Lead Partner: Government of Italy - Ministry for the Environment and Territory - Government of Italy - Ministry for the Environment and Territory
Geographical Scope: Regional
Summary: The ADRICOSM Partnership was launched as a Type II Initiative at the World Summit on Sustainable development in Johannesburg (2002) by the Italian Ministry for the Environment and Territory. It was based upon the implementation of the ADRICOSM Pilot Project, within the governmental framework of the Adriatic Ionian Initiative for the Environmental Protection of the Adriatic Sea and its coastal areas. The Pilot Project is implementing the backbone of the Adriatic Sea real time monitoring system, the prediction at the basin level and the coastal areas and the coupling between river basin modelling system and the hydrodynamic modelling of coastal areas.
Within the Partnership, three new project have started:
1.ADRICOSM-EXTension - enlargement of ADRICOSM PP to Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina and Serbia Montenegro.
2.ADRICOSM-PULA BAY - application of ADRICOSM Methodology in the Pula Bay (Croatia).
3.NERES - assessment and management of the Neretva River (Croatia) Delta area.
The main objectives of the Partnership are:
-Efficiently organize, evaluate and coordinate multinational research, development and implementation programs that advance the understanding, monitoring and predictive capabilities in the Adriatic Sea area for the establishment of integrated coastal areas and river basin management systems
-Consolidate the monitoring and prediction system by involving users of the research products. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of United Arab Emirates - Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Main objectives of AGEDI are:
Ø To achieve more cost-effective and relevant environmental data collection and assessment,
Ø To strengthen and enhance environmental capacity to collect, analyze, use and update multi-sectoral environmental data and information in the decision making process,
Ø To develop and strengthen means of ensuring that planning for sustainable development in all sectors is based on, inter alia, quality, timely, reliable, and usable environmental data and information,
Ø To make relevant environmental data and information accessible to all stakeholders in the form, and at the time, required to facilitate its use,
Ø To strengthen existing national and international mechanisms of information collection, exchange and processing,
Ø To strengthen mechanisms for incorporating environmental information in decision making,
Ø To strengthen national capacities, including capacities within governments, NGOs and private sector, in data/information collection, handling and communication, particularly in developing countries, and
Ø To ensure full participation of developing countries in the collection, analysis, assessment, use and update of environmental data and information.
Lead Partner: Government of France - Institut de l’Énergie et de l’Environnement de la Francophonie - Government of Switzerland - Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Adaptation to climate change is a growing priority for development agencies, governments and vulnerable communities. However, capacity and awareness are often limited, and experiences have yet to be widely shared. The ALM partnership initiative will draw from experiences on the ground, featuring tools and practical guidance to meet the needs of developing countries. Seeking to provide stakeholders with a common platform for sharing and learning, the ALM will also complement the wide range of adaptation knowledge networks and initiatives already underway. For example, the ALM is collaborating with the Nairobi Work Programme, particularly the 'Methods and Tools' and 'Planning and Practices' areas of work, and the interactive weADAPT platform.
The ALM will develop tools and resources to support:
1. Adaptation practices – what can be done to adapt to climate change on the ground?
2. Integration of climate change risks and adaptation into development policy, planning and operations – how can policies and plans support adaptation over time?
3. Capacity building – how can people be better assisted in becoming equipped for adapting to climate change?
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: Advisory Committee on Protection of the Sea (ACOPS)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Sub-Saharan Africa Summary: * To identify areas, sites or living resources that are either suffering measurable degradation (i.e. hot-spots) or threatened with future degradation (sensitive areas) and to determine, through root-cause analysis, the leading causes of these impacts, taking into consideration scientific, technical and socio-economic factors.
* To design a programme of interventions, including demonstration projects and pre-investment studies, addressing problems of regional priority. Some projects are regional in scope, and focus on groups of countries united by geographic location or identified common problems. Site-specific projects of priority for the participating countries are also included.
* To strengthen existing regional institutions, in particular the Nairobi and Abidjan Conventions, and to establish synergies with relevant programmes and projects.
* To provide a framework for facilitating the mobilization of resources for the sustainable development of the marine and coastal environment, given that available funds for such projects are very limited.
* To produce a self-sustaining model that can be replicated in other regions or thematic areas in order to develop interventions that contribute to the goals of sustainable development. [more]
Lead Partner: The High Institute of Tourism, Hotels and Computer
Geographical Scope: Local Summary: The Alexandria Academy Association For Science (AAAS) is a non-profit non-Governmental organization registered in Alexandria- Egypt for educational and charitable purposes. AAAS is the owner of the High Institute for Tourism, Hotels, and Computer ( HITHC), which was established with the objective of promoting education in community sustainable development. The Institute activities include: education, development of model training programs, applied research, seminars, workshops, academic programs, and university partnerships.
Both AAAS and HITHC are concerned with activities that promote the following aspects:
a) Individual and community social and economical development.
b) Community Service
c) Community self -determination
d) Sustainable Tourism development.
e) Effective natural sources management
f) Poverty eradication
g) Rural development through introducing and promoting countryside tourism. [more]
Lead Partner: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), BIOTRADE Initiative - Andean Community (CAN) - Andean Development Corporation (CAF)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Andean region Summary: The general objectives of the Andean Programme are:
* To promote trade and investment in biological resources in the Andean region with the aim of supporting the objectives of the Andean Biodiversity Strategy and contribute to sustainable development in the region.
* To support the development of 'biotrade' in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela through regional actions that complement the national BIOTADE programmes.
The Andean BIOTRADE programme has the following specific objectives:
* Support the establishment of an adequate institutional economic environment for the development of products and services derived from biodiversity;
* Develop regional activities that promote and facilitate access to bio-businesses to finance;
* Promote the exchange of experiences and good social and environmental practices in bio-businesses within the Andean region and with other regions;
* Coordinate the activities of different partners under the Andean BIOTRADE programme. [more]
Lead Partner: University of Copenhagen - International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Benguela Coastal Region Summary: Harmful micro-algal toxins represent a major threat to public health and marine living resources in the Benguela region. The main objective of this Partnership/initiative is to develop an integrated monitoring program to address the adverse effects of harmful algal blooms through the application of isotopic and classic techniques, in order to contribute to the sustainable development and management of the Benguela marine coastal environment. More specifically:
1. To transfer to Angola, Namibia, and South Africa, the identification/quantification method for toxic phytoplankton and the receptor binding assay (RBA) and related assays technologies for algal toxins.
2. To establish the capability to monitor toxic phytoplankton and to perform receptor assay methods for algal toxins in the Member States laboratories. [more]
Lead Partner: Children and Mothers Welfare Society
Geographical Scope: Regional
- West Asia Summary: The Arab Civil Union for Waste Management Initiative aims to Initiate community - based projects in the field of waste management through the transfer of appropriate technologies, public awareness, initiating and implementing successful pilot projects, the exchange of information and good practices [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Indonesia - Ministry of Forestry - Government of Japan - Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan - The Nature Conservancy (TNC) - Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Asia and the Pacific Summary: Asia Forest Partnership(AFP) promotes sustainable forest management in Asia through addressing the following 5 urgent issues;
- Good governance and forest law enforcement
- Developing capacity for effective forest management
- Control of illegal logging
- Control of forest fires
- Rehabilitation and reforestation of degraded lands
The partnership acts as a catalyst for already existing initiatives by increasing synergies and reducing duplication between programs and ongoing efforts. At this stage the AFP provides a formal framework for the exchange of information and experiences. Beyond strengthening existing programs this will facilitate joint identification of new programs and research needed.
[more]
Lead Partner: National Space Development Agency
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Asia and the Pacific Summary: 1. Training programmes for Asian pacific region at Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) and The National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) have promoted training programmes at AIT on the satellite data analysis and its applications with the participation of various organizations in Asia-Pacific region, especially for developing countries. Training also includes the new application technology of Advanced Earth/Land Observation Satellites of NASDA?which will facilitate and activate the pilot project of Indonesia and Thailand. Caravan type of training so far conducted outside of AIT is also welcomed by developing countries and should not be neglected, but rather, should be emphasized or enhanced, targeted at the promising tele-training in the future.
2. Pilot projects for the use of satellite data in Thailand and Indonesia
The Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency of Thailand (GISTDA) and Thailand and The National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN), Indonesia and NASDA have started pilot projects, with the following objectives:
i. help develop groups of experts in satellite data applications within the administrations of Indonesia and Thailand, especially experts in mapping using satellite data;
ii. help these expert groups to create maps of land use and other factors, for the operational use of each government. [more]
Lead Partner: LEAD Japan Program - LEAD Japan Program
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Asia and the Pacific Summary: LEAD Japan, in association with a consortium of partner institutions, is proposing to instigate a range of activities in the Asia-Pacific Region (and in the South-East Asia, in particular) in order to promote collaborative and policy-oriented research, education and capacity development.
The proposed initiative will encourage extensive cooperation between universities and research institutions in the region with support from diverse funding sources including foundations, international financial organizations and overseas-aid agencies. The focus of these collaborative efforts will encompass issues related to environmental sustainability and multi-level governance (i.e., fostering stronger links between regional, national and local manifestations of governance).
The main objectives of the partnership/initiative include 3 pillars including:
(1) a joint masters degree programme to be developed through a coalition of universities in Asia and Pacific, with a strong online education dimension;
(2) joint research projects with a strong policy orientation to be supported by participating universities, research institutions, NGOs, and international organizations; and
(3) next generation broadcasting to disseminate the outcomes of the joint masters degree programme and joint research projects. [more]
Lead Partner: Center for Environmental Management of Enclosed Coastal Seas
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Asia and the Pacific Summary: The main objectives of the CEACOZ include:
* To identify major trends of environmental changes in Asian coastal zone, such as driving forces, conditions, and response to strategies and measures,
* To establish scientific knowledge base for policy formulation and decision making toward sustainable development in Asia, and
* To create a common platform for scientists, policy makers, NGOs and business enterprises so as to promote dialogues on coastal zone management to develop constructive and cooperative linkages among all of the stakeholders in this region, making full use of a series of the International Conference on the Environmental Management of Enclosed Coastal Seas (EMECS). [more]
Lead Partner: United Nations Volunteers (UNV)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Caribbean SIDS Summary: The main objective of this initiative is to build the organisational management capacity of NGOs and CBOs engaged in Sustainable Development activities in the Caribbean region through providing technical support with National United Nations Volunteers.
The programme ultimately aims to strengthen regional collaboration among the SIDS (where organisational representation may not be found on each individual island), and where it is critical for international partners to coordinate their efforts, while at the same time placing emphasis on building local ownership/partnerships.
The initiative aims to lead to increased participation of civil society and government counterparts in sustainable development initiatives leading to improved conservation management in the areas of biodiversity, international waters, climate change and ozone depletion, together with improved quality of life and opportunities for local communities. [more]
Lead Partner: Jacques Giordano industries
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Partnership aims at encouraging the production, dissemination and use of solar water heaters and solar water heating technology in Developing Countries.
The Partnership aims to achieve the exchange of information on:
* Production and installation practices adapted to developing countries;
* Financial and organisational models (such as the guarantee of solar water production) which favour the dissemination of solar water heating;
* Training material for production, installation and sales technicians;
* Public programmes and policies which favour the dissemination of solar water heating. [more]
Lead Partner: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Development objective: To increase the productivity of water for food and livelihoods, in a manner that is environmentally sustainable and socially acceptable.
The immediate objectives of the Challenge Program on Water and Food:
1. Food security for all at household level.
2. Poverty alleviation, through increased sustainable livelihoods in rural and peri-urban areas.
3. Improved health, through better nutrition, lower agriculture-related pollution and reduced water-related diseases.
4. Environmental security through improved water quality as well as the maintenance of water related ecosystem services, including biodiversity.
These form the four key dimensions in which progress towards the overall goal is measured. [more]
Lead Partner: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The goal of the 'Biofortified Crops for Improved Human Nutrition' Challenge Program is to improve the health of poor people by breeding staple food crops that are rich in micronutrients, a process referred to here as "biofortification." The Biofortification Challenge Program seeks to bring the full potential of agricultural and nutrition science to bear on the persistent problem of micronutrient malnutrition. Micronutrient malnutrition, primarily the result of diets poor in bioavailable vitamins and minerals, affects more than half of the world's population, especially women and preschool children. The costs of these deficiencies in terms of lives lost, forgone economic growth, and poor quality of life are staggering. To reach the Millennium Development Goal's target of halving the proportion of undernourished people by 2015, new technologies and approaches are needed to help address the problem.
The Biofortification Challenge Program will focus on three micronutrients that are widely recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as limiting: iron, zinc, and vitamin A (beta-carotene). Full-time breeding programs are proposed for six staple foods for which feasibility studies have already been completed and which are consumed by the majority of the world's poor in Africa, Asia, and Latin America: rice, wheat, maize, cassava, sweet potatoes, and common beans. Pre-breeding feasibility studies are proposed for eleven additional staples: bananas, barley, cowpeas, groundnuts, lentils, millet, pigeon peas, plantains, potatoes, sorghum, and yams. [more]
Lead Partner: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Capacity 2015 is a new and important initiative. It will build upon experience gained during the ten years since UNCED to help countries to move from strategic planning for sustainable development to effective implementation.
Capacity 2015 is timely and necessary, as it will:
* Help countries to reap the benefits of globalization;
* Ensure that processes of sustainable development put in place during the 1990s are utilized to face the challenges of the 21st century;
* Strengthen the capacities needed to achieve or exceed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The MDGs are a set of integrated and inter-related goals that contribute to sustainable development. Capacity 2015 will provide the enabling capacities to help countries progress towards the MDGs. [more]
Lead Partner: United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) - International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Africa Summary: In preparation for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), and in the framework of the New Partnership for Africa's Development, the partners of this initiative have agreed to jointly develop a capacity building programme on the applications of Information and Communication Technologies for the establishment of Environmental Information Systems for Sustainable Development in Africa.
This partnership aims at initiating a national and sub regional capacity building programme, on the applications of the new information and communication technologies for the establishment of environmental information management and monitoring systems in Africa. It aims at generating adequate conditions for the establishment of a coherent and efficient institutional framework, and the development and appropriation of technological tools for the accessing, exchange and circulation of useful information.
Significant efforts are being made to manage natural resources and the environment, involving scientific and technical research, the implementation of appropriate programmes and projects in the field, and the harnessing of local know-how. The results, in the form of products, information and data, represent a unique scientific, technical and cultural heritage for sustainable development and the fight against poverty in Africa.
However, it has to be recognized that this information heritage is often dispersed on account of sectoral compartmentalization at the inter-institutional level, resulting of an apparent lack of information at the local level which contradicts the existence in reality of an information heritage within national and international institutions or bodies specializing in Africa throughout the world. This loss of "institutional memory" is now recognized as being one of the major obstacles to sustainable development in Africa.
The general objective of this initiative is to provide countries and regional organizations with systems for the validation, circulation and harnessing of relevant environmental information with a view to strengthening the participative approach at the different decision-making and operational levels and thereby promoting enlightened decision-making.
