In this month’s blog post, Annie Lane introduces the Heritage Science Data Service Small Grants Programme, including success stories from NHSF members in Round 1 and a guide to getting involved in …

In this month’s blog post, Annie Lane introduces the Heritage Science Data Service Small Grants Programme, including success stories from NHSF members in Round 1 and a guide to getting involved in …

In this month’s blog post, Annie Lane introduces the Heritage Science Data Service Small Grants Programme, including success stories from NHSF members in Round 1 and a guide to getting involved in …

In Suriname, SGP supported a project in the Brownsweg area, where Saamaka communities have been historically marginalized and largely depend on forest resources for their livelihood. To empower local community members and improve land management, the project promoted climate-smart agriculture among Saamaka farmers.

Nestled between majestic mountains and shimmering waters, Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk-Kul Basin is more than a scenic wonder, it is a living landscape rich in biodiversity, cultural heritage, and community spirit. Today, this region is at the heart of a powerful movement to restore and protect nature through Phase 4 of the Community Development and Knowledge Management for the Satoyama Initiative Programme (COMDEKS) - a global initiative that supports community-led conservation and empowerment through the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP), implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Wetlands are among the most valuable, but also fastest-disappearing ecosystems on Earth. In Zimbabwe, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP), implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has been supporting several locally-led projects to protect and restore wetlands for decades.

The Community Development and Knowledge Management for the Satoyama Initiative Programme (COMDEKS) was launched in 2011 as a flagship programme of the Satoyama Initiative, a global effort to promote the sustainable use of natural resources in landscapes and seascapes with local communities. Known as socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS), these landscapes and seascapes include many uses, from farming and fishing to forestry. Their productivity and resilience are central to the economic well-being and cultural identity of communities who depend on them throughout the world. With support from the Ministry of the Environment of Japan (MOEJ) and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been implementing COMDEKS through the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP) for over a decade. Since its launch in 2011, COMDEKS has supported over 400 community projects in 20 countries across three phases. In 2022, the programme entered its fourth phase, with support from MOEJ as well as the Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund (KNCF). COMDEKS Phase 4 is being implemented in 15 countries and is currently supporting locally-led projects across a range of landscapes and seascapes focused on biodiversity conservation and sustainable management. Aligned with the HLPF 2025 theme on “Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs for leaving no one behind” this side event highlighted the role of the COMDEKS programme in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and key targets under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Community speakers from Bhutan, Morocco and Kyrgyzstan highlighted the role of local actors on designing and implementing innovative, inclusive, sustainable and locally-lead solutions that address the triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.

The Community Development and Knowledge Management for the Satoyama Initiative Programme (COMDEKS) was launched in 2011 as a flagship programme of the Satoyama Initiative, a global effort to promote the sustainable use of natural resources in landscapes and seascapes with local communities. Known as socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS), these landscapes and seascapes include many uses, from farming and fishing to forestry. Their productivity and resilience are central to the economic well-being and cultural identity of communities who depend on them throughout the world. With support from the Ministry of the Environment of Japan (MOEJ) and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been implementing COMDEKS through the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP) for over a decade. Since its launch in 2011, COMDEKS has supported over 400 community projects in 20 countries across three phases. In 2022, the programme entered its fourth phase, with support from MOEJ as well as the Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund (KNCF). COMDEKS Phase 4 is being implemented in 15 countries and is currently supporting locally-led projects across a range of landscapes and seascapes focused on biodiversity conservation and sustainable management. On 22 April 2025, the Keidanren Nature Conservation Council (KNCC) and UNDP hosted an online seminar entitled “Societies in harmony with nature: locally-led landscape approaches” in collaboration with the MOEJ and the International Partnership for Satoyama Initiative (IPSI) Secretariat. The seminar provided updates on COMDEKS implementation to date and presented case studies from Cameroon, Costa Rica and Türkiye.

This video presents and overview of the work taking place in the Samsun wetland landscape in Türkiye, under Phase 4 of the Community Development and Knowledge Management for the Satoyama Initiative Programme (COMDEKS). Launched in 2011 as a flagship programme of the Satoyama Initiative, COMDEKS is a global effort to promote the sustainable use of natural resources in landscapes and seascapes with local communities whose livelihoods and cultural heritage depend on them. It provides small-scale finance through the Small Grnats Programme (SGP) directly to local communities, Indigenous Peoples and civil society to implement locally-led projects that improve livelihoods and well-being, conserve biodiversity, address climate change, build resilience and support local cultures and traditional practices. Launched in 2022, COMDEKS Phase 4 is funded by the Ministry of the Environment Japan and the Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund, and is implemented by SGP.

This video presents and overview of the work taking place in the Nicoya Gulf Seascape in Costa Rica under Phase 4 of the Community Development and Knowledge Management for the Satoyama Initiative Programme (COMDEKS). Launched in 2011 as a flagship programme of the Satoyama Initiative, COMDEKS is a global effort to promote the sustainable use of natural resources in landscapes and seascapes with local communities whose livelihoods and cultural heritage depend on them. It provides small-scale finance through the Small Grnats Programme (SGP) directly to local communities, Indigenous Peoples and civil society to implement locally-led projects that improve livelihoods and well-being, conserve biodiversity, address climate change, build resilience and support local cultures and traditional practices. Launched in 2022, COMDEKS Phase 4 is funded by the Ministry of the Environment Japan and the Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund, and is implemented by SGP.

This video presents and overview of the work taking place in the Bogo landscape, Cameroon, under Phase 4 of the Community Development and Knowledge Management for the Satoyama Initiative Programme (COMDEKS). Launched in 2011 as a flagship programme of the Satoyama Initiative, COMDEKS is a global effort to promote the sustainable use of natural resources in landscapes and seascapes with local communities whose livelihoods and cultural heritage depend on them. It provides small-scale finance through the Small Grnats Programme (SGP) directly to local communities, Indigenous Peoples and civil society to implement locally-led projects that improve livelihoods and well-being, conserve biodiversity, address climate change, build resilience and support local cultures and traditional practices. Launched in 2022, COMDEKS Phase 4 is funded by the Ministry of the Environment Japan and the Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund, and is implemented by SGP.

Guyana’s South Rupununi region is a unique mosaic of interlinked wetland, forest and savannah ecosystems. It is a vital reservoir of nature between the Guyana Shield and the Amazon Basin. It is also home to people whose lives depend on these ecosystems and their rich wildlife. Nature isn’t just beautiful — it’s essential. This is why a community-led conservation system was established. Working to reverse the decline of giant anteater and giant armadillo populations, and integrating traditional knowledge with scientific data collected by local communities, see how the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP), implemented by UNDP, supports local action to protect wildlife and halt biodiversity loss: https://ow.ly/foZI50V6F7v

In this month’s blog post, Annie Lane introduces the Heritage Science Data Service Small Grants Programme, including success stories from NHSF members in Round 1 and a guide to getting involved in …