Lead Partner: Government of South Africa - Eskom (South Africa National Electric Utility)
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Africa Summary: A primary requirement to assist in the electrification of Africa is to complete the interconnectors between the various countries and their respective utilities, so that Africa has one interconnected transmission grid. The transmission interconnectors are predicated on the basis that, while some countries and/or regions have excess generation capacity, others are experiencing shortages, with serious consequences for their economic and social development. While it is technically possible for each country to develop sufficient energy resources to meet their needs in the medium to longer term, this approach ignores the economic and environmental efficiencies possible through regional co-operation. This is viewed as an important first step, as it allows undersupplied countries, or countries supplied primarily by hydro-electricity, who are subject to fluctuations in supply during drought cycles, to have immediate access to a pool of electricity when required, and to contribute to such a pool when water levels are high. This facilitates uninterrupted power supply throughout Africa.
The initiative supports the diversification of electricity sources and socio-economic development. Apart from supporting NEPAD and adhering to best environmental practice, detailed design of the project will take into account synergies with existing sustainable development initiatives, such as the Peace Parks initiative, eradication of land mines and improvement of local infrastructure. The partnership aims include improving capacity for regional and sub-continental electricity trading. [more]
Lead Partner: Environment General Agency - Environment General Agency - Environment General Agency
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Africa Summary: The main objectives of the initiative are:
♦ To critically assess successes and failures in implementing Rio decisions in each member AU country
♦ To focus on the identification of accomplishments and areas where further efforts are needed to implement Agenda 21.
♦ To ensure that all members of African Union must have a safer more prosperous future by dealing with environment protection economic development and social development issues inbalanced manner.
♦ Accelerated economic and social development of Africa with better care for environment
♦ Awareness raising at regional, national and local level and further promote Agenda 21 in Africa. [more]
Lead Partner: European Commission
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Development Objectives: The Initiative aims to facilitate the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal of halving the number of people in extreme poverty and other MDGs by 2015, through the provision of adequate, affordable, sustainable energy services. This will be achieved within the context of beneficiary country driven activities.
Immediate Objectives: Through the Initiative the EU proposes to establish "Energy Access Partnerships" with developing countries, with the involvement of the private sector and civil society, that will develop in response to the energy needs of developing countries and regions. Through these Partnerships, donors will work with developing countries to help identify energy needs and necessary assistance to create the economic, social and institutional conditions that will enable their energy needs to be met.
The aim of the Partnerships is to enable the EU and its developing country partners, and other stakeholders, to work together to improve efforts for increasing access to energy services, particularly for poor women and men, based on their specific circumstances and requirements. Gender issues will be mainstreamed in all aspects of the Initiative. The Partnerships will ensure that existing energy activities and other initiatives will be well co-ordinated to provide coherent packages. They will be based on existing organisations, structures and procedures. [more]
Lead Partner: Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) - Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Southern Africa Summary: The Expanded OUZIT Project is an integrated tourism development strategy aimed at establishing a comprehensive tourism and resource development zone in SADC.
The agreed project roll out would see the Expanded OUZIT project proceed on two parallel tracks:
a) As an integral part of the WSSD - focused on presenting SADC's TFCA's (Transfrontier Conservation Areas) - proposed and existing, as a unifying theme demonstrating the region's commitment and leadership in the preservation of bio-diversity, the conservation of two of the region's last remaining and largely untapped river systems (i.e. Okavango, and Zambezi), and as a vehicle for the upliftment and sustainable development for the rural poor.
b) The second track for progressing the Expanded OUZIT will be project driven and draw upon the TFCA scoping study.
Accordingly the agreed project roll out will:
1. Identify and prepare documentation for at least three (3) new large-scale investments in Resort Hubs around which to network TFCAs.
2. Support Capacity Building in the management and expansion of Gateway/Resort Hubs in participating member states.
3. Identify high profile and active global investors (including airlines and major tour operators) and organize a programme to engage them.
4. Address bottlenecks (infrastructure, policy, financial, load factors) impeding the provision of long haul and inter-regional air transport services. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Canada - Natural Resources - Government of South Africa - Department of Minerals and Energy
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The objective of the Intergovernmental Forum is to enhance and promote the contribution of the mining, minerals and metals sector to sustainable development.
The functions of the Intergovernmental Forum are consultative and advisory based on the principles of voluntary partnership. The Forum provides governments with a framework in which to discuss the opportunities provided by mining, minerals and metals and to respond to the challenges they pose. The Intergovernmental Forum will meet to share experiences and information, to consider and to provide advice and, where appropriate, make recommendations for consideration by governments, intergovernmental bodies and others. The Intergovernmental Forum will meet at high level or officials level, as appropriate. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of United States of America - Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Improves the care of people living with HIV/AIDS in heavily affected countries by increasing the capacity for training of HIV/AIDS care providers, including physicians, nurses, clinical administrators, and other key personnel. The IAETP enhances training capacity in the areas of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of HIV disease, including the prevention of perinatal transmission and the prevention and treatment of opportunistic infections, including TB. The IAETP also develops training and provides technical assistance on the planning, design, and management of regional or national HIV/AIDS training programs and HIV/AIDS care facilities and programs. Long-term technical support is provided by the IAETP to assist partners in the development of a highly trained cadre of healthcare providers and trainers. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Italy - Ministry of Foreign Affairs - University of Trieste - Southern African Development Community Forestry Sector Technical Coordination Unit (SADC-FSTCU)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional SADC Summary: Building upon regional development potentials and institutional consensus of the SADC Secretariat and its member states, the capacity building and development contribution of the previous DGCS_SADC cooperation project (SECOSUD I) represents a solid foundation for the present partnership initiative.