Specific objectives of the partnership are to respond to the needs expressed by a large number of environmental stakeholders in developing countries. As well as being a technological tool, it seeks to encourage the environmental community to share experiences and information heritage, balancing information supply and demand.
This approach aims to create a synergy of both human and financial resources, establishing environmental information systems within national programmes such as national development plans, national environmental action plans, poverty eradication plans, etc. It will also catalyze the development of National and Regional Spatial Data Infrastructures (NSDI and RSDI) for use in planning and decision making for sustainable development [more]
Lead Partner: United Nations Volunteers (UNV) - United Nations Volunteers (UNV)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Volunteerism can play an important role in the development of cities and towns. It adds to the overall economic output. It is also closely related to the formation of social cohesion and capital. In addition, volunteering has important contributions in regard to the social aspects of urban development - e.g. as a basis for participatory processes.
However, contributions by volunteers are still largely overlooked and under-utilized. They are seldom fully recognized, promoted and supported by local authorities and by other urban decision-makers. For example, there are only very few cases of local authorities in developing countries that strongly and widely bring volunteerism on board of their policies and that explore fully its potential. Equally, the local volunteer sector is seldom organized in a fashion that would make the best of itself.
The initiative recognizes the aforementioned facts, and aims at helping to expand the contribution of volunteerism to urban development.
Its objectives are the following:
* To raise the awareness of urban policy- and decision-makers and other local stakeholders about the untapped potential of volunteerism in urban development and to motivate them to concretely explore ways to realise such potential.
* To support interested cities to concretely explore ways to increase the contribution of volunteerism to urban development.
* To support the establishment of links between different cities to exchange experiences and mutual support to further explore the contribution of volunteerism to urban development [more]
Lead Partner: World Business Council for Sustainable Development
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Begun in 1999, the Cement Sustainability Initiative is a contribution of 10 major cement companies working with the WBCSD toward sustainable development. The purpose of the initiative is to:
¿ Explore what sustainable development means for the cement industry
¿ Identify and facilitate actions that companies can take as a group and individually to accelerate the move toward more sustainable practices
¿ Provide a framework through which other cement companies can learn and participate
¿ Provide a framework for engaging external stakeholders
The partnership will extend over a number of years as the cement industry develops, implements, and communicates a series of guidelines and good practices to be applied to the areas of (1) climate change management, (2) use of fuels and raw materials, (3) employee health and safety, (4) emissions reduction, (5) land use and local impacts, and (6) internal business processes. [more]
Lead Partner: Central Asian Interstate Commission on Sustainable Development (ICSD CA), Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia (CAREC)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Central Asia Summary: The Central Asian Initiative (CAI) main goal is building favorable political, institutional, economical, information and other conditions for achieving the sustainable development goals in Central Asia.
The major objectives of the Central Asian Initiative are focused on addressing the problems of poverty, ecosystem degradation, other issues of Agenda 21 and Millenium Declaration.
To address priority environmental, social and economic problems in the sub-region through establishing partner relations between governments and sectors in the process of development and implementation of the Central Asian Sustainable Development Strategy and Convention.
Expected results:
To facilitate resolution of environmental, economic and social problems, including transboundary issues, through joint activities aimed at situation analysis, prioritizing, sub-regional projects and programs, institutional capacity building and training programs. [more]
Lead Partner: Royal Institute of International Affairs (RIIA) - Royal Institute of International Affairs (RIIA)
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Africa Summary: The objectives of the partnership will be discussed and agreed at the initial partnership workshop, to be held in the last quarter of 2002. The overall objective of the partnership is to bring together universities and governments from Africa and other countries, along with intergovernmental organisations, businesses and civil society groups to design and establish a network of Centres of Excellence for Technological Innovation for Sustainability in Africa (CETISA).
The work done by the centres is expected to include world-class sustainable development related scientific and technological research, collaborations with the private sector to bring technologies to market, and the development of integrated technological innovation strategies for meeting the needs of the poor. African stakeholders will lead the process of setting the specific objectives and identifying the priorities for the individual centres, with strong input and support from universities and other institutions with expertise in technological innovation from both Northern and Southern countries.
Building on existing initiatives and networks, the specific objectives of the partnership are to:
Develop a shared analysis of the potential roles that African universities can play in supporting the development and implementation of effective strategies for technological innovation to meet sustainable development needs;
Develop a shared analysis of the current capacity of African universities to contribute to the development of such strategies;
Develop proposals for strengthening the capacity of African universities to support the development and implementation of effective strategies for technological innovation to meet sustainable development needs, through establishing centres of excellence for technological innovation for sustainability in Africa, drawing on best practice models from around the world, and based on participative assessments of technology needs and opportunities;
Improve African universities' access to world-class expertise and best practice on technology research and policy making through creating strong linkages with universities in both developed and developing countries;
Facilitate the development of research partnerships and other collaborations (e.g. staff and student exchanges, joint implementation projects etc.) between African Universities and other universities and expert institutions in both developed and developing countries;
Engage host and donor governments in the design of the centres of excellence, and encourage investment in building the technological capacity of African Universities. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of United States of America - U.S. Enivronmental Protection Agency (USEPA)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Child survival hinges on having the basic needs to support life; among these, a safe and healthy environment is fundamental.However, children everywhere are negatively affected by adverse environmental conditions. Each year, at least 3 million children under age five die due to environment-related illnesses. Acute respiratory infections annually kill an estimated 2 million children under the age of 15 and as much as 60% of acute respiratory infections worldwide are related to environmental conditions. Diarrheal diseases claim the lives of nearly 2 million children every year; 80 to 90 percent of diarrhea cases are relates to environmental conditions, especially contaminated water and inadequate sanitation.
The United States is committed to improving children's health through increased collaboration among governments, non-governmental organizations, inter-governmental organizations, the private sector, communities, and UN agencies to protect children from environmental health threats. These environmental health threats include early childhood exposure to chemicals and toxic substances, unsafe and inadequate quantity of drinking water, lack of sanitation infrastructure and inappropriate hygiene, polluted indoor and outdoor air, and vector-borne diseases.
Such threats may lead to health effects ranging from developmental disorder and perinatal diseases, diarrhoeal diseases, respiratory diseases (e.g. asthma), insect-borne diseases (e.g. malaria) and unintentional injuries.
The goal of this multi-year initiative is to develop and use children's environmental health indicators to improve children's environmental health at global, regional, national and local levels. These indicators are similar to economic indicators and their development and reporting will help fill gaps between information on environment and information on health, putting into focus the special vulnerabilities of children. Ultimately, these indicators will help guide environment, health and development policy. Global children's environmental health indicators are effective tools to:
- Improve the quality of information available in order to facilitate the ability of policy-makers to improve environmental conditions for all children;
- Assess children's environmental health and monitor the success or failure of interventions to address children's environmental health problems; and
- Measure progress and contribute towards the achievement of the Millennium Development goals.
[more]
Lead Partner: Fondation pour la Protection de la Biodiversité (FoProBiM)
Geographical Scope: National Summary: This project will strengthen sorely needed environmental programs in the poorest and most environmentally degraded country in the Western Hemisphere and will empower previously voiceless and resigned community groups and individuals with the needed education and training in order to begin to defend their environmental and economic interests. Through cross-sectoral educational classes (basic marine sciences and conflict resolution), visits between stakeholder groups to strengthening the bonds between various stakeholder partners so they may begin to understand their commonality of interest in protecting and sustainably using area resources, and field activities it will link coastal community stakeholder groups (women¿s groups, farmers, fishers, hoteliers), scientists, and concerned public sector institutions in joint educational and stewardship activities in order to promote the improved management and protection of local watersheds and coastal and marine resources. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Japan - Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. - Government of United States of America - U.S. Enivronmental Protection Agency (USEPA) - CLASP Secretariat - UNDP-GEF - United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) - United Nations Foundation (UNF)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Energy efficiency standards and labels (S&L) for appliances, equipment and lighting are the most cost-effective means to help countries limit energy demand while stimulating economic growth. The overall result of S&L is to reduce required investments in power plants and reduce fuel consumption for their operation with powerful economic gains (e.g., freeing up capital for investments in non-energy social infrastructure like schools, roads or hospitals) and environmental benefits (e.g., avoiding carbon emissions).
CLASP seeks to serve as the primary international voice and resource for policymakers and practitioners of energy efficiency standards and labeling for residential, commercial and industrial equipment and lighting in South and North countries worldwide. It promotes the cost-effective adoption of S&L throughout the world. The overall development objective of CLASP is to transform the manufacture and sale of appliances, equipment and lighting worldwide by the application of energy efficiency standards and labels so that countries develop in a more environmentally sustainable and economically efficient manner. This application engenders several steps including: 1) deciding whether and how to implement energy efficiency standards and labels, 2) developing a testing capability, 3) designing and implementing a labelling program and analysing and setting standards, 4) communicating with all stakeholders, 5) maintaining and enforcing compliance, and 6) evaluating the labelling and standards-setting program.
Worldwide, the use of energy in human activities related to buildings (including use of appliances, equipment and lighting) accounts for 34 percent of total energy consumption.
The direct outputs of the partnership are designed to lead to the adoption of energy efficiency standards and labels in the partner countries. In the process of achieving these outputs the project will build:
* institutional capability for developing, maintaining, and continuously upgrading efficiency standards and labels by providing direct technical assistance in at least 35 developing countries; and
* a network of collaborators around the world with a common mission, bringing attention and high priority to efficiency standards and labels within key development institutions. CLASP is open to all organizations and individuals who have the ability and interest to serve CLASP's mission and are willing to abide by CLASP's published Guiding Principles. CLASP is comprised of a small secretariat and a worldwide assembly of Sponsoring Partners who fund CLASP activities, Country Partners who are the recipients of CLASP services, Implementing Partners who provide CLASP services, and interested stakeholders as Affiliates.
[more]
Lead Partner: WIP Renewable Energies
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Africa Summary: The objective of the Competence Platform on Energy Crop and Agroforestry Systems - Africa (COMPETE) is to stimulate bioenergy implementation in Africa. COMPETE will establish a platform for policy dialogue and capacity building in the major multi- and bi-lateral funding organisations and key stakeholders throughout the bioenergy provision and supply chains.
As global fossil energy resources become constrained, bioenergy is emerging as a major potential resource to supply the energy services currently provided by these fossil fuels. Africa and Latin America have, in theory, very large areas of land resources ‘available’ for bioenergy production. However, the production of biomass for energy on the scales necessary to supply significant shares of national and global energy provision, will result in very substantial impacts (positive and negative) on the ecosystems and cultures of these target regions. The protection of biodiversity, rural livelihoods and management of scarce water resources are critical considerations in any analysis of the potential for sustainable bioenergy provision.
Therefore, a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, assessment of current land use, energy demand and technology innovation focused on Africa, will be carried out to identify pathways for the sustainable provision of bioenergy, which will:
• improve the quality of life and create alternative means of income for the rural population in Africa
• aid the preservation of the critical functions of arid and semi-arid regions in Africa as intact ecosystems
• enhance the equitable exchange of knowledge between EU and developing countries
[more]
Lead Partner: Government of Australia - Department of Environment and Heritage - Government of Japan - Ministry of the Environment - Wetlands International
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Asia and the Pacific Summary: This partnership provides a cooperative framework for conservation of migratory waterbirds and their inland and coastal habitats across the region. The partnership is guided by the Asia-Pacific Migratory Waterbird Conservation Strategy and associated Action Plans for conservation of Anatidae (Ducks, Swans and Geese), Cranes and Shorebirds. Each of these Action Plan calls for recognition of internationally important habitat for the relevant species group through inclusion in 'Site Networks'. The site network concept links internationally important sites across country boundaries and provides for exchange of information and training opportunities. It provides a powerful tool for cooperation to ensure that the chain of sites required by migratory birds along their migration route is conserved.
In order to achieve their potential, the site networks need to include at least 25% of internationally important sites across the migratory flyways. At present the networks include approximately 10% of internationally important sites. The WSSD partnership provides for expansion of the site networks across the region. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Japan - Ministry of the Environment - Conservation International (CI) - The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) - World Bank Group - Global Environment Facility (GEF) - MacArthur Foundation
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Latin America and the Caribbean - Africa - West Asia - Asia and the Pacific Summary: The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) advances the global conservation agenda on several fronts. The objective of the Fund is to serve as a catalyst to create strategic working alliances among diverse groups, combining unique capacities and eliminating duplication of efforts for a comprehensive, coordinated approach to conservation challenges. Investments support such projects as managing of protected areas and coordinating biodiversity corridors; training; transboundary planning; encouraging local dialogue with extractive industries; engaging in conflict resolution; priority setting and consensus building; strengthening indigenous organizations and facilitating partnerships between the private sector and protected areas. [more]
Lead Partner: International Sri Deep Madhavananda Ashram Fellowship - Sri Vishwa Deep Gurukul Maheshwarananda Ashram
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Desert Rainwater Harvesting Initiative aims to provide a sustainable source of fresh water for rural communities through a number of innovative strategies designed to promote traditional rainwater harvesting technologies. Through the creation of culturally appropriate rainwater harvesting technologies for rural village communities throughout Rajasthan, the Desert Rainwater Harvesting Initiative will provide a global model for other semi-arid and drought affected regions of the world.
The Rainwater Harvesting activities started as a small scale project to construct a basic rainwater reservoir and provide water delivery via tanker to a few drought affected communities near one of the lead partners "Education and Research Centre's" in the Jadan region of Rajasthan. With the drought extending into its fourth year, it was soon realised through discussion with villagers and from increasing requests for water solutions in communities throughout the wider Rajasthan region that this was an issue on a much larger scale in urgent need of attention.
Objectives:
- Providing a sustainable source of clean drinking water - Water for agriculture to guarantee reliable locally produced food - Improved community health, (by reducing the level of waterborne diseases) - Industry (stimulate sustainable economic growth through a revival of the water dependant agricultural industries) - Improved local environment - (Reforestation, soil conservation, ground water recharge, protection of biodiversity) -
- The combination of providing a range of culturally appropriate rainwater harvesting technologies together with a Village Water Action Plan can be used as a model for drought affected communities throughout India and in other parts of the globe. The Desert Rainwater Harvesting Initiative will form part of a global sustainable development initiative that includes:
- To promote an awareness of the unique challenges faced by rural desert communities in developing nations that stimulates active support from Western countries including financial support, manpower, and the provision of expert advice. Partner organizations will hold regular fundraising initiatives to raise funds for this and related projects. [more]
Lead Partner: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
Geographical Scope: National Summary: The main objective of this partnership is to design and demonstrate the application of a systematic and comprehensive approach for developing Country Profiles on Sustainable Energy Development (CPSEDs). Country leaders, policymakers and energy analysts are faced with the major challenge of assessing their energy systems within a sustainable development framework. Projects, plans, programs and policies need to be developed in a comprehensive manner taking into consideration not only economic issues but also social and environmental impacts as well as institutional and infrastructure requirements. The assessment represents a dynamic exercise in which country experts review past and current energy development and trends while exploring, at the same time, consistent images of future scenarios consonant with their specific sustainable development criteria and goals. This partnership initiative is a first attempt to produce such a comprehensive assessment.
