By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 21: A multi-stakeholder platform meeting, chaired by East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner RM Kurbah was held to discuss the implementation of the Small Grants Programme-Operational Phase 7 (OP-7) in the district. The meeting, held on October 7, brought together representatives from various departments, including Forest, Soil and Water Conservation, Fisheries, Water Resources, Agriculture, and others, as part of a collaborative effort to boost socio-ecological resilience in vulnerable communities.
The OP-7 programme, part of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP) in India, focuses on enhancing the resilience of communities in some of the most vulnerable and least developed regions of the country. It promotes participatory landscape planning and integrated management, encouraging innovative livelihood options that provide both local and global environmental benefits.
SGP India OP-7 is being implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) serving as the National Host Institution. The programme is specifically targeting three regions in India: the highlands of the North East, the central semi-arid region, and coastal areas.
In East Khasi Hills, six organisations — Bethany Society, Bosco Integrated Development Society, Sauramandala Foundation, Conservation Initiatives, and North East Society for Agroecology Support—are leading community-based interventions. Their projects focus on key themes such as land degradation, climate change, and biodiversity conservation.
During the meeting, these organisations presented their projects to the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) members, who provided feedback on sustainability, community involvement, and project monitoring. The DC emphasised the importance of convergence between different departments and schemes to improve project implementation.
Later, the DC handed over contracts to the participating NGOs.