Green Mangroves of Qatar set for USD15,000 environmental education injection courtesy of Ford Grants, with a further USD105,000 distributed to worthy causes throughout MENA region.
Ford Motor Company recently announced the latest recipients of its Conservation and Environmental Grants, with USD120,000 being made available to the successful entries. Accepted from Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen, the touted projects focused on three main areas: Environmental Education, Protection of the Natural Environment and Conservation Engineering.
Taking home the top prize in Environmental Education, and a USD15,000 purse to implement her project, is Lina Nayel Al Tarawneh’s ‘Green Mangroves’ in Qatar. The proposed outcome of the grant will see hands-on learning occur through free weekly kayak trips to Purple Island, where expeditions catering to school children and individuals, will help raise awareness, and inevitably save the mangroves in the Alkhor region.
Groupe d’ornithologie du Maroc (Gomac), came second securing USD12,000 in funding for the preservation of the last significant coastal natural wetland area between the Mohammedia and El Jadida regions in Morocco. The aim of Gomac is to increase local awareness on the importance of the Dar Bouazza Wetlands, which is currently endangered by human activity.
Completing the top three for Environmental Education is an entry from Egypt social development NGO Torathiyat, focused on air and water pollution around rural Giza.
Recipients are chosen by an independent panel of judges consisting of academics and leaders from regional environmental organisations. The judges are seasoned environmentalists or academicians from the region carefully selected based on geographical coverage, age and gender equality. They look for initiatives that demonstrate a well-defined sense of purpose, a commitment to maximising available resources, and a reputation for meeting objectives and delivering planned programmes and services.
Read more about Green Mangroves project here.