While the CPSED approach could be applied to any country, the initial demonstration phase is being conducted in Brazil, Cuba and South Africa. In Brazil, the IAEA is working with CENBIO from the University of Sao Paulo and COPPE from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. In Cuba, the IAEA is working with CUBAENERGIA and in South Africa with the Energy Research Center of the University of Cape Town. International organizations cooperating in this partnership include UNDESA, OLADE and ECLAC.
At the national level, the partnerships are resulting in an overall assessment of the energy systems of participating countries, a review of potential future energy demand and supply scenarios and the definition of a comprehensive set of sustainable energy strategies specifically designed to help policy makers pursue their sustainable energy development objectives. Indicators for sustainable energy development (ISED) are being used to monitor each country's progress towards meeting national development goals.
Research and governmental organizations will have increased expertise in using energy planning tools and evaluation methodologies for the integrated assessment of energy systems and corresponding strategies and programs. The modelling framework and guidelines developed will permit other countries to construct systematically their country profiles on sustainable energy development.
[more]
Lead Partner: Gender & Water Alliance
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: This partnership will be starting off with the development of modules, which will be tested in the regions before finalisation. Once finalised we will continue with Training of trainers in 4 language regions (English, Spanish, Portuguese and French) who will then in turn continue these services at the regional and country level. In the beginning, experts will develop the various modules. The partnership shall include organisations who would like to participate in the Training of trainers and continue as resource centres for the GWA when the trainings move to the countries and regions.
Goals
* Build capacity of GWA members and their partners for mainstreaming gender in IWRM
* Introduction and use of new methods, tools and materials for gender mainstreaming
* Building partnership with other stakeholders to mainstream gender
* Adjust and tailor make new methods, tools and materials for specific use of other stakeholders - e.g. local governments, private sector, TU, industry etc. for mainstreaming gender [more]
Lead Partner: La Plate-Forme pour le Commerce Equitable
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Europe and North America - Africa Summary: After decades of implementation and maturation as well as entirely positive development over the past several years, it is now necessary to move on to the sales volume growth phase, since we know that fair trade is driven by downstream demand, i.e. that increasing the numbers of producers who benefit from this type of trade depends directly on market growth.
Targeted at developing a trade structure capable of delivering higher and more stable incomes for producers, this project improves living conditions in those communities that benefit from it, contributes to strengthening the way these producers organize themselves and helps democratize the way such organizations are run. It is totally consistent with a strategy of reducing inequality and combating poverty in the context of sustainable development built around humanity and effective management of resources.
The project has two interlinked objectives:
- to increase the market shares held by fair trade products in the French consumer market;
- and therefore to increase the number of African producers involved in fair trade.
The project hinges on expanding the market for fair trade goods in France, thus increasing the number of producers in African countries.
There already exists a wide range of fair trade products which are either organized or in the process of being organized, but which lack outlets. Equally, there is strong consumer demand, but the difficulty lies in being able to convert this desire into the act of purchasing. The main underlying cause of this problem is the weakness of distribution networks. The project therefore proposes to concentrate on bringing these networks to life. [more]
Lead Partner: The World Conservation Union (IUCN)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: There is high demand for information on environmental law. Various Governing Council decisions of UNEP recognise the need to make this information available and accessible, a task now included in the Montevideo Programme, adopted by UNEP/GC in 2001 and endorsed thereafter by UN/GA. Linguistic barriers must be overcome. The information is fragmented and changing constantly as new laws are being drafted and entering into force.
The objective of this ongoing initiative is to increase access to authoritative information on environmental law by establishing a single gateway on the Internet (ECOLEX) and publishing a range of products on specific topics.
The main beneficiaries will be policy-makers in developing countries and countries in transition. Policy-makers drafting new legislation have a need to obtain information on the law (national and international) existing in relevant thematic areas in other countries. NGOs, academics and advocacy groups are also important beneficiaries.
Business and industry also need information on environmental law in particular on legal mechanisms dealing with waste, pollution and EIA, etc [more]
Lead Partner: Kent State University
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Middle East: Euphrates-Tigris Basin Summary: ETIC is a riparian initiative that aims to effectively facilitate cooperation for technical, social and economically sustainable development within the Euphrates-Tigris system and in the riparian countries. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of European Community - European Commission, Directorate General Environment
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The initiative provides a platform for strategic partnerships to implement the programmes of action for the WSSD and to contribute to meeting the Millennium Development Goals on water. Under the initiative, the EU seeks to work with its partners to:
* Reinforce political will and commitment to action
The global water crisis is not on the agenda of many political leaders of the world. The initiative seeks to support governments in understanding the links between water, poverty and sustainable development and to help translate this into firm commitments for action. In particular, the initiative seeks to provide a mechanism to develop joint action plans to implement the programmes of action of the WSSD.
* Make water governance effective and build institutional capacity
Making water governance effective is an essential step in supporting healthy and productive lives and safe-guarding the environment. The initiative seeks to promote better water governance arrangements and good practice centred on the principles of integrated water resources management. Capacity to plan, manage and implement programmes of action at all levels is central to achieving the desired outcomes and the initiative seeks to build capacity by providing expertise and knowledge and by facilitating access to information. Research co-operation should form an import part of such these activities.
* Improve co-ordination and co-operation
A vast range of water-related activities are currently underway or planned but their inter-relationship is not always apparent. The initiative seeks to provide a platform to co-ordinate and streamline activities and to establish multi-stakeholder processes to bring partners together, including south-south collaboration and co-operation. The initiative seeks to support regional and sub-regional activities where clear commitment to collaboration exists. As a contribution to peace and security it seeks specifically to support the build-up of river basin organisations and to assist in the development and application of river basin approaches in transboundary waters.
* Increase the efficiency of existing EU aid flows
Meeting the Millennium Development Goals will require considerable financing efforts and although no exact estimates are available it is evident there is a major financing gap. The initiative seeks to make the most of available funds and to increase the effectiveness of existing and future EU aid flows. It seeks to use official development assistance as a lever for other forms of finance, including user finance and private finance, and to encourage the development of innovative funding mechanisms to create higher efficiencies. It also seeks to finance water projects with a particular focus on meeting the needs of poor customers and a sustainable environment. [more]
Lead Partner: Earth Charter Youth Initiative, Earth Charter International
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Vision
From Earth Charter International Council, October 2006:
“We envision the Earth Charter becoming the most widely shared ethical framework for sustainable living and exercising a growing influence on human affairs.
We envision recognition and endorsement of the Earth Charter by an ever-increasing number of national and international institutions, including UN agencies, leading to the embrace of the Earth Charter by the United Nations General Assembly.
We envision individuals, organizations, businesses, governments, and multilateral institutions throughout the world adopting the values and principles of the Earth Charter and working collaboratively to build just, sustainable, and peaceful communities.”
ECYI Goal:
Inspire hope within and through the Earth Charter Youth Initiative (ECYI) and support this global youth network in embodying, promoting, and applying the principles of the Earth Charter.
ECYI Objectives:
1. Raise awareness of the Earth Charter among key youth leaders and networks.
2. Grow, empower, and support Earth Charter Youth Groups (ECYGs) that are engaged in local action projects.
3. Facilitate the engagement of ECYI members in global sustainable development decision-making processes. [more]
Lead Partner: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - European Space Agency (ESA)
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Africa Summary: The TIGER-SHIP partnership aims at developing sustainable earth observation information services for integrated water resources management in developing countries, with a particular focus on Africa as special contribution to the NEPAD/AMCOW process and the achievement of WSSD goals.
Specific Objectives include:
* To establish a network of multidisciplinary experts and institutions for the identification and definition of space technology applications and contribution to the sustainable water resources management in Africa.
* To promote the integrated assessments of water resources availability and use in Africa.
* To identify several case studies and support multidisciplinary experts teams to conduct detailed projects in Africa.
* To learn, from case studies the issues relevant to sound management of surface and groundwater resources in Africa.
* To raise the awareness of policy and decision makers of the significance and importance of space technology for water resources management.
* To set up training facilities and disseminate the lessons learnt from case studies.
* To contribute to the improvement of the socio-economic situations of African countries.
* To contribute to the formulation of strategies to cope with water scarcity.
* To develop a pre-operational information services on water resources management in Africa using space technology. [more]
Lead Partner: Earth Charter Center on Education for Sustainable Development
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: General goal
"To provide education and training for local leaders and communities regarding the fundamental principles of sustainable development, and how to incorporate these principles into decision making processes. The Earth Charter will be employed as the primary educational instrument in this process. Toward this end the Earth Charter will be integrated into professional training and community development programs as a guiding framework for implementing sustainable development."
Specific objectives
Train community development leaders in utilising the Earth Charter as an educational tool for educational reform towards a more just, sustainable and peaceful world;
Integrate the Earth Charter into the curriculum of education systems;
Develop new curricular and educational materials that use the Earth Charter as the framework for understanding and promoting sustainable development. [more]
Lead Partner: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: - Building awareness on the importance of Education for rural people as a crucial step to achieve the Millennium goals of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education , gender equity and sustainable natural resources management
- Contributing to achieve the Education for All goals,
- Overcoming the urban/rural gap in education.
- Increasing access to basic Education for Rural People
- Improving the quality of basic Education for Rural People
- Fostering the national capacity to plan and implement ERP as part of National Education for All and Rural Development Plans.
- Building awareness on the importance of ERP as a crucial step to achieve all the Millennium Development Goals, and particularly, eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education and promoting gender equity.
[more]
Lead Partner: Government of Finland - Ministry for Foreign Affairs - Sistema de la Integracion Centroamericana (SG-SICA)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Central America Summary: The main objective of the Partnership is to promote the use of renewable energy sources and clean technologies in Central America in a sustainable manner, and to make energy services more accessible to the poor, particularly to those in rural areas.
Increased utilisation of renewable energy in the national and local energy mix, introduction of new energy and environmental technologies, utilisation of CDM potential, better energy sector management and increased access to energy services are the expected results of the Partnership. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Australia - Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional South Pacific Summary: This partnership developed from the SPREP Pacific Meteorological Services Needs Analysis Project. project aims to strengthen the capacity of Pacific island countries in climate prediction. It includes Fiji, Tonga, Cook Islands, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Solomon Is, Kiribati and Niue. The project aims to upgrade the National Meteorological Services of participating island countries to enable them to provide better climate prediction support to industry government and the people of the Pacific island region. It will provide PC-based stand-alone statistical climate prediction services that are tailored to clients planning needs. [more]
Lead Partner: The World Conservation Union (IUCN), Environmental Law Programme
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Effective implementation will not occur without capacity building and 'good governance'. This initiative provides a framework for environmental law capacity building for sustainable development at all levels, one that serves to forge links between existing institutions and processes, and to facilitate 'good governance' for sustainable development.
The long term objective of this initiative is: 'In every country governments and stakeholders have the capacity to actively participate in the international policy debate, to implement what is agreed through co-ordinated policies, laws and institutions that respect the rule of law and to ensure effective compliance.'
To be effective, such a programme requires global coordination, regional and national delivery and effective collaboration through a partnership of leading international, regional and national organizations.
IUCN's Environmental Law Programme is the world's oldest and largest environmental law network. It has the ability to mobilise and co-ordinate the efforts of the best environmental lawyers and organisations from countries all over the world. This includes a rich network of partners drawn from UN agencies, IGOs, NGOs and academic instiutions, in addition to the 900 volunteers in 130 countries who comprise the IUCN Commission on Environmental Law.
The development of this co-ordinated programme provides a context within which to develop and promote specific projects, including ECOLEX, the web based access to FAO, IUCN, and UNEP environmental law and policy information, the IUCN International Academy on Environmental Law, and targeted publications and training projects.
This partnership programme for capacitiy building integrates the broad suite of partnerships that comprise the IUCN Environmental Law Programme, with a view to achieving maximum leverage and to get resources 'on the ground' as effectively and efficiently as possible. Identified partners (other than the IUCN CEL, ELC and Academy) are involved in specific projects rather than the entire initiative ie FAO, IUCN and UNEP re ECOLEX.
[more]
Lead Partner: ICLEI International Training Centre (ITC)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The program aims to build capacity at the local government level for implementation / application of Environmental Management Systems (EMS) as effective and strategic tools for improving the (local) environment in order to achieve tangible impacts and improvements through municipal activities.
The partnership comprises a middle- and long-term strategy for motivating, training and supporting local governments to use and implement EMS. The focus is given on making implementation happen. In addition, this program supports good governance, local sustainable development and stakeholder involvement.
* Initiate a global strategy for implementing Environmental Management Systems in local governments.
* Support local governments world-wide to succeed in implementation and application of Environmental Management Systems.
* Set up a global training and guidance program that offers support throughout the entire process of EMS implementation i.e. accompanying measures over a longer period of time ('handhold approach'). [more]
Lead Partner: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The new five-year program of the Equator Initiative is based on seven core activities:
1) sponsoring the biennial Equator Prize that recognizes sustainable community innovation in the tropics and which will next be awarded at a high-profile ceremony in Malaysia in early 2004, 2) offering learning exchange grants so that grassroots practitioners can share their best practices with other communities in the tropics, 3) eco-entrepreneur mentoring to provide business and financial advice for small sustainable business startups, 4) assisting people and protected areas where communities balance generating sustainable livelihoods with conserving the biodiversity in or near World Heritage Sites, 5) making the community to policy connection by linking local sustainable development innovations with policies that affect them, and advocating to ensure these communities have the input, political support and funding that their contribution warrants, 6) fostering research and learning by enlisting networks of scholars and experts to use community best practices to inform policy and development priorities, and 7) mounting a global public awareness campaign to raise the profile of sustainable communities in donor countries and encourage adoption of community best practices in developing regions. [more]
Lead Partner: Global Water Partnership (GWP)- Mediterranean
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Mediterranean Summary: The majority of the population in the Mediterranean countries (particularly in the South and East) lives in rapidly expanding cities, with considerable proportions being at the lowest income brackets. In their everyday life, a large part of the urban population suffers from water quality and quantity inadequacies, serious sanitation problems and their dwellings are frequently endangered by natural disasters (e.g. floods). These problems are in turn responsible for improper livelihood conditions, serious deterioration of their health as well as the social and natural environment.
However, at present, many major water programmes fail to consider the needs of the poor and their contribution to poverty alleviation is by far less than it could be if proper provisions are build in during the design phase.
The Euro-Mediterranean Water and Poverty Facility (WPF) aims to:
- Assist in improving the livelihoods of poor people in urban areas of the Mediterranean, particularly in relation to water and sanitation
- Contribute in designing guidelines on social performance of water pricing
- Develop guidelines and expertise in order to facilitate the integration of poverty reduction components in major water projects of the region
- Develop functional tripartite initiatives to facilitate regional and national investment on water and poverty.
