Big Cities, Small Means aims to support Southern NGOs in their search for finance for environment and urban development projects. Special attention is given to the follow-up of the Habitat II Conference held in Istanbul in June 1996.

 This guide is a joint product of the organisations ENDA Tiers Monde (international environment and development network) and Both ENDS (environment and development service for NGOs).

ENDA Tiers Monde aims to support local lifestyle improvement initiatives for disadvantaged populations in the Southern hemisphere and encourages the exchange of information and the generation of innovative methods and technologies in urban environmental management.

One of its programmes is the ‘Popular Urban Environmental Economy Programme’ (PRECEUP), launched in 1994. The main goal of this project is to test innovative approaches in terms of urban environment management. Emphasis is placed on exchange of information allowing a comparison of experiences and transfer of methods or appropriate technologies.

In the end, Preceup hopes to contribute to the definition of appropriate environmental policies. Preceup is financially supported by the European Commission

 Both ENDS’ aim is to contribute to responsible management of nature and the natural environment, by strengthening fellow NGOs and community groups that are working on these issues, especially in developing countries.

Both ENDS recently formulated a ‘CITIES project’, which focuses on the recognition and enhancement of the intermediary capacity of NGOs to address environmental problems in urban areas, by promoting co-operation with local authorities (LAs) and community based organisations (CBOs). The ‘CITIES project’ is directed at the exchange of information and expertise, the provision of services and co-operation on environmental management.

The aim of this project is to strengthen NGO-capacities at the local level and to strenghten the political leverage of co-operation between NGOs, LAs and CBOs.

ENDA Tiers Monde and Both ENDS are collaborating on several activities within the Preceup programme and the CITIES project.