International Waters Focal Area: SGP grants will fund projects involving communities proximate to threatened waterbodies and transboundary threats to their ecosystems. Priority is placed on addressing the problems of the pollution, degradation of ecosystems, and unsustainable practices of fishing. Specifically, the priority actions may address the following issues:

• abatement of common contaminants such as nutrients, biological contaminants, or sediments that endanger species or threaten ecosystems. The contaminants may also include persistent toxic substances and heavy metals that cannot be neutralized by marine and freshwater ecossytmes, or that can addumulate in living organisms.

• prevention and control of ecological degradation of critical habitats (such as wetlands, shallow waters, and reefs) that sustain biodiversity; and

• management of unsustainable use of marine resources resulting from over-fishing, excessive withdrawal of freshwater, and resource extraction.

SGP projects should focus on addressing priority environmental issues identified in the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) and supporting the implementation of existing Strategic Action Programs (SAPs) and National Action Plans (NAPs). (Exsiting TDAs and SAPs can be found at www.iwlearn.net). Where there is no TDA or SAP, SGP will only fund projects which are in line with global and national priorities that: 1) address transboundary environmental threats to a waterbody; 2) bring about transboundary environmental impacts; or 3) link with larger initiatives that will ultimately contribute to achieving global environmental benefits.

• OP10 - Contaminant-Based Operational Program

• OP8 - Water body-based Operational Program

• OP9 - Integrated Land and Water Multiple Focal Area Operational Program