KARACHI, Oct 29: The United Nations Development Programme has proposed to the Sindh government to involve local communities, NGOs, CBOs in the projects of the National Environmental Action Plan Support Programme.

The UNDP has approved a plan to provide 42 million US dollars as a grant for undertaking poverty alleviation-linked environmental projects in Pakistan.

The UNDP, citing examples of planting of mangroves by local communities, suggested that local communities, NGOs/CBOs might be involved for raising their livelihood and income-generation in the poverty-stricken rural areas.

The programme aims to improve environmental conditions with emphasis on clean air, clean water, solid waste management and ecosystem management.

A steering committee has already been constituted to give final approval to the projects. The projects will be formulated and implemented under six sub-programmes that include pollution control, energy conservation, water conservation and dry land management.

The officials of the provincial forest department have also prepared various project proposals for funding through the NEAP.

NEAP is spread over five years and more than US$ 42 million could be allocated as a grant.

To coordinate the project activities at provincial level, NEAP cells are being established in Sindh and Balochistan. However, mega projects could not be funded under this programme.

Sindh being the most poverty-stricken province needs more attention of the federal government as well as donor agencies as poverty in the province is more than 61 per cent while it is 90 per cent in coastal areas where 75 per cent of the ground water is brackish and sea intrusion has eroded cultivated areas.—PPI