Key dimensions to be addressed by the WPF are: improving livelihoods, improving health, mitigating vulnerability of the poor under extraordinary conditions and events such as disasters related to water (e.g. floods).
The WPF will not handle or manage funding but it will elaborate, in collaboration with both donors and recipient partners and the competent authorities and bodies, common strategies and action plans and will support implementation mechanisms with the participation of a wide range of stakeholders. In addition, it will act as a multiplier for sustainable investment in the water sector securing, in parallel, to the extent possible, the introduction of poverty reduction components in water projects -particularly those financed by European sources. Finally, it may act as a match-maker between the supply and demand side in projects targeting water supply and sanitation for the urban poor. [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: Mata Amritanandamayi Mata (MA Math) - Mata Amritanandamayi Mata (MA Math) - Mata Amritanandamayi Math (MA Math)
Geographical Scope: Local Summary: The Farmers' Empowerment Project aims at helping the poorest farmers (and their families) in India gain economic security through sustainable practices and diversifying their means of support.
Specifically, the Farmers' Empowerment Project seeks to reduce the suicide rate among poor Indian farmers suffering from debt and crop failure in the states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnatika through providing scholarships for educating children, vocational training for women and helping the farmers make the transition to more sustainable practices.
[more]
Lead Partner: Government of Australia - Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources - Government of Mexico - Secretaria de Energia
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Asia and the Pacific Summary: The United Nations Economic and Social Councils notes that:
"Access to energy is crucial to economic and social development, and alleviation of poverty. Improving accessibility of energy implies finding ways and means by which energy services can be delivered reliably, affordably and in an environmentally sound and socially acceptable manner, particularly in meeting the energy requirements of developing countries, including their rural areas."
"Furthermore, accessibility of energy is conditioned by security of supply and demand as well as by market stability, all of which need to be addressed in terms of their regional and international dimensions, which include cross-border energy transport infrastructure, storage and shipment by tankers."
The EWG has long noted that ongoing initiatives must demonstrate added value in the context of the World Summit. As such, new partnership initiatives to be undertaken by the EWG, in the context of its ongoing activities, are particularly influenced by the need to improve accessibility to energy and the security of energy supplies.
In consideration of the challenges to improving accessibility to energy, and in response to the directives of APEC Energy Ministers, the EWG will pursue new initiatives to:
(a) Undertake longer-term actions to improve regional energy security
(b) Advance regional energy security through short-term actions
(c) Improve access to energy by addressing the barriers to the interconnection of power grids between APEC member economies
(d) Address sustainability through practical responses that encompass burning fuels more cleanly, capture and geological sequestration of carbon dioxide, the use of new and renewable energy technologies, and improving energy efficiency
(e) Explore new mechanisms for working more closely with international financial institutions to facilitate infrastructure development within the APEC region.
These activities will complement the EWG's ongoing efforts to diversify its energy mix, improve energy efficiency, deploy new and renewable energy technologies, promote clean energy, facilitate energy business and trade, improve data collection and information sharing and encourage private investment through policy and regulatory reform. [more]
Lead Partner: Global Alliance - Global Alliance for Building Sustainability
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Global Alliance for Building Sustainability was formed to accelerate the achievement of sustainable development in the land, property, construction and development sectors. The focus of GABS' work is on building and strengthening partnerships between policy makers and practitioners to promote participation and learning amongst the many stakeholders involved in these sectors.
Our shared vision is:
To create an operating environment throughout the four sectors of land, property, construction and development in which practitioners are enabled, and able, to implement partnerships, processes and practices that deliver sustainable development.
Key Objectives
* To bring together a truly global alliance of organisations committed and signed-up to actions for sustainable development. GABS members will sign-up to a Charter document.
* To provide a platform and communications hub for GABS members:
o To enhance their ability to work in partnership and promote their efforts with other stakeholders.
o To facilitate wider access to existing information, research, guidance, tools and best practice publications developed by member organisations and international agencies
o To create a global learning network through building partnerships that contribute to sustainable development across the 4 sectors
* To develop a set of tools and guidance material aimed at policy makers and practitioners to enhance working environments and partnership practices across the 4 sectors
* To develop a compendium of good practice examples of stakeholders working in partnership
* To establish performance benchmarks relating partnership practices and sustainable development to performance indicators for business, environment, government and communities
* To provide a platform for practitioners in land, property, construction and development to contribute to the World Summit for Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, 26 August - 4 September 2002)
* To provide a mechanism for ongoing progress to be monitored and reported to international agencies, national, regional and local governments, communities and business
* To develop a business plan for self-reliance in 18 months through a series of activities [more]
Lead Partner: World Bank Group
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: This public-private Partnership supports the petroleum industry and national governments in their efforts to reduce the flaring of gas. The Initiative aims to supplement and strengthen efforts already underway, by mobilizing the petroleum industry, national governments, and development agencies in joint actions.
At this early stage of the Partnership, the Bank, in addition to the general global work of enhancing knowledge on gas flaring, disseminating best practices and developing standards, is in the process of identifying a number of specific countries where gas-flaring reduction is possible through a coordinated effort with the industry, and plans to ensure the cooperation from governments and national oil companies.
The Partnership intends to identify ways to overcome the barriers that currently inhibit flaring reduction investments through practicable and economic solutions, aiming to:
1. Improve the legal and regulatory framework for investments in flaring reductions
2. Improve international market access for gas
3. Provide Technical Assistance to develop domestic markets for flared gas
4. Develop financing mechanisms for gas flaring reduction projects
5. Disseminate information, including on international "best practices"
6. Promote the local small-scale use of gas (including LPG schemes) in areas where gas is now flared [more]
Lead Partner: International Association of Universities - International Association of Universities - COPERNICUS-CAMPUS - University Leaders for a Sustainable Future (ULSF) - University Leaders for a Sustainable Future (ULSF)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The partnership will achieve the following general objectives:
1. Promote better understanding, and more effective implementation of strategies for the incorporation of sustainable development in universities and other higher education institutions. Emphasis is put on the need for interdisciplinary approaches to teaching and research.
2. Identify, share and disseminate widely effective strategies, models and good practices for promoting higher education for sustainable development (HESD).
3.Make recommendations on HESD in consultation with key Northern and Southern stakeholders.
4. Work closely with the UN system to develop and implement this joint action plan addressed to achieve common goals; and analyse and evaluate this experience as an international demonstration project. [more]
Lead Partner: Sustainable Development International (SDI) - United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/Iraq
Geographical Scope: National Summary: Goal: To have a sustainable, stable and prosperous Iraq where all present and future generations can live in peace and harmony with other nations and where all resources are utilised in a sustainable manner catering to the well-being of Iraq’s current and future generations and ecosystems.
Objectives:
1. Promotion of the formulation of Iraq National Sustainable Development Strategy (INSDS) document for Iraq.
2. Effective cooperation mechanism among relevant stakeholders, including public authorities, intergovernmental organisations, private sector, including small and large businesses; local and international NGOs, children, youth and women's groups, labour organisations, UN agencies, and others working in the field of sustainable development.
3. Promotion of knowledge building, awareness, networking and partnerships among relevant groups of Iraqi Society about sustainable development;
4. Promotion of a problem-solving applied research programme at the national and local levels;
5. Promotion and contribution to the formulation, development and implementation of a National Sustainable Development Strategy Framework (NSDSF) for Iraq,
6. Promotion of Sectoral Sustainable Development Strategies (SSDS) at the national and local levels;
7. Development and Implementation of Poverty Alleviation Strategy;
8. Promotion of an Environmentally Sound Technology Plan for Iraq,
9. Establishment and promotion of an Integrated Pilot schemes package for the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Iraq that could be funded by donor countries, including education, health, clean energy, agriculture, housing, and capacity building;
10. Establishment of a Sustainable Iraqi Community Fund (SIrCoF) to contribute to the sustainable reconstruction and development of Iraq;
11. Establishment of intensive sustainable development capacity-building activities, including a comprehensive capacity building/development programme that should complement the on-going similar activities undertaken by public and private agencies in Iraq, as well as benefiting from other programmes such as the UNDP Capacity 2015.
[more]
Lead Partner: Alliance to End Childhood Lead Poisoning
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The purpose of the Global Lead Initiative is to achieve the expeditious completion of global leaded gasoline phase-out and to reduce and eliminate other exposure sources according to a partnership process with specific milestones and targets. The Global Lead Initiative would translate the many existing international commitments on leaded gasoline phase-out and lead
poisoning prevention into concrete action aimed at eliminating environmental lead hazards. Actions will be developed based on the successful model provided by the Summit of the Americas Partnership for Pollution Prevention and on the principles of the Alliance's International Action Plan for Preventing Lead Poisoning.
The goal of the Global Lead Initiative is to catalyze expedited completion of leaded gasoline phase-out and to identify and eliminate other exposure sources, by achieving the following objectives:
Institute a partnership process for implementation and monitoring, including the development of specific milestones and targets;
Build on progress and lessons learned by highlighting "best practices," models of successful implementation of phase-out and prevention, in each region;
Coordinate disparate projects, technical assistance programs, and other efforts being carried out by UN agencies, national governments, and NGOs, to avoid duplication of efforts; and Maximize the benefits of phase-out and prevention by linking efforts to related environmental health objectives, such as clean fuels and healthy housing. [more]
Lead Partner: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The objective of the Global Network on Energy for Sustainable Development (GNESD) is to make it easier for Members to contribute to the provision of environmentally sound energy services underpinning sustainable development. The Network does so by supporting amongst its Members information exchange, learning, analysis and study, policy support, and capacity building.
Results expected include:
1. A network of energy/development/environment institutions in developing, transition, and industrialised countries that increases contact and co-operation between relevant institutions/agencies and financing bodies, and national and regional experts on a range of energy for sustainable development topics.
2. A general strengthening of all Members in their ability to acquire, assimilate, and apply existing knowledge and experiences made available through the Network.
3. Provision of quality advisory services by Network Member institutions to public and private sector decision-makers on a range of energy for sustainable development issues, resulting in better, more informed energy policies and decisions that support the wider goals of sustainable development.
4. Improved understanding of the links between sustainable energy and other development and environment priorities, and technology and policy options, leading to better articulation of practical policies that can be adopted, so as to promote energy for sustainable development, and
5. Changes in policies and programmes of governments and their development co-operation partners, and private sector investments, so that these favour energy for sustainable development approaches. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Australia - Bureau of Meteorology Research Centre
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: To establish and sustain ocean data gathering, analysis and predictive systems for the marine environment, accessible to all nations, providing safer and more efficient ocean operations, improved safety and risk management in the marine environment and coastal seas, as well as an improved scientific and information basis for marine and ocean policy development.
The Project will establish a practical and effective approach to providing routine ocean services, supported through the initiatives and technology of developed nations, but delivering products that are widely accessible and of benefit to all coastal states. Products for the open ocean and coastal regions will contribute to and benefit marine ecosystem management, coastal ocean services and warnings, and safety and risk management for the oceans. GODAE will demonstrate the benefits of a cooperative, integrated approach to development of sustained infrastructure that can be shared and exploited by all nations. Coastal states will have immediate access to data and model interpretations of ocean currents and ocean conditions, much as is the case for weather prediction. Through 2003-2005, GODAE will demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of an integrated approach to oceans issues and provide a framework for informed decision-making and policy development. Ongoing and timely access to relevant information will enable early detection of environmental changes and reduce the uncertainties associated with management of the marine environment. [more]
Lead Partner: United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) - United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) -Technical Focal Point
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The goal of the WSSD GHS Partnership is to mobilize support and catalyze partnerships for coordinated activities at the global, regional and national levels to strengthen capacities in developing countries and countries in transition towards effective implementation of the GHS. In the medium and long-term, the Partnership is expected to lead to a decrease in environmental and human health related effects attributable to the use of hazardous chemicals. It thus makes a direct contribution to important objectives of sustainable development including protection of marginalized groups, protection of water supplies and drinking water, and poverty eradication.Specific objectives of the Partnership include mobilization of resources for:
* awareness raising, capacity assessment and GHS implementation at the regional level;
* awareness raising, capacity assessment and GHS implementation at the national level; and
* development of GHS guidance, training and resource material. [more]
Lead Partner: Energy Sector Management Assistance Program - United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: GVEP brings together developing and industrialized country governments, public and private organisations, multilateral institutions, NGOs, civil society organizations, consumers, and others to increase access to energy services for those unserved and underserved in a manner that enhances economic and social development, and reduces poverty.
GVEP objectives are fourfold:
· To catalyse country commitments to energy for poverty reduction projects and programmes, and to guide policies and investment in this area.
· To bridge the gap between investors, entrepreneurs, and customers in the design, installation, and operation of replicable rural and peri-urban energy projects.
· To serve as a one-stop-shop for information, best practices, and lessons learned on the effective development and implementation of energy for poverty reduction projects and programmes.
· To create and maintain an effective Global Village Energy Partnership organisational structure.
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Lead Partner: Government of Indonesia - Ministry of Environment
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Asia and the Pacific Summary: In a global village where we live at present, it is in everyone's interest that any society ideally meets the above-mentioned conditions. However, some societies have difficulties achieving those conditions, despite their best effort to actively seek and work towards these goals. On the other hand, some societies have the capability and means to assist other because of their experience, working knowledge, as well as available resources. Therefore, a proactive effort to achieve such conditions should becomes prime vehicle for global cooperation. The objective of Good Governance in Sustainable Development (GGSD) Program is to assist societies to develop on effective government within a democratic system, and to implement sustainable development principles through global partnership
Objectives:
To enhance local implementation actions of the Rio Resolutions and Agenda 21 for real progress towards sustainable development
To assist societies to develop an effective government within a democratic system and to implement sustainable development principles through global partnerships by way of:
1. Empowering the public to enable them to effectively participate in decision making for public interest and to undertake local initatives;
2. Developing and strengthening good governance at the local level;
3. Developing the capacity of public and the government at the local level to cooperate in increasing welfare of the people. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Canada - International Development Research Centre (IDRC) - The Inter Islamic Network on Water Resources Development and Management (INWRDAM)
Geographical Scope: Regional
- West Asia Summary: Main goal: To legitimize the safe use of treated greywater in urban and peri-urban agriculture and to validate its use as a water demand management strategy
Specific objectives:
- To increase greywater recovery and make it more convenient and safe to handle To expand implementation of greywater treatment and use systems in the region
- To improve gardening/permaculture practices
- To strengthen local capacity to safely and efficiently reuse greywater for urban agriculture
- To promote changes in policies to encourage greater greywater reuse in the participating countries
- To minimize environmental impacts associated with greywater reuse and ascertain whether greywater treatment is necessary and cost-effective
- To strengthen the regional network that is forming between projects
- To evaluate the impacts of the project by conducting post-project evaluations
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Lead Partner: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), GPA Coordination Office
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The H20 Partnership aims to further the environmental, economic and social importance of oceans, coasts, and islands, and to facilitate the realization of the Montreal commitment by governments to mitigate water pollution and resource degradation from the hilltops to the oceans.
