MBIP urban and rural planning officer Safwan Shaari giving a briefing on the Iskandar Puteri Low-Carbon Community Grant at Menara MBIP.
IN recognising the community’s green efforts, Iskandar Puteri City Council (MBIP) is offering grants worth RM440,000 to encourage even more low-carbon initiatives among the people.
The Iskandar Puteri Low-Carbon Community Grant, now in its second year, has grants of up to RM20,000 per application to fund community projects related to educating and creating public awareness, green infrastructure (energy saving or renewable energy), sustainable waste management and agriculture and food security.
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) school of education senior lecturer Dr Nina Diana Nawi said the grant – a collaboration between the university, Iskandar Regional Development Authority and SWM Environment Sdn Bhd – was currently open for applications.
The grant was first given out last year to help communities within MBIP’s jurisdiction and keep the residents engaged during the Covid-19 pandemic and movement control order period.
“Last year, a total of RM168,000 was given out to 14 recipients involved in various projects such as composting food waste, recycling domestic used oil, community gardening, energy-saving lights, aquaponic farming and awareness workshops for children.
“This time round, we have prepared a grant value of RM440,000 and application is open to community groups, residents associations, individuals, schools and higher education institutions, non-governmental organisations, government agencies and places of worship.
“It is also a form of recognition for the community’s efforts to promote green living and a low-carbon lifestyle as well as to encourage more collaboration between the different communities, agencies and industries,” she said.
Projects that received the grant last year recorded a carbon dioxide reduction of 55,847kg from October to December, said Nina Diana.
She said a total of 4,885 residents were involved and their efforts succeeded in recycling 12,274.9kg of items, 5,328.9kg of used cooking oil and 863kg of food waste, besides harvesting 509.4kg worth of produce.
The 14 funded projects also managed to generate a total income of RM10,353.84, which proved that the low-carbon initiatives could be even more impactful with the involvement of more people, she noted.“The feedback for the projects has been good.
“An elderly participant of a food waste barrel project in Taman Nesa, Skudai, to compost food waste and plant vegetables, said it motivated her to be active during a tough time in her life.
“She was clinically diagnosed with mental health issues as she had been living alone after her husband passed away.
“The project got her out of bed every day despite having nowhere to go because of the movement control order,” said Nina Diana.
She hopes the second year of the grant programme will make more of a positive impact and benefit the environment at the same time.
The closing date for the grant application is 5pm on May 31.
For details and the application form, visit https://bit.ly/geranIPRK
MBIP urban and rural planning officer Safwan Shaari giving a briefing on the Iskandar Puteri Low-Carbon Community Grant at Menara MBIP.
One of last year’s Iskandar Puteri Low-Carbon Community Grant recipients planting vegetables outside her house using compost from recycled food waste.
