New publication outlines SLM funding opportunities for Central and Eastern Europe

How to access financing for sustainable land management (SLM) in16 Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries is explained in a new publication, called “Funding Opportunities in the Field of SLM for the Annex V Countries of the UNCCD,” by the Global Mechanism (GM). The paper, intended for local and regional government officials, research institutions and civil society organizations (CSOs), provides a comprehensive overview of available funding sources in addition to recommendations for effective resource mobilization and mainstreaming of SLM in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Montenegro, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovakia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Ukraine.

The reference document (which can be download in English now) clearly describes the financial instruments and programmes offered by the European Union (EU), one of the main donors worldwide, and identifies the five departments, or Directorate-Generals, most relevant to Annex V countries of the UNCCD. It also goes over a number of the multilateral donors, regional banks, international organizations and innovative funding opportunities that exist outside the European Commission (EC) framework as well as tips on how to write a winning project proposal.

Many Annex V countries are located within or close to Europe, which allows them access to EU funds that are earmarked for members, candidate countries and/or the geographical area in general. “Sufficient information is available on different sources of funding both within the EU and in general, but it may be a challenge to determine which fund is the most appropriate for a given country and project activity and how to access those funds,” said Siv Øystese, Coordinator, Economic Instruments and Innovative Finance of the GM, explaining that this publication facilitates overcoming that challenge.

The aim for the 116-page publication is to provide support to countries in their efforts to mobilize resources for National Action Programmes (NAPs) and Regional Action Programmes (RAPs) as well as promote SLM-smart investments.

Deforestation, land degradation and drought are highly present in many parts of Central and Eastern Europe. Drivers of these problems are for example, inappropriate irrigation practices, deforestation, excessive use and exploitation of water resources, salinization and the exhaustion of aquifers which are putting pressure on land resources in the sub-region.

The Russian version of the document, Возможности финансирования в области устойчивого управления земельными ресурсами для стран пятого приложения КБО ООН, is also available for download.