The overall objectives of the H20 Partnership include:
* To facilitate Governments and the international community recognition of the linkages between the freshwater and marine environments and to foster closer collaboration and partnerships between river basin authorities and coastal managers since action must be taken on land to reduce, remediate and prevent pollution and degradation of the coastal and marine environment.
* To assist countries and regions in making better use of existing domestic resources and in raising new and additional financing, particularly within the context of the regional seas
* To assist countries and regions in evaluating alternative options for funding projects that address priority problems of river, coastal and marine pollution.
* To assist Governments and intergovernmental organisations in identifying opportunities for effective partnerships, including through the establishment of specific cooperative activities, alliances and networks with financial institutions.
* To assist the public sector in involving the private sector and the civil society in addressing priority problems of river, coastal and marine pollution.
* To involve civil society further in the implementation of the Global Programme of Action Wastewater Emission Targets (WET) [more]
Lead Partner: International Labour Organization(ILO) Programme on HIV/AIDS
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Caribbean Summary: The aim of this project is the prevention of HIV/AIDS among workers and in the world of work, the enhancement of workplace protection and the reduction of the adverse consequences of the epidemic on social, labour and economic development in the Caribbean. This will be achieved in part by:
* contributing to the overall objective of reducing the rate of spread of HIV in the Caribbean;
* developing a comprehensive, co-ordinated, sustained and strategic response to the impact of HIV/AIDS on the world of work in the Caribbean, established through the involvement of the social partners;
* providing a better understanding of the implications of the HIV/AIDS epidemic for the world of work in the Caribbean;
* mobilising and building the capacity of government (with more involvement of Ministries of Labour), employers' and workers' organisations as well as persons living with HIV/AIDS to educate, discuss, raise awareness, develop and implement policies and programmes on HIV/AIDS;
* reducing stigma and discrimination and improving the care and support for those living with HIV/AIDS among job seekers, workers and their families;
* increasing competence to develop proposals concerning the financial costs of the epidemic and to assess the impact of HIV/AIDS for the social security system. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Canada - Environment Canada
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The overall goal of the Health and Environment Linkages Initiative is to facilitate and enhance effective actions to reduce adverse environmental impacts on human health. The goals of the initiative can be defined as:
1) defining the specific requirements of decision-makers in environment and health particularly in developing countries;
2) making the necessary scientific information accessible to decision-makers;
3) adapting existing methodologies that support decision-making, so they are applicable in a range of settings;
4) training decision-makers and their support staff to use decision-support tools
5) carrying out pilot studies to gain hands-on detailed information, and to test and refine the tools developed; and,
6) support all phases of the initiative by communicating HELI's aims, activities and outputs, as well as relevant knowledge and experience gained, via appropriate media and media aids including the production and dissemination of a tool kit in both printed and electronic formats.
The tool kit would provide practitioners with comprehensive and accessible guidelines on how to reach evidence-based decision on issues with a potential health and environment linkage, and how to evaluate relevant outcomes. [more]
Lead Partner: Healthy Environments for Children Alliance Secretariat- World Health Organisation (WHO) - World Health Organization
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: HECA'S DRAFT MISSION STATEMENT: A world-wide alliance to intensify global action on environmental risks to children's health that arise from the settings where they live, learn, play and sometimes work, by providing knowledge, increasing political will, mobilizing resources, and catalysing intense and urgent action.
The aim of HECA is to build a global alliance to tackle key environment and poverty-related risks to children's health that are responsible for the loss of millions of healthy years of life each year. The Alliance will focus on, and catalyse action within the environments where children spend their time (i.e., the home, the school, and the community). Particular attention will be given to improving the home environment - traditionally neglected - but where children spend a major part of their young lives, and where the most significant health threats converge. In each setting, the alliance will focus on health risks associated with lack of access to clean water, to sanitation and to clean indoor air and outdoor air. It will also act to reduce risks associated with disease vectors, hazardous chemicals, and non-intentional injuries. Addressing the multiple risks in each setting will necessitate taking a holistic, integrated approach, as health risks are complex, and often interconnected. This approach also provides a framework to highlight the links between issues, and to facilitate action, in an integrated fashion, on the range of health risks in a given setting.
The Alliance will catalyze action that is both participatory and effective, stimulating a world-wide movement. It will concentrate initially on areas where it can add the most value - broadening in scope as it develops.
The Alliances core functions include:
* Ensuring advocacy and awareness raising;
* Providing knowledge, information exchange and expertise for decision-making;
* Promoting effective policies and action, at all levels, in all sectors;
* Supporting countries and communities in creating and maintaining healthy environments for children;
* Monitoring and evaluating progress. [more]
Lead Partner: National Disaster Management Institute (INGC)
Geographical Scope: National Summary: The overall goal is to strengthen the institutional capacities in Mozambique in the field of Disaster Preparedness and management. The country's weak economic infrastructure is aggrevated by the frequent natural disasters such as floods, cyclones, droughts, bush fires, and various epidemics etc. and Mozambique has to deal with complex emergency situations.
The primary aim of this partnership is a capacity-building program for prevention and management of natural disasters with the aim to strengthen the institutional capacity of INGC and its cooperating authorities by identifying the training needs of the different target groups and develop awareness-raising programs, knowledge transfer, and training skills for multiplicators. This regional pilot project is based on three pillars: strengthening the coordination and management capacities in terms of awareness, knowledge and skills of national institution; enhancing the existing cross-border cooperation and in the long-run reduce the obstacles and difficulties imposed by different political and administrative cultures ; lead to closer cooperation within the region and contribute to disaster management and prevention; support and strengthen regional assistance such as, information and communications systems with respect to early warning and alert; and mapping risk areas, raising awareness and organizing population, training multi-disciplinary rescue teams, technical assistance and logistical resources for preventing and fighting disaster as well as good network of database centres to analyse pertinent information and act as the source for disseminating information related to impending disasters. [more]
Lead Partner: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The project on Indicators for Sustainable Energy Development (ISED) has three major objectives: (1) to fill the need for a comprehensive and consistent set of energy indicators that can be used in an effective manner to assess progress towards a sustainable energy future, (2) to assist countries in energy and statistical capacity building necessary to induce energy sustainability and (3) to supplement the general indicators effort being undertaken by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development.
The project consists of two phases. The major objective of the First Phase was to identify and define a set of indicators for sustainable energy development applicable worldwide.
The Second Phase of the project aimed to demonstrate the practical applicability and utility of the ISED set as a policy tool in a variety of analytical cases. The objectives of this phase include: (1) to test the original set of energy indicators in a number of countries; (2) to provide assistance to countries in the implementation and use of the ISED for the formulation of their energy strategies in conformity with their sustainable development criteria; and (3) to incorporate the ISED into the relevant databases and analytical tools so that energy indicators can be used in on-going statistical analyses (capacity building). [more]
Lead Partner: United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The main objective of the programme will be to provide significant opportunities and scope for the deployment of energy efficiency technologies in developing countries.
Expected results include:
That developing countries and economies in transition integrate energy efficiency strategies for can GHG emissions reduction and control in a way it enables their participation in CDM and JI. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Italy - Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Directorate General for Development Cooperation (DGCS)
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Asia and the Pacific Summary: General Objective: to contribute to social and economic development of the populations of the Hindu Kush - Karakorum - Himalaya mountain complex and to the environmental conservation of the region by consolidating institutional capacity for systemic planning and management of the territory, focusing on:
1. reduction of poverty
2. conservation of biodiversity
Specific Objective A: provide instruments (knowledge of the territory, the populations and the technologies for systemic data management) to facilitate the consistency of various national-level actions in area-based planning and management, within the framework of regional level systemic planning and monitoring.Specific Objective B: establish a process of application of the acquired capacities and Decision Support System (DSS) by individual countries in systemic planning and management of mountain areas at a local/national or transboundary level, within the framework of sustainable mountain development.Individual components of these objectives include:* Create a coordinated system for collection and analysis (monitoring) of natural resource data;* Provide decision makers of competent national and local administrations with an instrument (DSS) for systemic territorial planning and management;* Build local institutional capacity to study, analyze and manage natural resources, favoring local community involvement in these processes. [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: The City of Knowledge Foundation - The City of Knowledge Foundation
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Panama Center for Sustainable Development is proposed as a strategic solution to the need for an integrated knowledge management system that take into account ecosystems behavior, the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability, and the relationship between local, regional and global processes and actions. The initiative will develop around five major objectives:
1. Promote and conduct interdisciplinary and interinstitutional research programs and activities aimed at supporting plans, policies, and the overall decission-making processes of sustainable development
2. Promote the exchange of experiences and the development of information systems necessary to spur sustainable development
3. Develop scientific and technical capabilities through specific educational and training programs aimed at the formulation and implementation of sustainable development plans, policies and actions
4. To provide a platform that integrates scientific, technological, institutional, legal, and other aspects required to support the decision making processes of sustainable development
5. To contribute to the analysis of trends in the global network of production, dissemination and utilization of knowledge for sustainable development
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Lead Partner: International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN) - International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The main objective of ICRAN is to halt and reverse the decline in health of the world 's coral reefs. ICRAN is an innovative and dynamic global partnership of many of the world's leading coral reef science and conservation organizations. The partnership draws on its partners' investments in reef monitoring and management to create strategically linked actions across local, national and global scales. ICRAN is thus the first partnership to respond to conservation needs at the global scale by recognizing both traditional and scientific perspectives of coral reef dynamics and respective social dependency. It seeks to put financial mechanisms in place that support the translation of findings into direct on-the-ground action throughout the world's major coral reef regions.
ICRAN is proposing:
* To expand its scope and its range of global partners
* To extend its field action to new regions (including three regional seas in the Indian Ocean area) not presently included in the network
* To focus on tourism by raising awareness on responsible holiday-making [more]
Lead Partner: Cap-Net - United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) - Global Water Partnership (GWP)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Many developing countries have not yet been able to develop and integrate the requisite suite of human and institutional capacities into an effective water management regime.
What is urgently needed is a new water paradigm, one of integrated, holistic capacity development based on country ownership, adaptive homegrown policies, inclusive stakeholder participation and greater equity in the North-South development relationship.
Through partnership with national and regional capacity building networks in integrated water resources management, and as GWP's spearhead for capacity building, with support of IHE, UNDP/Cap-Net supports the establishment of networks and facilitates their access to global information. It also facilitates the exchange of information between the regions and responds to demands from regional and country networks. It aims to improve access to capacity building materials and in partnership with the networks to develop new tools and materials based on capacity building needs analysis. UNDP/Cap-Net strongly advocates local ownership of networks and capacity building activities and materials being developed for integrated water resources management. At the global level Cap-Net takes the role of ensuring access to information and experience for local practitioners. Local adaptation must then take place to ensure cultural and technical relevance to specific country situations. This way local ownership and responsibility is being enhanced. In collaboration of specialized international agencies, UNDP/Cap-Net develops adequate tools and materials to be put at the disposal of regional and country networks based on their demands and to improve their capacities in addressing capacity building for integrated water resources management. [more]
Lead Partner: International Coastal and Ocean Organization (ICO) - International Coastal and Ocean Organization (ICO) - Coastal States Organization (CSO)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: There is a need to:
Provide a technical support network for ICM, by identifying best practices, model program efforts, by encouraging "lesson-drawing" and interaction between practitioners and academics
Identify areas of mutual cooperation among academic institutions for research, exchange of faculty and students, "lesson-drawing" of successful ICM experiences, and organization of cooperative initiatives with governmental partners at both national and local levels to assist in the implementation of local coastal plans and in the formulation and implementation of national ocean/coastal policies in Exclusive Economic Zones.
Organize and carry out a program of exchange among subnational authorities in ICM to improve local practice
Monitor international treaty/agreement negotiations and other international fora relevant to ICM and identify issues impacting subnational ICM programs.
Influence key international treaty/agreement negotiations and other international fora through development of joint recommendations on the part of subnational ICM authorities [more]
Lead Partner: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) - United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Mountain Partnership is a voluntary alliance of partners dedicated to improving the well-being, livelihoods and opportunities of mountain people and the protection and stewardship of mountain environments around the world. The Mountain Partnership taps the wealth and diversity of resources, knowledge, skills and expertise of its members to support positive change in mountain areas. The Partnership was launched as a type-2 outcome of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in September 2002: the basic concept and guiding principles of the Mountain Partnership resulted from a consultative process that took place during the preparatory sessions of the WSSD with its core document (known as the Bali Document) finalized at the Fourth Session of the Preparatory Committee for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Bali, Indonesia, 27 May - 7June 2002). Commitment to the Mountain Partnership has increased rapidly at the country, regional and international levels and concrete action is now underway to improve the lives of mountain people and protect mountain environments around the world. By March 2009, 50 countries, 16 intergovernmental organizations and 96 major group organizations (e.g. civil society, NGOs, private sector) had already joined the Mountain Partnership. A Mountain Partnership Secretariat, with financial support from the governments of Italy and Switzerland, is hosted at the central level by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Decentralized hubs of the secretariat have also been established in Latin America (hosted by CONDESAN), Asia Pacific (hosted by ICIMOD) and North America (hosted by the Banff Centre) and an Environmental Reference Centre is hosted by UNEP to provide guidance and support on environmental issues related to the Mountain Partnership.
The Mountain Partnership facilitates the effective and efficient implementation of Chapter 13, Agenda 21 and promotes, inter alia, joint initiatives based on paragraph 42 of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation and other related instruments regarding mountains, by enhancing on-the-ground action and by working at the policy, programme and project levels. Specific partnership initiatives have been identified by members and are focussing on priority areas of action, such as biodiversity, education, gender, policy and law, research, sustainable livelihoods, sustainable agriculture and rural development in mountains (SARD-M) and watershed management. Additionally, geographically-focussed Initiatives have been launched and are operational in the Andes, Central Asia, Europe, the Hindu Kush Himalaya and other regions. New initiatives are developed as new priority areas are identified by members. Linkages between partnership initiatives are being encouraged at the local, national, regional and global levels, with members entering into specific initiatives according to their priorities, needs and capacities.
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Lead Partner: UNEP DTIE
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Partnership's objective is to provide coherent and authoritative scientific assessments on the environmental impacts of resource use over the full life cycle. This will contribute to a better understanding of how to decouple economic growth from resource use and resource use from environmental degradation, and in particular of ways to increase resource-efficient economic growth, of ways to reduce the identified impacts, and of ways to stimulate sustainable innovation. [more]
Lead Partner: International Solar Energy Society
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The goal of IREA is to foster collaboration, removing market barriers, identifying and promoting successful implementation strategies, enhancing business conditions and developing markets. This is to be achieved by the provision of reliable and up to date facts and considerations for more informed decision making at all levels of national and international policy and to further the principles and goals declared in the 2004 Bonn Declaration on Renewable Energies. [more]
Lead Partner: International Solar Energy Society
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: ISES has been serving the needs of the renewable energy community since its founding in 1954. A UN-accredited NGO present in more than 50 countries, the Society supports its members in the advancement of renewable energy technology, implementation and education all over the world. Its goals include:
* Towards a Sustainable World:Encouraging the use of Renewable Energy everywhere, through appropriate technology, scientific excellence, social responsibility, and global communication.
