The potential eligible activities under this focal area include community initiatives to eliminate the causes of land and marine based sources of pollution, particularly nutrients, chemical wastes & pesticides and industrial waste dumping by promoting reuse, recycling and effective management.
             The objective of the operational program on Persistent Organic Pollutants is to provide assistance, on the basis of incremental costs, to developing countries with economies in transition to reduce and eliminate releases of POPs into the environment. This objective is consistent with that of the Stockholm Convention which is aimed at protecting human health and the environment from POPs.
The expected outcomes of GEF-supported interventions on POPs include the following:
• The institutional and human resources capacity for the management of POPs is strengthened.
• The policy and regulatory framework is strengthened to facilitate environmentally sound management of POPs and other chemicals.
• There is significant improvement in the reduction of the use of POPs for disease vector control, termite control and agricultural production.
• Stockpiles of POPs are managed and wastes that contain POPs are managed or disposed of, in an environmentally safe manner.
• The GEF will provide funding, on the basis of agreed incremental costs, for three types of activities to address the issues of POPs- capacity building, on the ground interventions and targeted research.
Eligible interventions are: Development and strengthening of capacity, aimed at enabling the recipient country to fulfill its obligations under the convention. These country specific enabling activities will be eligible for full funding of agreed costs.
Capacity Building :- Activities eligible for GEF-SGP funding may include:
• Strengthening the human and institutional capacity, including to perform inventories of stockpiles of POPs and wastes that contain POPs, human and environmental risk assessment, development of management options an analysis of cost-effectiveness.
• Strengthening and harmonization of the policies and regulatory framework for integrated an cross-sectional approaches to POP management.
• Developing capacity to assess technologies and management practices, including best available techniques and best environmental practices (BAT/BEP), and promoting and facilitating th transfer of viable and cost-effective options and management practices based on the application of international standards.
• Developing and implementing public awareness / information / environmental education programs.