Some countries, including India, were late participants in the SGP. India’s involvement in the SGP began only during late 1994. The programme took off towards the end of 1995. The first phase of the GEF-SGP was set up with an initial outlay of approximately US $ 300,000 to provide funding assistance to individual projects. Twenty four projects were approved between 1995 and 1997. These projects in terms of thematic and focal areas are - 20 on biodiversity and four on climate change, covering 12 states in India.

To give an idea of some of the projects supported during the pilot phase, short narrative descriptions are provided below:

The project was initiated to prevent further loss of elephant habitat by adopting a participatory approach in the management of forests that are relatively small but regionally significant. A number of villages from adjoining areas are being provided alternative livelihoods to reduce pressure on forest resources in the Sujalkuttai-Bannari corridors, with the assistance of government subsidies and loans from banks.

The project creates local awareness on global conservation issues and reinforces social and cultural activities that promote biodiversity conservation. The project is being implemented by the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.

This project aims to (i) provide remunerative alternatives to motivate the local farmers to eradicate diseased plants and (ii) provide advanced technology for the production of construction material from coconut wood.

The project investigations indicate that the clayey soils and wetlands were more prone to disease. A meeting was held and attended by representatives of various panchayats from the disease-affected regions where it was realised that felling of affected trees was the only remedy to prevent the spread of the disease. The possibility of using the wood from the diseased plants as non-forest based timber resources as an alternative income source from cultivation is being explored.

The project is being implemented by Environmental Resources Research Centre, Poomalliyoorkonam, Peroor-kada Thiruvananthpuram, Kerala.

This project is being implemented 3 km off the coast of Periya Nelangarai Kuppam - a coastal fishing village 20 km south of Chennai.

Concrete well rings installation in coastal waters results in the creation of favourable conditions for fish breeding and survival and is known as an artificial reef. Artificial reefs installation resulted in the creation of favourable conditions for fishes to aggregate, feed and breed, inviting larger tiger sharks to feed on the fishes, thereby establishing new food chains. The projects holder proposes using the fishermen from the Neelgarai reef to work as animators in the spread of this technology from fishermen to fishermen.

It is expected that the catch of the fishermen will increase at the reef both through hook and line fishing as well as gill netting. Mechanised bottom trawlers will be prevented from encroaching into the coastal waters, thus preserving the inshore coastal biodiversity.

The project has identified a need for providing fishermen with improved boats necessary for increasing fish catches and widespread replication and use.

The Centre for Research on New International Economic Order Chennai, Tamil Nadu is implementing this project.

An exhaustive awareness building programme through visits, discussions with the fishermen community about the need for protecting the Olive Ridley Sea Turtles in coastal villages in Dhamara, Paradip and in Rusikulya is underway. Response from the villages and trawler operators on the possibilities of using the TED and freeing of the turtles from gill nets and trawl fishing was encouraging. However, the trawl operators have suggested modifications in the TED design so that escape of fish can be minimised. They have also suggested the setting up of a TED and net fabricating unit at Paradip. The project has raised awareness about the need for conservation, promotion and protection of the nesting population of the turtles from the Gahirmata rookery.

The implementing NGO, Project Swarajya, proposes to launch an advocacy effort, involving NGOs, government officials, fishermen and others to bring about legislation, making use of the TED compulsory for all trawlers. The NGO feels that declaring the Gahirmata rookery alone as a protected area is not sufficient to prevent the large scale drowning of the turtles in trawl nets.

The pilot phase of GEF-SGP, India, and its subsequent evaluation, clearly demonstrated that many positive results have already been achieved by the programme. The SGP has initiated the process to effect change at local levels in different ways and varying degrees. Thus, a range of aspects are in different stages of being affected. At one level, the projects have created/increased awareness on issues relating to biodiversity and/or climate change. The awareness, in some cases, has been translated into altered resource use patterns. Capacity building, more so of the implementing partners, and, to a limited extent, of local communities, have been taking place. Not only has this included a broadened development perspective, but various skills such as those relating to projects planning and implementation have improved. At another level, livelihood opportunities have been redefined and linked to resource management. Several efforts demonstrate varying degrees of community participation, the extent of which is reflected in a direct link to project ownership and potential sustainability of project activities.

The second phase of the GEF-SGP (SGP II) has already been approved and is expected to start around June 1998.