* Realising a Global Community: Bringing together industries, individuals and institutions in support of Renewable Energy technologies - through communication, co-operation, support and exchange.
* Supporting Development: Applying practical projects, technology transfer, education, training and support to the issue of global energy development.
* Supporting the Science of Solar Energy: Stimulating and encouraging both fundamental and applied research in solar energy.
* Contributing to Growth: Ensuring individual and community growth through support of private enterprise and empowerment in the area of Renewable Energy.
* Information and Communication: Rapid access to information through tailor-made communication and exchange platforms utilising modern technology.
ISES is a multi-faceted, global membership organisation. With its long history and extensive technical and scientific expertise provided by its members, the Society is a modern, future-oriented non-governmental organisation (NGO). Clearly defined goals, extensive communication networks and practical, real-world projects are the hallmarks of ISES. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of United States of America - USDA Invasive Species Coordination Program - CAB International
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Globally, the cost of damage caused by invasive species has been estimated to be £1 trillion per year - close to 5% of global GDP. In developing countries, where agriculture accounts for a higher proportion of GDP, the negative impact of invasive species on food security as well as on economic performance, can be even greater.
Globalisation through increased trade, transport, travel and tourism (4Ts), will inevitably increase the intentional or accidental introduction of organisms to new environments, and it is widely predicted that climate change will further increase the threat posed by invasive species.
The partnership:
1) will develop a comprehensive and authoritative knowledge base that will be applied as a powerful reference source improving access to knowledge to assist in the identification of invasive species (IS), determine their impacts, help achieve rapid response to their effects, and deliver management and policy solutions;
2) enhance global knowledge of the threat of invasive species to native species and to native ecosystems;
3) develop a global, web-based Invasive Species Compendium (ISC);
4) commission and compile comprehensive global knowledge on invasive species covering all taxa found in agroecosystems and natural ecosystems;
5) promote and make accessible the ISC to train students and extension staff within national systems so they can manage invasive species more efficiently and effectively;
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Lead Partner: World LP Gas Association (WLPGA) - United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: This initiative is designed to support the achievement of critical energy-related sustainable development goals, specifically poverty reduction, environmental protection, and economic growth. This partnership addresses concrete barriers to meeting the thermal energy needs (heating, cooking, and heat using productive processes) of rural and peri-urban populations in developing countries through expanded use of a clean-burning, readily-available fuel: liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Over 2 billion people in developing countries depend on traditional fuels including wood, animal and crop residues, and charcoal, to meet their heating, cooking and industrial needs. This has adverse health effects on women and children, degrades the local natural resources base and contributes to global environmental degradation through the emission of unburned hydrocarbons. Social and economic limitations for women, low quality energy services in heat using industries due to fuel inefficiency, and lost opportunities for agricultural product processing, are all directly related to traditional fuel use patterns.
The LPG Challenge will bring LPG to rural populations by linking UNDP's knowledge and experience in rural development and community consultation together with industry suppliers of LPG and the appliances required for its utilization. The key issue is to address market and technical barriers to the expanded use of LPG and to design local partnerships, business models and financing mechanisms to overcome these barriers. This will be accomplished through local dialogue processes and partnerships involving government officials, consumer representatives, current LGP market participants (local and international business), local entities that operate in rural communities, UNDP and other multilateral and bilateral funding agencies committed to bringing modern energy (electricity and clean fuels) to rural communities. [more]
Lead Partner: International Land Coalition
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Land Alliances for National Development, or LAND Partnerships, constitute a global initiative to alleviate rural poverty by strengthening country-level collaboration between state, civil society, bilateral and international stakeholders. This collaboration is needed to: a) achieve participatory dialogue; b) improve policy formulation; c) establish joint action to secure resource tenure for households with user rights; and d) increase access to land by the landless and near-landless.
While the resource poor seek a more active role in decision-making, many governments are also recognizing the benefits of robust, stakeholder discussion and, in some cases, collective decision-making. In many countries, this requires new arenas and mechanisms for dialogue. LAND Partnerships respond to this challenge by helping countries to create new ways and means for both those affecting and those affected by decisions about land to work together. LAND Partnerships will help to widen participation, foster open debate and facilitate negotiation at both the national and the community levels.
Furthermore, LAND Partnerships are a means to replicate the best practices learned in one community to other communities for wider benefit. Also, where scaling-up is accomplished, it may be more likely that this experience can be validated as a basis for national policy consideration. More importantly, LAND Partnerships are an opportunity for all parties to move from individual to collective roles, and thereby capture potential synergy.
Since the launch in 2002, the Coalition has been actively promoting LAND in the over 35 countries where it has programmes. The initial goal is to establish LAND Partnerships in a geographically balanced range of pilot countries. These pilot LAND Partnerships are envisioned as focal points to stimulate extension of the concept into surrounding countries.
LAND Partnerships will be developed in response to invitations from governments together with an expressed interest by civil society. The Coalition will support local implementation capacity for all stakeholders involved ¿ civil society, governments and intergovernmental partners. LAND Partnerships will build upon existing and emerging initiatives and activities.
In addition, the Coalition's role will be to foster collaboration and the sharing of lessons with other countries in order to either launch LAND Partnerships in these countries, or to help create the conditions conducive to the subsequent establishment of LAND.
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Lead Partner: United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Decentralized Cooperation Programmes (DCP) objective is to encourage lasting South-South city-to-city cooperation for sustainable and economic development. For this purpose, DCP has established a global network of 11 associated training centres (as of Feb. 2006), which are located in Atlanta / United States; Barcelona and Bilbao / Spain; Curitiba / Brazil; Divonne-les-Bains and Lyon / France; Durban / South Africa; Kuala Lumpur / Malaysia; Ouagadougou / Burkina Faso; Plock / Poland and Shanghai / China. Each of these International Training Centres for Local Authorities and Local Actors is a hub for capacity building and knowledge sharing between local and regional authorities, international organizations, the private sector and civil society to enhance local public services. The training sessions for local authorities focus on four main areas:
- Environment and sustainable development
- Urban services
- Economic development and local governance
- Human security.
[more]
Lead Partner: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), DPDL - United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Strengthening the capacities of local authorities and their public, private and community partners to achieve more sustainable urban development, socially, economically and environmentally;Reducing poverty by working on sustainable urbanisation through more efficiently and equitably use of environmental resources and control of environmental hazards in urban development planning. [more]
Lead Partner: ICLEI European Secretariat
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Governments spend some several thousand billion Euro every year on public purchasing, adding up to 12-25% of respective gross national products (GDP). Products and services bought include transport machinery, construction and IT equipment, but also food for canteens, energy and cleaning services. Depending on the government structure, local and regional authorities spend up to 90% of this amount. Spending this money responsibly, governments have the opportunity to foster sustainable development with money they have to spent anyway.
Public Procurement has been used as a policy tool often in the past and present. Although the conflict between policy objectives and market principles is often raised and subject to committed discussion, practical implementation and regulatory frameworks have shown, that in reality win-win situations for policy implementation and market efficiency can be found.
In recent years, environmental objectives have become a major topic in procurement, many public administrations have implemented "green purchasing policies", mostly in the Northern Hemisphere (Europe, Japan, North America). In this context it is often requested, but only partially implemented, to take all dimension of sustainable development into account in purchasing. Among others, purchasing could include are social considerations such as labour conditions and international market prices, and economic considerations such as protection of Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) and domestic suppliers, quality or life-cycle costing.
Within this context, the partnership has two key objectives:
* Integrate all dimensions of sustainable development in procurement policies and by this contribute to better living and healthier working conditions, ensure social standards and protect the environment
* Accelerate penetration of sustainable products in export and domestic markets in order to foster an economic development that helps overcome poverty as well as over-exploitation of human work-force, economic assets and natural resources.
The partnership will lead to:
* A breakthrough for eco-efficient domestic supply in developing countries: Four well-documented examples of implementing responsible procurement policies under difficult economic framework conditions of emerging economies.
* A breakthrough for integration of sustainable development in all its dimensions to the procurement agenda: Well documented examples and national policies to integrate global concerns in (Northern) public procurement (for selected economic sectors) [more]
Lead Partner: Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development (MIO-ECSDE)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Mediterranean Summary: This initiative/partnership on EfES, facilitates the educational community and students to contribute in a systematic and concrete way for the implementation of Agenda 21 and the Millennium Declaration goals, through the successful application of innovative Educational Programmes in countries around the Mediterranean basin. These Educational Programmes are based on cross-cutting themes in the existing school-curricula. During the first years of implementation the Initiative focuses on freshwater including all its aspects (sanitation, health, floods, agriculture, etc.), followed by wastes.
The main objectives of the initiative compatible with the principles of sustainable development are:
- Wise management of freshwater resources
- Wise management of wastes
- Facilitation of Educators' networks [more]
Lead Partner: International Maritime Organization (IMO)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Straits of Malacca and Singapore Summary: Development of a Regional Marine Electronic Highway (MEH) in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore - Demonstration Phase: In partnership with the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners and the International Hydrographic Organization
The ultimate goal of this initiative is the use of innovative maritime and environment management technological tools to create network and maintain a marine information infrastructure for enhancing maritime services, improving the safety of navigation and integrated management of the coastal and marine areas of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.
The Marine Electronic Highway (MEH) is an innovative marine information and infrastructure system that integrates environmental management and protection systems and maritime safety technologies for enhanced maritime services, higher navigational safety standards, integrated marine environment protection and sustainable development of coastal and marine resources. The backbone of the MEH is precision navigation and will utilize a network of electronic navigational charts (ENCs) in conjunction with Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS), Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) and other maritime technologies.
This initiative is part of a two-stage MEH Project for the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. This initiative, which is a demonstration project, will cover parts of the Straits, mainly the area of the Traffic Separation Scheme. The second stage or full-scale project, which will follow after this initiative, will cover the whole Straits including the coastal waters of the littoral States.
The general objectives of this initiative are to delineate options for the implementation of the MEH system in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore and assess the technical, financial, economic, social, institutional, political and legal aspects of the identified options, assess the integration of marine environment protection system with precision navigation, and develop sustainable financial mechanisms and a managing tool to operate, manage and administer the MEH system. The implementation will also cover the evaluation on the benefits of the system and financing requirements to implement the identified activities leading to the establishment of the MEH system in the Straits. Overall, the development objectives of this initiative are the following:
* Establish the MEH and demonstrate its technical functionalities on maritime safety and marine environment protection for the Straits of Malacca and Singapore;
* Facilitate the integration of marine environment systems and data flow and information exchange through the MEH system;
* Develop the operational and administrative mechanisms for the sustainable management of the MEH system;
* Evaluate the financial, social and economic benefits and legal aspects of the MEH system;
* Promote awareness and participation of relevant stakeholders to support the MEH system; and
* Strengthen national and regional capacity in maritime safety and marine environment protection for the sustainable management of the MEH system; [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Germany - Federal Ministry for Econ. Coop. and Devt (BMZ) - Government of Germany - Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMU)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: This Partnership was founded during the "International Executive Conference on Expanding the Market for Concentrating Solar Power" on 19 -20 June 2002 in Berlin. The presentations and discussions resulted in the following common understanding about the qualities of concentrating solar power (CSP) :
CSP provides sustainable, clean, affordable and reliable energy supply over a range of sizes from 10 kilowatts to 200 megawatts.
CSP plants have proven in more than 100 accumulated operating plant years to be the most efficient technology for direct use of the inexhaustible solar energy.
CSP plants can provide dispatchable power with back up via thermal storage and/or the hybrid mode.
CSP helps to minimize climate change impacts by replacing fossil energy sources.
CSP is an appropriate technology for supporting independence from fossil resources, in particular for developing countries.
A promising base of more than 10 CSP power project opportunities was reviewed by the members of the partnership at the conference. Realising these projects will allow a significant reduction in power generation costs. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Netherlands - Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries - Government of Netherlands - Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The objective of the initiative is to improve market access of food and agricultural products from developing countries to the European market by enhancing cooperation in the field of quality standards related to health, the environment and veterinary and phytosanitary measures. This will contribute to increased global competitiveness of farmers, food processors, retailers and traders in developing countries. The cooperation will also improve mutually understanding on both the need to effective address both poverty in developing countries, as well as on consumer concerns related to food safety and the environment.
The Doha and Johannesburg programmes commit to improve market access, in particular for developing countries. The Doha Development Agenda puts a strong focus on reducing tarief barriers to trade. While reiterating that the Doha-agreements will have to be fully implemented, it will be pertinent to additionally respond to difficulties for particular developing countries to meet quality standards for food and agricultural products. Those standards have been agreed upon in multilateral for a, such as the Codex Alimentarius, WTO-SPS, IPPC, Biosafety Protocol, and CITES. Recently, those fora have started capacity building activities in order to assist parties to cope with the multilaterally agreed terms.
There are however additional challenges countries are facing if they would like to be competive on markets such as of the EU. Specific EU standards been developed, in order to translate the multilaterally agreed standards to the regional contextn or in response to consumer concerns in Europe. Furthermore, food processors and retailers are often using stricter criteria themselves, in order to sell high quality products with the highest competitiveness possible. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of United States of America - City and County of Honolulu - Government of United States of America - City and County of Honolulu
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Asia and the Pacific Summary: The APUI Mayors' Commitments Program is a leadership capacity-building program. It will provide a comprehensive capacity-building service to local political leaders (e.g., Governors, Mayors) and city management executives (e.g., Municipal Commissioners, utility executives) in the Asia-Pacific region who wish to implement more sustainable, pro-poor development (SD) and service strategies for their jurisdictions. The APUI aims to work as a parallel and complementary partner to other programs and institutions, such as Local Agenda 21 and City Development Strategies, that are assisting city administrations in developing SD strategies.
A biennial, regional Summit of participating Governors, Mayors and city executives will be held to report and reward achievements, build new implementation partnerships, and prepare recommendations for policy reforms to provide a better enabling environment for Commitment implementation
The APUI believes that leadership to implement SD strategies involves more than individual skill and will. Leadership is the mobilisation of a community's diverse resources to address a common challenge or to achieve a common strategy. Leadership, therefore, is the product of both personal/professional abilities and an operating environment that enables innovation and sustained collaboration.
