In January 2021, thanks to seed funding from the Sigrid Rausing Trust, Global Greengrants Fund established a new Advisory Board for grantmaking in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The Middle East and North Africa is a region of critical importance for the climate and biodiversity emergency, for which grassroots groups increasingly seek to hold governments, corporations, and institutions to account. The region is plagued by worrying environmental issues caused by climate change, including scarcity of water resources, longer drier seasons, sea-level rise, hotter and longer heatwaves, and more frequent dust and sand storms. Grassroots groups in the region are also deeply underfunded—while larger institutions receive international funding, Greengrants is one of the only funders of grassroots groups in the region, making our support there a critical part of helping civil society strengthen connections.
While Global Greengrants has funded local groups in the region for several years (such as Save the Bisri Valley in Lebanon), this is the first time that a dedicated entity within Greengrants with specialist regional knowledge has been tasked with providing support to emerging grassroots groups in the Middle East and North Africa. The creation of a dedicated Board has enabled our advisors to learn from each other’s approaches, to share resources and tools, and to develop strategies which reflect local conditions and have the potential to galvanise grassroots work across this uniquely challenging region.
The Board is coordinated by Amy Ekdawi, and consists of advisors from Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, and Tunisia. The Board’s grantmaking has focused on these four countries, as well as Jordan and Yemen.
To date, the Board has supported 49[1] locally-led initiatives through small grants and mentoring, a vital first step in the Board’s work to strengthen emerging groups working for social and environmental justice in the region.
In international philanthropy, often Global North funders set priorities for the Global South groups they are funding. To upset this power dynamic, grassroots activists themselves identified the priorities that have guided the Board’s strategy and shaped their understanding of the conditions affecting civil society across the region. 29% of the groups we funded focused on biodiversity conservation; many of these included a strong focus on citizen monitoring, where citizens partner with researchers to hold governments and corporations accountable for their commitments. Groups also engaged in protecting migratory birds in Lebanon and Jordan, and community forest protection in Morocco. Another 27% of groups focused on climate justice: grantee Green Mind, for example, is working to promote sustainable economic recovery plans in Lebanon. 9% of initiatives focused on water, sanitation, and hygiene, including advocating for improved water management in local agriculture in Yemen.
Here are just a few examples of the organising our MENA board has supported over the past year:
- Association for Bird Conservation in Lebanon (ABCL) used a $5,000 grant to promote evidence-based bird conservation in Lebanon. Lebanon lies on the second most important flyway for migratory birds globally, the Eastern Mediterranean Flyway. The site hosts 170 species of birds, 7 of which are considered globally threatened and 57 of which are rare at the national level. Unfortunately, illegal hunting of migratory birds still occurs in the buffer zone of the reserve. The funds supported ABCL in assessing the quantity and variety of raptors in the area, and in educating the public about the benefits of nature conservation and why there is a need to protect birds in their habitat. As a result of the support from Global Greengrants’ MENA Advisory Board, ABCL reports that the grant has enabled it to strengthen its regional leadership role in conservation: “With the data collected, we now have figures that can be used to support our advocacy work for the strengthening of the hunting law to counter the illegal hunting of raptors.”
- In Jordan, Dibeen Association for Environmental Development (Dibeen) is using a $5,000 grant to build the capacity of members in the Dibeen-formed alliance (Alliance of Associations for Forests) that evaluates the effectiveness of forest preservation laws and regulations in Jordan. The general public of Jordan often lacks knowledge about climate change and conservation, and often doesn’t respect and understand the importance of natural resources. The funds will help support meetings with officials to increase local participation in the management of natural resources. The Alliance will also use funds to formulate a policy paper to put pressure on agricultural policies and meet the needs of local communities and members of the Alliance. This project will benefit women, young people, and people with disabilities.
- Association Zero Zbel (AZZ) is using a $5,000 grant to empower waste-pickers by strengthening their waste management skills. Morocco lacks a formal waste sorting system, which 34,000 waste-pickers make up for. Despite the critical role they play in the solid waste management chain in Morocco, waste pickers remain a marginalised population group in local society. With support from Global Greengrants, AZZ is conducting a study to understand the lives of waste-pickers, expand data related to waste produced by residents through audits, provide a waste-free neighbourhood model, and simplify access to the circular economy.
- In Morocco, Association of the residents of la Siesta Mohammedia (ARSM) are using a $5,000 grant to defend a sustainable coast in Mohammedia, Morrocco, to protect the buildings and homes of the people most at risk of displacement due to rising water levels and climate change. In 2015, a law that provided coastline protections passed. However, this new law has not been enforced. In addition, the coast of Mohammedia is particularly affected by erosion due to port projects that began in the 1990s. With the support of Global Greengrants Fund, ARSM will network with associations that represent the people, educate the community on the dangers of soil erosion, and submit a petition to the authorities imploring them to take action in defence of the coastlines.
After a hugely successful first year and a half, the MENA Advisory Board will continue identifying and supporting emerging grassroots actors across one of the world’s most challenging contexts for social and environmental rights.
[1] As of 1st November 2022