DGM 2017 Annual Report Highlights

Roughly 1.3 billion people – nearly 20 percent of the world’s population – rely on forests and forest products for their livelihoods. While deforestation and forest degradation are global problems, those who depend on forest resources for their daily lives are most invested in ensuring their protection and sustainable use.

Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs), an important subset of this group, have been using their knowledge and practices to live in harmony with the forests for hundreds of years, but they are still underrepresented in key discussions and activities around climate change and forestry.

The Dedicated Grant Mechanism for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (DGM), a program designed and led by IPLCs in collaboration with the World Bank, supports the full and effective participation of these communities in climate action and sustainable forestry at local, national, and global scales.

The DGM recently launched its Second Annual Report (also available in Español, Français, and Portugués , covering its activities from July 2016 through June 2017. The report shares updates on the DGM’s progress, as well as stories and quotes highlighting the value of greater IPLC engagement in the leadership, governance, and implementation of climate finance. Below are a few key takeaways from the DGM’s second year:

1. Nine of the DGM’s fourteen country projects have established National Steering Committees, comprised primarily of key IPLC representatives, to provide leadership and oversight throughout the project cycle.
2. Seven country projects have selected National Executing Agencies to provide capacity building and technical support for IPLC-led subprojects, of which 76 have already been approved to pursue activities related to improved land tenure, natural resource management, and development of sustainable livelihoods.
3. The Global Learning and Knowledge Exchange Project has completed its first year of DGM Learning Exchanges, bringing together 97 key IPLC leaders from over 30 countries to share their experience with one another and build their capacity to engage in key conversations around forestry and climate change at national and global scales.

As the DGM’s second year ends, the program’s Global Steering Committee (GSC) is transitioning to new leadership. Grace Balawag and Kapupu Diwa, who have served dutifully as the GSC’s first co-chairs, have passed the responsibility on to Mina Setra of Indonesia and Idrissa Zeba of Burkina Faso, whom the GSC has selected as its co-chairs for the next two years. This deliberate and periodic transition of power ensures that the DGM continues to benefit from the many perspectives and decades of experience collectively held by its members.

To learn more about the DGM, please visit the DGM Global website and follow DGM Global on Facebook and Twitter.