Partnership results would include:
- Improved local input into the design of infrastructure, housing, and service systems for their communities, including better consideration of long-term financial sustainability;
- Stronger involvement of sub-national and local political leaders in the preparation and implementation of local strategies and initiatives for sustainable development;
- Development of a tradition, within in the regional community of local government, to base political leadership on clearly defined commitments, objectives and reportable results;
- Improved national-level support and enabling conditions for bottom-up sustainable development initiatives;
- Identification and clarification of policy barriers to the effective participation of local communities in the implementation of Agenda 21 and related sustainable development agreements;
- Stronger representation and voice for sub-national and local government in national and regional processes for pro-poor sustainable development;
- Improved co-ordination of capacity-building support for sub-national and local leaders in the region;
- Increased partnerships between local authorities and national/regional/international NGOs and Major Group organisations to support implementation of local sustainable development strategies. [more]
Lead Partner: International Center of Resources and Innovation for the Sustainable Development-CIRIDD (former Association Agora 21) - Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (IEPF - Institut de la Francophonie Numérique - Unité Jeunesse)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The aim of the project is to create an information and discussion platform for sustainable development that is accessible to the various groups concerned (States and public administrations, local governments and international bodies, associations, the economic sector, scientists and the academic community, and ordinary citizens) by facilitating exchanges and integration of the available data on a network of Internet sites distributed throughout the French-speaking world.
The second objective is to develop the use of French regarding these topics for the sake of linguistic plurality at the international level, thereby helping to reinforce the capacities of French-speaking participants, especially in the organization of preliminary debates for major conferences. This platform is also an experimental ground for research and development into new tools and approaches that will be transferred to the partners. It will be an extension of various projects and actions. [more]
Lead Partner: Observatoire Méditerranéen de l'Energie (OME)
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Africa Summary: The Southern Mediterranean region is facing high demographic and socio-economic development growths. In this context, energy demand is expected to increase. Presently, 83% of TPES in the region is satisfied by hydrocarbons. According to the OME BAU scenario, this will continue (annual increase of about 4.3% during 2005-2020). Consequently, CO2 emissions are expected to rise by 240% over the same period. This is unsustainable and many options do exist allowing the region evolving in a more sustainable energy development path. The region is indeed endowed with high potential of energy efficiency and renewable energy that need to be better exploited. Indeed, in addition to security of supply concerns, SEMCs need to address urgently climate changes as recent studies (GIEC…) confirm the vulnerability of the region and the important damages of their effects on their economies and development.
The aim of MEDITEP, a think tank on energy in the Mediterranean region, is to pursue and deepen the work already initiated within the “Summer Mediterranean University” (UMET) on the shared concerns adopted from the start: how can energy scenarios in the Mediterranean be followed up and evaluated? How is the situation evolving, how is it placed with respect to the initial and alternative scenarios? Are these scenarios acceptable and what are their impacts? and then to continue exploration of more specific topics: territories and sustainable development, globalization and new energy markets, investments & financing tools, technological innovation, technology transfer, research and development, regional cooperation, climate change, etc.
Several organisations and initiatives already work on these issues, but link and dialogue are missing. These are very important and need to be established in a stable way in order to allow better cooperation and facilitate convergence of efforts and achieve a sustainable development in the region.
Thus, the objectives of MEDITEP are to:
- Create a common framework for dialogue among all stakeholders from decisions makers to civil society on sustainable energy prospect in the region with particular focus on energy efficiency, access to energy and renewable energy;
- Investigate emerging concerns that need to be addressed and promote the dialogue and research on them;
- Make proposals to decision makers, international organizations, etc. on how to enhance sustainable energy in the region and to continue to instill a sense of urgency as to the decisions to take;
- Exchange experiences, knowledge and best practices;
- Promote networking on specific topics to be defined;
- Foster research, training, expertise and capacity building;
- Broad dissemination of information and awareness;
- Provide a single window information as a strong tool allowing update and exhaustive information on energy and sustainable development in the Mediterranean region, linking together institutions and initiatives working on these issues on the region. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of France - Ministère des Affaires Etrangères - Government of France - The French Geological Survey (BRGM)
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Africa Summary: Mineral resources are one of the essential components of the natural capital of numerous African countries, and one of the key components of their economies. The complex linkages existing between this economic sector and sustainable development still remain poorly understood and subject to numerous controversies. The sustainable development of this sector is a considerable stake, for the mineral producing countries as well as for the consumer countries, like those of the European Union, the largest minerals importer in the world. If the investments necessary to put these resources into production are to be made by the private sector, there is a need to reinforce the capacity of the sectoral institutions to better regulate and promote the sustainable development of the sector. The range of actions to be supported is wide, from training to infrastructure.
The objective of the partnership is to strengthen the contribution of geological and mining activities to sustainable development.
To start with, it is proposed to organise a Forum with the concerned African countries to raise the awareness of the various actors concerned by the sustainable development of the mineral resources, on the issues and on the conditions to implement to improve the sector's promotion. [more]
Lead Partner: French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Partnership aims at putting into place a specific technological and institutional model for meeting the needs for modern energy services in rural areas, using locally available renewable biomass resources, and through South-South technology cooperation.
The Partnership will be based on the following major components:
institution of sustainable mechanisms for collection and processing of biomass for energy production, through:
specific energy plantations, applying sustainable forestry management techniques, or;
collection and processing of forestry/agricultural waste products (rice hulls, wood chips, ...). [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Canada - Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Andean region Summary: The current project was made possible as a result of the strong institutional bonds created by a previous four Andean country multi-national initiative (funded through CIDA and NRCan, 1996-2002). The Project goal is to improve the quality of life for peoples of the Andes by reducing the negative impact of natural hazards (volcanoes, earthquakes and landslides). Through the project, updated and integrated geoscience and geospatial information on natural hazards will be provided for: 1- land use planning and, 2- natural hazard mitigation.
The Project will transfer technologies to the National Andean Geoscience Institutions of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela to enhance their capacity to efficiently and effectively provide on a continuous basis the required services:
1. To provide to the governments, communities, and planners geoscientific information fundamental to good decision making with respect to the placement of public works (infrastructure), and human settlements;
2. To contribute to mitigation of the effects of natural hazards on the local population and public works (infrastructure), to support sustainable development with more disaster resistant communities;
3. To increase the capacities of the Geoscience Agencies in the evaluation of geological hazards; and
4. To assist other government organizations such as Civil Protection agencies to incorporate geoscience information into emergency plans. [more]
Lead Partner: Association of American Geographers
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The general goal of My Community, Our Earth -- Geographic Learning for Sustainable Development is to build geographically literate generations able to use this knowledge in their everyday lives to bring about true sustainable development. In particular, the Program seeks to provide students and international leaders with the opportunity to discover and address real issues in their communities and their regions with respect to sustainable development issues, particularly Agenda 21, WSSD topics, UNCSD themes, and the Millenium Development Goals. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Italy - Comune di Procida
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Network of European Alimentary Culture (NEAC) aims at highlighting that a strong European identity is essential and complementary to a strong local/regional identity.
A person who understands his/her own region is much better equipped to go out into Europe and to find his or her place as an active European citizen within the expanding European Union. All that based on the assumption that alimentary culture reflects a vivid image of society. Food seen, therefore, as an anthropological paradigm of society and analyzed from a variety of viewpoints constituting a repertoire which has as its objective to highlight the complexity of European food culture, acknowledging the present reality and value that it can assume.
This project is highly supportive of equal opportunities for marginalized groups, such as persons with disabilities, women, different races. Finally, our own partnership is based on cooperation of fellow teachers and researchers, both men as well as women, standing therefore for equality of chance between different genders.
[more]
Lead Partner: Government of Spain - Government of the Basque Country - Nrg4SD Secretariat
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Nrg4SD Network was formed by the "regional governments" -understood as the largest and first level of political subdivision within an individual state represented at the UN but which is above de municipal level- that attended the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development, to share information and experience about sustainable development policy-making at the regional level of governance. They agreed the `Gauteng Declaration' which is the founding document of the Network. Nrg4SD promotes understanding, collaboration and partnerships in sustainable development and seeks greater international recognition of the importance of the contribution which regions make to sustainable development. Nrg4SD aims to be a voice for, and to represent, regional governments at the global level, promoting sustainable development at regional level around the world. Nrg4SD has members from the five United Nations (UN) regions of the globe and focal points in each of them. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of United States of America - U.S. Enivronmental Protection Agency (USEPA)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: NEISGEI consists of 1) a globally distributed database of air pollutant emissions information in well documented formats at the local, regional, national, and global scales; 2) computer software that will enable users to retrieve, compile, and analyze relevant emissions information from the globally distributed database using the World Wide Web; and 3) a global network of air emissions experts in government, industry, and academia. [more]
Lead Partner: Earth Rights Institute - Earth Rights Institute - Earth Rights Institute - Center for Geoclassical Economics
Geographical Scope: National Summary: Due to corruption and poor governance, oil royalties have not been distributed to the people of the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. Our project will work with NGOs and ethical government officials to form and implement the Niger Delta Fund, similar to the Alaska Permanent Fund, which will be a transparent legal mechanism whereby oil royalities will be distributed directly to the people as dividend checks and/or made available as low interest revolving loan funds for sustainable development. Additionally, this project will assist in the development of a sustainable development plan for the Niger Delta, with an initial focus on the eco-restoration of the town of Odi and Bayelsa State.
Our partnerships began in June, 2002, and in February, 2003 and as of November 2003 we are planning to hold a conference in early 2004 to develop a strategy for implementation. [more]
Lead Partner: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) - World Health Organization (WHO)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: This partnership aims to contribute to the implementation of recommendations developed in the joint WHO/FAO expert consultation on diet, nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases (Geneva, Switzerland, 28 January - 1 February 2002; draft report available via lfriberg@earthsummit2002.org).
"Obesity prevention policies must go hand in hand with strategies to prevent undernutrition." (WHO). Nutrition is a major determinant of health. Unhealthy diet (and a sedentary lifestyle) effectively handicap people and contribute to premature deaths from cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and obesity related illnesses (particularly Type 2 diabetes). The shift to diets high in saturated fats, sugar and refined foods (the 'nutrition transition') has contributed to worsening nutrition and significant growth of obesity in children and adults in developed and developing countries.
The links between good health and economic improvement have been well documented. Good nutrition contributes to development of human capital, increased productivity, reduced poverty, etc. The delivery of nutritious food to every household, at all levels of income, is an achievable aim. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Australia - Government of Australia
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The key OneCoast objective is to create a coastal management knowledge ecosystem. Thorugh an integrated framework of leading technologies, OneCoast will provide the infrastructure in which ideas, information and the sharing of knowledge will facilitate capacity building and in turn foster the sustainable development of the world¿s coasts.
A key outcome for OneCoast is the establishment and ongoing support of sustainable communities of users. In the context of OneCoast `community of users¿ applies equally to collectives of interested individuals interacting through actual local communities and to communities where related groups of individuals and organizations involved in common goals interact online through OneCoast.
Furthermore, where geographically related or unrelated groups come together with specific subject expertise to solve problems - they in turn define a community of practitioners and through their interactions a common practice. OneCoast seeks to diffuse capacity from the context of local communities of coastal management practice using existing knowledge and creating new knowledge through experience.
Coastal management practice has expanded rapidly around the world over the last decade, with growing involvement of the private sector, civil society, and local governments. Donors have diversified their partnerships, increasingly working together with international NGOs, the private sector, governments and foundations. As a result new challenges have surfaced, including:
¿ Uncoordinated, overlapping, and sometimes ineffective use of available donor and governmental resources;
¿ Inaccessible, fragmented coastal management knowledge;
¿ Limited opportunities for participation by civil society;
¿ Untapped opportunities for the private sector;
¿ Untapped knowledge transfer benefits between professional coastal managers; and
¿ Untapped potential for using Internet technologies for sustainable coastal development.
Through OneCoast there are opportunities to help provide answers to the above challenges. Opportunities such as the need to create linkages between projects that will sustain investment in coastal management projects and, most importantly, opportunities to link the many stakeholders, into one integrated knowledge-based environment.
[more]
Lead Partner: Partnership for Observation of the Global Oceans (POGO)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: To promote intelligent and sustainable use and management of the oceans through
(i) Promotion of collaboration and co-ordination among major oceanographic institutions committed to ocean science;
(ii) Development of capacity in the weaker countries for using and managing their ocean space under UNCLOS intelligently;
(iii) Advocacy for sound use and management of the oceans [more]
Lead Partner: South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Pacific Summary: * Address and achieve the priorities of sustainable Tourism development in the Pacific, including income generation and equitable distribution, poverty alleviation, environmental conservation, a means to address good governance and gender disparities
* Achieve sustainable tourism operations throughout the Pacific
* Maintain the pristine environment and cultural diversity which facilitates the promotion of PICs
* Mobilisation of resources to ensure sustainable tourism practices
* Improved waste management related to tourism activities [more]
Lead Partner: South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Pacific Summary: The main objective of the Initiative is to achieve sustainable water and wastewater management in Pacific island countries through:
* the establishment of a regional water network of persons and organisations, inclusive of country governments, development agencies, professional associations and donors, that work in the different fields of water resources management and service delivery in the region, to improve regional coordination and collaboration;
* the implementation of the Pacific Strategies for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene that aim to build and increase the capacity in Pacific Island Countries to deliver sustainable management of water and wastewater as a means to contributing to poverty alleviation. Sustainability has to be achieved in the technical, institutional, financial, environmental and social-cultural areas. SOPAC Member Countries have endorsed these strategies during the 30th SOPAC Annual Session (Majuro, October 2001), which are complimentary with the efforts towards the World Summit on Sustainable Development and the 3rd World Water Forum;
* implementation of the ¿Regional Action Plan for Sustainable Water Management¿, as agreed upon by Ministers, Heads of Delegation and representatives of civil society groups with responsibilities for water affairs from 16 small island countries in the Pacific, as well as East Timor and the Maldives as part of the regional consultation and preparation for the ¿Water in Small Island Countries¿ and ¿Dialogue on Water & Climate¿ themes of the 3rd World Water Forum, during the ¿Pacific Regional Meeting on Water in Small Island Countries¿, held in Sigatoka, Fiji from 29 July to 3 August 2002. The consultation process included the identification of national priority actions as determined by the participating countries on the basis of their national water strategies, national assessments and stakeholder consultations undertaken for WSSD and the 3rd World Water Forum, and the development of agreed regional actions through the consultation meeting process of plenary discussion, working group review and delegation approval.
[more]
Lead Partner: South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) - University of South Pacific (USP)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Pacific Island Countries Summary: Main objective: Provide long-term community based capacity-building activities to fully integrate environmental and development needs, using people and customs as the central parameters for decision-making, management, fostering social cohesion and the promotion of sustainable community livelihoods.
Principles:
- People are at the core of the pursuit of sustainable development;
- Sustainable community lifestyles for Pacific Island communities and nations are dependent on the sustainable use of terrestrial, freshwater and marine biodiversity and the protection and application of traditional knowledge of this biodiversity.
- Traditional and local knowledge enhances scientific knowledge and can guide future directions to ensure pragmatic and mutually beneficial efforts;
- Environmental and sustainable development are for the people and communities and therefore their aspirations and needs should dominate policies, plans, decision making, management and practice;
- Sustainable development requires Environmental justice, and preservation of human rights.
