THE Global Environment Facility (GEF), through its Small Grants Program, has used $3.2million since 2007 to financially support 60 community projects in Fiji.
United Nations Development Program resident rep Knut Ostby said the program responds to small-scale proposals from communities and civil societies. He said the GEF had been an important contributor to work on climate change and addressing other global environmental issues.
"It is today the largest funder of projects to improve the global environment," Mr Ostby said.
"UNDP engages in a number of activities related to climate change in Fiji as well as elsewhere in the Pacific. We collaborate with the government and other national stakeholders from the idea and conceptual stage, through formulation, mobilisation of resources, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation.
"For us, it is important to recognise that national stakeholders, communities and institutions are at the core of what we do." Mr Ostby said development processes, including work to respond to the climate change challenge, would only work if they were fully owned and driven by local and national stakeholders.