Kaburi Village receives money from UNDP/GEF Small Grants Programme

Last Updated on Saturday, 26 December 2015, 20:59 by GxMedia

The Kaburi Village Council Wednesday signed a Grant Agreement for G$3.4M with the United Nations Development Programme/ Global Environment Facility (UNDP/GE)F Small Grants Programme for the implementation of a project that would foster sustainable management of the Kaburi Village forest, UNDPA said in a statement.

The project entails training members from the village involved in timber harvesting in forest management, surveying and mapping, and directional tree felling and log conversion at stump. In addition, a five-year Harvesting Plan would be developed and adopted by the village.

Kaburi is an Amerindian village located along the Bartica-Potaro Road in Region Seven and covers an area of 41.57 square miles. The population of the village is 275 persons with 55 families/households of primarily Akawaio and Patamona descendants. The village was established in 1935 and recently received its title from the Government of Guyana.

Some members of the village are involved in small-scale timber harvesting, and in an effort to ensure the sustainable management of the village forest resources and to mitigate the effects of timber harvesting on the environment, the Kaburi Village Council requested assistance from the UNDP/GEF Small Grants Programme to implement a sustainable forest management project for the village. The total cost for the project is G$6.8M of which G$3.4M is being funded by the UNDP/GEF Small Grants Programme. The duration of the project will be six months.

The UNDP/GEF Small Grants Programme provides grants directly to Civil Society Organizations, including Community-Based Organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations to design and implement projects that will bring environmental and livelihood benefits to communities. In addition, the Small Grants Programme seeks to generate sustainable livelihoods, reduce poverty, and create community empowerment.

The Small Grants Programme is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and executed by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).