The Dedicated Grant Mechanism for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (DGM) is a global program that provides grants to indigenous peoples and local communities to support their participation in REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) processes. The DGM aims to enhance the role of indigenous peoples and local communities in forest management and climate action by providing them with the resources they need to participate in decision-making processes.
The Dedicated Grant Mechanism (DGM) for Indigenous Peoples (IP) and Local Communities (LC) project in Nepal is part of the global initiative launched in 2010 by the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) and the World Bank. DGM Nepal supports indigenous peoples and local communities by strengthening their engagement in Forest for Prosperity (FFP), REDD+( Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation), and other similar climate change-oriented programs as well as contributes to improve livelihoods, land use, and sustainable forest management in their territories by increasing the income of forest-dependent communities, in Madhesh and Lumbini Provinces. The main beneficiaries of the DGM Nepal are forest-dependent IPs and LCs organizations and individuals from Province 2 and Lumbini Province.
The Forests for Prosperity project is a World Bank-supported forest sector investment project in Nepal that aims to improve sustainable forest management, increase benefits from forests and contribute to net Greenhouse Gas Emission (GHG) reductions in selected municipalities in Province 2 and Province 5 in Nepal. The project is the first World Bank-supported forest sector investment project in Nepal in over 15 years, and the third part of a joint programmatic engagement on forest landscapes by the World Bank and the government of Nepal.
REDD stands for “Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation” in developing countries. The “+” stands for additional forest-related activities that protect the climate, namely sustainable management of forests and the conservation and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. REDD+ is a mechanism that aims to provide financial incentives to developing countries to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. The idea is that by providing financial incentives, countries will be more likely to take action to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.
The DGM helps developing countries by:
- Providing grants to support projects that enhance land tenure, forest management, biodiversity conservation, and livelihoods of indigenous peoples and local communities.
- Building their capacity to engage in national and global policy processes related to forest governance and climate change.
- Creating a platform for knowledge sharing and learning among different stakeholders.
Some of the developing countries that benefit from the DGM are Brazil, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Indonesia, Laos, Mexico, Mozambique, Nepal, Peru, and Republic of Congo.
More information on: https://www.dgmglobal.org/
The Forest Investment Program (FIP) is a multilateral fund that supports developing countries’ efforts to reduce deforestation and forest degradation. The FIP provides financing for countries to implement their own strategies for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), which can include measures such as improving forest governance, strengthening land tenure rights, and supporting sustainable agriculture practices. The FIP also supports the development of sustainable forest management practices that can help reduce deforestation and forest degradation over the long term.
In addition to the FIP, there are other initiatives that aim to reduce deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries. For example, the UN Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (UN-REDD) is a partnership between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). UN-REDD provides technical assistance and financial support to developing countries to help them reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.
The DGM is specifically designed to support indigenous peoples and local communities because they are often the most affected by deforestation and forest degradation. They also have a long history of living sustainably with forests and have valuable knowledge about how to manage them. By supporting their participation in REDD+ processes, the DGM aims to ensure that their voices are heard and that their rights are respected. In addition, spatial disparities exist and underscore poverty and material deprivations among Madhesis, one of the project implementing area. For these reasons, the DGM Nepal will work with forest-dependent local communities as well as indigenous peoples.
Indigenous peoples play an important role in REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) processes. In the policy context, indigenous peoples are mostly rights-holders and so they have a stronger opportunity or maybe a stronger emphasis on the viewpoint and entitlement of indigenous peoples when it comes to what we might want to call ‘climate change-related interventions’ – whether they’re mitigation or adaptation – in forests. Indigenous peoples also have a long, connected history with forests in many parts of the world, in terms of stewardship and taking care of the forests themselves, as well as very often a very deep cultural and spiritual connection that comes between indigenous peoples and the lands and forests in which they exist on
