil conflict in Africa. Where most funding agencies tend to withdraw from escalating conflict zones, IUCN NL is one of the few donors that kept on supporting environmental NGOs throughout the conflict and post-conflict period.