Each year Global Greengrants Fund makes over 800 grants to environmental activists around the world, helping to support grassroots initiatives to protect the planet and the rights of the people who call these natural places home. Here are three exciting projects we’ve supported this month.
Thailand: Documenting the Impact of Hydropower Projects
Communities along the Salween River in Thailand are threatened by several dam projects proposed by the government, facing displacement and violence from conflict with security forces. With $6,000, The Salween Community Network for Natural Resource Management will document and expose the human and environmental consequences associated with the proposed projects. The group will also bring indigenous people together to increase awareness of the issues, ultimately benefitting 50 villages and nearly 12,000 internally displaced indigenous people.
Cameroon: Restoring Local Lands
On the Socfin-Bolloré Plantation in Cameroon, palm oil production has caused excessive pollution and ecological destruction. Now, The National Synergy of Farmers Victim to Palm Oil Cameroon will use $5,000 to return parcels of plantation land to its previous inhabitants. This indigenous, women-led project will promote future sustainable use of the land and help preserve biodiversity in the region.
Ecuador: Promoting Intergenerational Knowledge
In the community of Don Juan in Ecuador, food security has become an issue, especially in light of the April 2016 earthquake, which froze imports to the region. With $5,000, the Fundación a Mano Manabá will promote local farming and fishing to decrease reliance on imports. The project will also facilitate the exchange of traditional knowledge about the land between the older and younger community members. Overall, the project will benefit the 1,500 inhabitants of Don Juan, equipping the community with self-sustaining practices.
We believe solutions to environmental harm and social injustice come from people whose lives are most impacted. Every day, our global network of people on the frontlines and donors comes together to support communities to protect their ways of life and our planet. Because when local people have a say in the health of their food, water, and resources, they are forces for change. To read more about grants we’ve awarded and the groups and individuals who have received them, click here.