The general aim of this partnership is to produce and establish a network of management oriented spatial decision support systems (SDSS) to promote the sustainable use of natural resources by private and public stakeholders while ensuring the durable social and economic development of rural areas situated in the SADC region affected by strong growing human pressure. The SDSS will be addressed specifically to Sustainable Management of Biological Resources (SMBR) by promoting the conservation of native plants economically useful compatibly with the long-term equitable economic growth and enhancement of productive capacity in rural areas. The network will comprise informatics tools with nodes located at selected Institutions that will:
- help understand the interactions between economically useful plants and the environment where they spontaneously grow and where they are cultivated,
- provide services to improve plant productivity without compromising the biological diversity of the region. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of United States of America - Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) - Population Services International (PSI)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The main objective of this partnership is to reduce diarrheal diseases in children under 5 years old and other vulnerable populations through provision of locally-produced water disinfectant, safe water storage containers, and behavior change techniques directed towards improved hygiene.
The goal of providing piped, treated water for all is desirable, but will take considerable resources and time to achieve. While this goal is being pursued, innovative, practical, interim solutions are needed to provide underserved populations with safe water in a more timely fashion. To address this need, the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) developed a household-based water quality intervention that employs simple, easily disseminated technology. The basis of the intervention, which is called the Safe Water System (SWS), is:
treatment of contaminated water with locally-produced sodium hypochlorite solution;
safe water storage in plastic containers with a narrow mouth to reduce the risk of water being touched and contaminated;
behavior change techniques, including social marketing and community mobilization. [more]
Lead Partner: The Global Mechanism of the UNCCD
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Southern Africa Summary: This partnership seeks to link inter-governmental processes in Southern Africa with activities of the Non-governmental Organizations and Community Based Organizations. The partners commit to prepare and implement, disseminate information about, and follow-up to, activities supporting the implementation of the Convention to Combat Desertification. In particular, the partnership is, on a long-term basis, focusing on activities following-up to the WSSD. The partnership will additionally provide a series of constructive input to the process of establishing the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).
Specifically, the partners will seek to engage in complementary activities, joint meetings, enhanced communication, information exchange and co-ordination, which will:
* Enhance the resources available for the implementation of the CCD;
* Promote desertification issues following-up to the Legislators'Conference and WSSD in 2002;
* Create awareness among politicians and legislators about the implementation of the CCD in SADC;
* Establish linkages between the three Conventions of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, 1992;
* Assist communities affected by land degradation and poverty in building capacity for resilience and improved livelihood; and
* Enhance capacity within the NGO community to assist in implementing the Sub-regional and National Action Plans of the CCD. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of South Africa - Department of Environment and Tourism (DEAT) - Government of South Africa - Statistics South Africa (StatSA)
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Africa Summary: The Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) system, which is a statistical tool that measures the total economic impact of tourism, was developed by the World Tourism Organization (WTO) in 1995 with the objective of defining a new statistical instrument to assist government officials, business executives and stakeholders within the tourism industry to make informed decision.
The benefits of a Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) are numerous and enable a country to measure the following:
The proportion of a country's GDP i.e. the total output of all goods and services the country produces annually that are attributable to tourism activity
The size of the tourism industry relative to other sectors of a country's economy
The number of jobs generated by tourism activity
The value of public and private investment related to tourism
The effect of international tourism on a country's balance of payments
The value of government income generated by tourism in the country
The importance of a TSA for African countries is that it will provide the vital information required to assist African countries in policy formulation, decision-making and strategic planning to boost tourism growth on the continent. The information produced from a TSA would also ensure that tourism development on the continent takes place in a sustainable manner.
This initiative will result in:
* Financial investment in establishing appropriate infrastructure for the collection of tourism statistics.
* The knowledge base of officials in African countries would be greatly enhanced in as far as the application of TSA is concerned.
* The measurement of the economic impact of tourism through the provision of accurate information of African countries
* Development of policies and strategies in African countries to boost tourism growth will be informed by accurate information. [more]
Lead Partner: Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The core activity of WASH emphasizes the teaching of basic sanitation and hygiene to communities and school children with a particular focus on girls' education and gender equality, as a necessary complement to the success of water and sanitation infrastructure projects.
This integrated approach to the delivery of basic services is the product of "lessons learned" from the International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade (1981-1990). While advancements were made in increasing the access to safe drinking water, less progress was made on the provision of sanitation services and in hygiene education and training. These valuable lessons are now the focus of a global effort to improve the health and productivity of the urban and rural poor in the developing world.
The core activity is complemented by a recent initiative to deliver by 2015, safe, affordable and reliable water, sanitation to over 1.1 billion people who have no access to water supply and to more than 2.6 billion people who have no adequate sanitation. A WASH Partnership, jointly agreed between the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) and UNICEF, seeks to contribute towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) seven, target 10, through a combination of actions directed at influencing policy at national level and global level, and effecting behavioural change at the grassroots level. The WASH Partnership supports coalition-building among multi-stakeholders at national and grassroots level. With advocacy at the centre of these main activities, it focuses on demand-creation, behavioural change, capacity building and implementation, to reach 15 million people with sanitation and hygiene by 2015 (â15 by 15 projectâ). [more]
to collapse the Summary of Partnerships.