Potential is an unfamiliar word ...
Capacity building is a really big deal.
What is meant by "potential"?

To do something, it is very important first to “know” what you are dealing with, “understand”, and of course “be able” to use this knowledge. Knowledge and understanding directly affect the system of human values ​​of the individual and society as a whole, and therefore directly affect the behavior of people. If you ask people in regions, villages, what greenhouse gases are, hardly many people will say what they are. Even fewer will be able to answer the question of how greenhouse gases can affect their lives.? And even fewer will probably be able to answer the question of what needs to be done to prevent climate change.? This is the situation with the issue of biodiversity conservation, land degradation and other issues of conservation of natural capital.

Therefore, work to increase knowledge and understanding of people about the importance of nature conservation is most important. Knowledge, understanding and skills of using knowledge and are called "potential", human potential. The GEF SGP has identified work on capacity building as one of the priorities in its activities.

Formally speaking, capacity building for the goals of the GEF SGP in Uzbekistan means:
Activities aimed at developing human knowledge, skills or attitudes among certain institutions of society and individuals in order to achieve the goals of the GEF SGP in Uzbekistan.
In other words, the GEF SGP strives to ensure that people know more - what biodiversity, climate change and land degradation are, understand more how the degradation of these natural components affects people's lives and know how to do more, act to prevent the negative impact of nature degradation through activities that would contribute to its preservation.

What is the GEF SGP doing to build capacity?

In order to increase this potential, a number of initiatives are possible. The GEF SGP defined its result on this topic as:

"To improve and strengthen the capacity of CSOs (especially rural gatherings of citizens and local residents) to engage in consultation processes, knowledge management to ensure sufficient information flows, to implement the convention's recommendations, and to monitor and assess environmental impacts and currents."

We are faced with two complementary tasks:

Dissemination of best resource use practices and approaches to sustainable resource use among communities;

Incorporating knowledge and methods of transferring skills on best practices in the use of resources and approaches to sustainable use of natural resources, as well as knowledge of global environmental conventions, in the curricula of various educational institutions at all levels through the initiatives of NGOs and community organizations

It is really important to work with people to change attitudes and behaviors in the use of natural resources. An important point is informing all potential users of resources on how to make the environment bring not immediate, but permanent direct or indirect material benefits. At the same time, the implementation of any measures that change the practice of resource use is impossible without a sufficient understanding of the problem and possession of a sufficient level of knowledge and skills to solve existing environmental problems. It is necessary to prepare people, to increase their level of knowledge, understanding and skills of how to make sure that there is a benefit both for people and for the preservation of nature.

Therefore, an important niche of the GEF SGP in Uzbekistan is also an increase in the level of knowledge and understanding of the local population on the issue of how the environment is related to their livelihoods, how important it is, and what is the driving forces behind its degradation and why.

If capacity-building activities fall within the logical framework of a project in another thematic area, they should be included in those projects. This objective considers projects that do not have as a direct result any action to conserve biodiversity, combat land degradation, or prevent or adapt to climate change.

Projects aimed at disseminating lessons learned should also be considered under this objective.