The United Nations Development Programme - Small Grants Programme (UNDP-SGP) has joined hands with the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (Smeda) to facilitate the promotion of small and medium enterprises working for the conservation of environment in the country.
UNDP Resident Representative Onder Yucer and Smeda Chief Executive Shahab Khawaja signed a memorandum of understanding at the UN office in Islamabad on Thursday.
Under the MoU, Smeda will help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in promoting environment-friendly products, processes and projects. It will nominate a member on the steering committees of related programmes of the SGP and would review the viability and sustainability of related SGP projects.
The parties will work together with the SMEs and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to introduce concepts of occupational health and safety measures and carry out environmental awareness raising activities.
They will strengthen capacity among SMEs regarding reduction in the use of persistent organic pollutants as pesticides or as industrial chemicals.
Shahab said, "Smeda will also assist in the treatment of the polluted Hudaira Drain along the Pak-India border."
Smeda and SGP will also form a committee on environment to meet on a regular basis to monitor the progress and strengthen co-ordination between both the organisations.
The committee will also include related academic and commercial institutions as its members.
Speaking on the occasion, Onder Yucer said that the growth of green enterprises is vital if we are to simultaneously protect the environment and promote poverty alleviation.
The partnership with Smeda will in some way help the commercial viability of environmental projects executed by NGOs and local government bodies.
Since 1993, the SGP has managed funds of $2 million and supported more than 150 projects.
The Small Grants Programme provides grants to low-income communities and social enterprises for projects that benefit the global environment and promote sustainable livelihoods in the local communities.
SGP manages three global funding mechanisms, Local Initiative Facility for Urban Environment, the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programmes and Operations to Promote Tropical Forests providing small grants assistance to local NGOs, CBOs and local government authorities.
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