- Early community involvement and partnering with government in the development and project pipeline presents the best means to suit people¿s aspirations, values, issues and priorities to socio-economic progress.
- Integrating environment and socio-economics in the development process provides the means for better decision making for sustainable development;
- Ensuring equity in development processes and environmental management, with social justice and empowerment through community development frameworks - will assist poverty eradication and improve people¿s quality of life.
Purpose: To develop local and national capacity to institute community development frameworks to assist with partnering, prudent anticipation and decisions regarding the planning for environmental change, as well as the pursuit of sustainable development to enhance the quality of life for all communities. [more]
Lead Partner: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Division of Policy Development and Law (DPDL)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The partners will work to:
- Help developing countries to develop action plans to complete the elimination of leaded gasoline by end 2008
- Start to phase down sulfur in diesel and gasoline fuels, long-term objective to be 50 ppm and below
-Concurrent with the aboveadopting cleaner vehicle requirements;
- Support the development and adoption of cleaner fuel standards and clean vehicle requirements by providing a platform for exchange of experiences and successful practices in developed and developing countries as well as technical assistance;
- Develop public outreach materials, educational programs, and awareness campaigns; adapt economic and planning tools for clean fuels and vehicles analyses in local settings; and support the development of enforcement and compliance programs, with an initial focus on fuel adulteration;
- Foster key partnerships between government and industry, NGOs, and other interested parties within a country and between countries to facilitate the implementation of cleaner fuel and vehicle commitments. [more]
Lead Partner: World Resources Institute (WRI)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Partnership for Principle 10 seeks to improve national public participation systems to ensure access to information, public participation, and justice in decision-making that affects the environment. Improved public access to information, participation, and justice in decision-making makes decisions more fair, legitimate, and sustainable. At the national level, a working public participation system enables individuals and groups to make informed choices and integrate social and environmental objectives in decisions on economic policies and specific development activities. As such, a public participation system is an essential mechanism for sustainable development.
National systems for public participation have many common elements, including policies, supporting legislation, institutional infrastructure, methods of dissemination, and timing of participation. Diverse national systems of public participation share areas of achievement as well as weaknesses and gaps. Recent assessments conducted by The Access Initiative of national public participation systems in nine countries, including Chile, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa, Thailand, Uganda, and the United States, provide a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation of the strengths in these countries as well as specific needs for improvement in both policy and practice.
The Partnership for Principle 10 will work to address these implementation gaps and strengthen public access in areas identified as weaknesses. Based on independent assessments of national public participation systems, the Partnership will provide a vehicle for stakeholders to work together to strengthen areas of weakness.
The Partnership for Principle 10 is built around a set of common commitments, to which all partners agree. These common commitments serve as a statement of the Partnership's values and principles. The common commitments set the parameters for the scope of work of the Partnership. All partners, by joining the Partnership for Principle 10, commit to support the accelerated implementation of Principle 10 in their country and in their own practices. They also:
* Recognize that national public participation systems have common elements, and should be regularly and independently assessed by civil society organizations using a common framework of indicators-such as those developed by The Access Initiative-to identify strengths and weaknesses in implementation.
* Commit to collaborate across sectoral boundaries to identify implementation gaps, prioritize needed actions, and implement programs to strengthen capacity and improve performance.
* Commit to promote implementation of Principle 10 internationally through engagement with regional and international organizations, international trade agreements, and financial institutions, as appropriate. [more]
Lead Partner: UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs - Asian Development Bank
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Transport in developing countries is the one of the largest, and fastest growing, source of GHG emissions. Transport related CO2 emissions are expected to increase 57% worldwide in the period 2005 – 2030, and it is estimated that transport (passenger and freight) in developing countries will contribute about 80 percent of this increase. At the same time transport is largely missing in climate change mitigation policies and actions worldwide and in particular those aimed at the developing countries. Growing GHG emissions from the transport sector in developing countries are inextricably linked to an overall lack of sustainability expressed by poor urban planning, increased motorization, increased air pollution and noise, growing congestion and decreasing road safety.
Technological improvements by themselves will not be enough for the transport sector to make a significant contribution to mitigation of GHG; a sector wide re-orientation to low carbon sustainable transport is required which combines policies and measures to (a) avoid/reduce the need for travel, (b) shifts to, or keeps transport at the most efficient mode, and (c) improves efficiency of motorized modes of transport.
Developing countries should seize the opportunity to make their transport systems and infrastructure low carbon and more sustainable through a combination of: increased public awareness, low-carbon, sustainable transport policies, supportive policy instruments, institutional capacity development, appropriate pricing mechanisms and mobilization of financial resources.
The Partnership has as its overarching goal to mobilize global support to reduce the growth of GHG emissions generated by land transport in developing countries by promoting more sustainable, low carbon transport. The partnership has four specific objectives:
a. The integration of sustainable, low carbon transport in climate negotiations, as well as national and local climate policies and programs,
b. The integration of climate considerations in regional, national and local transport policies,
c. Mainstream Sustainable, Low Carbon Transport in strategies and operations of international development organizations,
d. Contribute to sustainable development and the millennium development goals especially providing access to or for goods and services by lower income groups.
The thematic scope of the Partnership is on land transport in developing countries and includes freight and passenger transport. Both motorized and non-motorized transport is included. The geographical scope of the Partnership is developing countries. The Partnership will initially focus on Asia, Latin America and Africa.
The Partnership builds on previous work on sustainable transport by UN-DESA within their mandate as defined by Agenda 21 and the CSD and a large series of events on sustainable transport and climate change by the members of this Partnership in both Asia and Latin America.
[more]
Lead Partner: World Agrofrestry Centre
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Asia and the Pacific Summary: Institutional mechanisms will be developed for recognising and rewarding environmental services generated by upland poor communities who implement sustainable production systems. New methods for transfer payments to upland communities will tested and monitored through action research; working models or best practices of successful environmental transfer payments adapted to the Asian context will be built.
The Program will develop an international partnership/consortium of research and development institutions, local community groups, government institutions, national and international NGOs, the private sector and funding institutions to create the knowledge to deploy rewards to upland, poor, communities who supply environmental services. The rewards for environmental services may include: secure land rights, secure resource user rights; access to markets; public infrastructure; revenues from environmental trust funds and carbon credits; financial incentives. Payments for environmental services by beneficiaries may include: payments to trust funds; user fees for recreation, hydropower and watershed protection; payments for carbon credits; budget allocation by national and local governments for environmental protection. [more]
Lead Partner: PhytoTrade Africa Executive Office
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Africa Summary: PhytoTrade Africa, the Southern African Natural Products Trade Association is a regional trade association, involving members from six countries in Southern Africa (Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe). Its primary objective is to supplement the income of poor rural communities, particularly those living in marginal dryland areas, through the commercialization of a range of natural products, derived from sustainably managed, indigenous floristic resources. PhytoTrade operates as a conventional trade association with a substantial set of additional functions as a development institution. It is a regional not-for-profit service provider, acting as a mechanism for community-based natural product producers and traders to generate business for themselves. It also provides an operational focus for development interventions on behalf of the sub-sector. PhytoTrade does not itself engage in trade or in financing the business of members, but facilitates the trade of members and other community-based operators in the natural products sector.PhytoTrade has been developed within the context of the WSSD, and will use the Summit as a platform to expand its membership, strengthen its financial resource base, and forge new and complementary partnerships with governments, inter-governmental agencies, the private sector and NGOs. [more]
Lead Partner: Stakeholder Forum for Our Common Future, ActionAid
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Population and Sustainability Network is an advocacy group which aims to bring together development, environment and reproductive health NGOs, government departments, academics and others, to increase leverage on population issues. Network Objectives:· To highlight the negative impact of unsustainable population increase on economic development, poverty alleviation and the natural environment (with particular reference to MDG 7: ¿Ensure environmental sustainability¿).· To support others in the campaign for the provision of adequate reproductive healthcare facilities for the 200 million couples who would use them ¿ but are presently denied rights of access because of funding shortfalls or other reasons· To raise awareness of the need for a rights-based approach to reproductive healthcare.· To ensure better opportunity for investment in healthcare and education, especially in respect of women¿s rights and the need for more effective programmes against HIV/AIDS.· To promote better understanding of the problems caused by unsustainable consumption (particularly in the rich minority world) ¿ including pollution and pressure on finite resources.· To provide a constructive forum in which the issues outlined above can be addressed and to increase stakeholder participation in and ownership of the key issues. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Indonesia - Ministry of the Environment
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Asia and the Pacific Summary: Main objective of the partnership/initiative:
1. Increase the benefit from sustainable tourism resources for the population in the host communities.
2. Enhancing the protection of conservation area by environmental education.
3. Explore and utilize of depth environmental friendly technologies.
4. Develop technology of cleaner production for supporting sustainable tourism activities. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Sweden - Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) - East African Community (EAC) Secretariat - East African Community (EAC) Secretariat
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Lake Victoria Basin Summary: In the Partnership Agreement between EAC and the Development Partners the following objectives are set out:
* To exploit the opportunities for development in the Lake Victoria Basin in a sustainable manner and address the present problems relating to economic and social development, poverty and environment
* To identify and investigate specific aspects of threats and obstacles to sustainable, economic, social and environmental development, and their underlying causes and propose relevant interventions
* To assist in the formulation of policies to guide the various actors involved with activities relevant to sustainable development in the region
* To build capacity through the development and strengthening of local institutions and organizations concerned with these issues
* To promote co-ordination of the development efforts undertaken by various authorities, institutions and bodies established within EAC with an interest in supporting the developments in the Lake Victoria Basin
* To provide consultative fora and focal points for various actors with an interest in the developments in the Basin
* To broaden the co-operation between EAC, the EAC member states and donor agencies
* To identify investment opportunities and work to create a climate conducive to investments
* To mobilize resources for the implementation of identified Programmes
* To promote the involvement of a broad spectrum of actors in the development process [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Philippines - Partnership for Environmental Management of Seas East Asia (PEMSEA)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional East Asia Summary: The initiative is focused on accelerating investments in environmental facilities and services at the community/local government level, for the protection and sustainable use of the marine and coastal resources of the Seas of East Asia using public-private partnership (PPP) arrangements. The project entails the establishment of partnerships between the public and private sectors, at the local, national and international levels, employing a procedure that was developed and tested by
PEMSEA in Batangas Bay, Philippines. The PPP process will be applied at six pilot sites, to refine, verify and demonstrate the approach under a variety of political, social, economic and environmental scenarios. The pilot site locations include: Bali (Indonesia), Bohai Sea (China), Danang (Vietnam), Klang (Malaysia), Manila Bay (Philippines) and Xiamen (China). Each identified pilot site has already embarked on a program of integrated marine and coastal resource management, and has created a policy and investment climate that is conducive to private sector investment and partnership.
The objectives of the initiative are as follows:
1. To verify the PPP procedure for developing pipeline projects for environmental investments at the local government level;
2. To build confidence and capabilities in public-private partnership (PPP) arrangements as an alternative delivery mechanism for financing and sustaining environmental facilities and services;
3. To establish PPP working models at selected sites in the region; and
4. To develop capacities within and among the public and private sectors to effectively implement and sustain new environmental investments in the East Asian region and elsewhere, using the experience, lessons and good practices derived from this initiative; and
5. To engage local and national governments, the private sector, national and international financial institutions, international agencies, donors, the private sector and civil society in development projects that result in practical benefits to the environment, and the social and economic well-being of coastal communities. [more]
Lead Partner: Department of Economics and Social Affairs Small Island Developing States (SIDS) UNIT - Global Coral Reef Alliance
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional AIMS, Caribbean and Pacific Island Regions Summary: The SIDS Partnership for Implementation of New Technologies for Sustainable Development, brings together United Nations Agencies with a focus on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), SIDS Governments, Non Governmental Agencies, and the Private Sector to raise awareness and funding for the implementation of new, underutilized, but proven technologies for climate change adaptation and mitigation, renewable energy production, restoration of coral reefs and fisheries habitat, restoration of soil fertility, aquaculture, and waste recycling for SIDS. The partnership focuses on critical, low cost, highly effective, but little known, new technologies that are applicable on small to large scales, and which have not been covered by other venues at UN Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD).
[more]
Lead Partner: Regional Institute for Environmental Technologies - Asian Productivity Organisation (APO)
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Asia and the Pacific Summary: SIGN3-Asias central aim is to promote sustainable investments and to assist in: developing synergies between private capital, institutional investments and Official Development Assistance (ODA). Bringing the broad financial resource streams together is the principal of synergies, which is primarily designed to boost sustainable investments in Asia addressing sustainable development and resource productivity along the global value chain. Shouldering responsibilities between Governments, International Institutions, Transnational Corporation, Local Entrepreneurs will help to leapfrog development and reduce investments risks while addressing the specific needs of each sector developing synergies with existing initiatives in Asia, supported by Asian Governments and interested parties, the UN the EU, USA, International Organisations, i.e., Development Banks, the OECD, Export Credit Agencies, AsRIA and a coalition of progressive business SIGN3-Asia means Sustainable Investment Global Network for Asia. The N3 in the term echoes the need to consider the triple bottom line of sustainable development economic prosperity, social equity and environmental protection in all investment decisions. SIGN3-Asia is a not-for-profit regional network.
SIGN3- Asia's Catalytic Role. There are a number of initiatives aimed at promoting FDI in Asia or affecting the form it takes. No initiative has so far been identified which addresses - sustainable foreign direct investment for a whole region and which attempts to bring the main stakeholders together. SIGN3 needs to build on these initiatives and encourage synergies instead of duplicating efforts. A priority for the initial stages of SIGN 3 is to make contact with the secretariats of all these initiatives and discuss how the synergies between the various initiatives can be exploited. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of France - General Directorate for International Cooperation and Development
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional North Africa Summary: The irrigated agriculture sector is the primary water consumer in North Africa (Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia). These countries have mobilized most of their resources and should now continue to improve management of demand to guarantee the environmental and socio-economic sustainability of the sector. National agricultural water economy strategies have been defined. The aim is that these measures be implemented by local bodies (from the perimeter manager to the agricultural water user) in spite of the difficulties associated with the major technical, social and economic constraints involved. The aim of the research project is to develop new management tools and procedures (via modelling) to try and balance water resources, the needs of plants and social and economic practices in the irrigated perimeters. The aim is to "co-construct " new practices with the irrigated perimeter managers then, via modelling and further trials, to select those which are most suitable and to apply them to other irrigated sites. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Japan - Ministry of the Environment
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Scientific Capacity Building and Enhancement for Sustainable Development in Developing Countries (CAPaBLE) Programme is a concrete initiative introduced by the Ministry of the Environment, Japan and Hyogo Prefecture Government, Japan to specifically realize parts 107 to 114 of the Plan of Implementation for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), and was registered as a WSSD Type II Partnership/Initiative by the Japanese Government in Johannesburg, September 2002. The programme was endorsed by the APNâs Inter-Governmental Meeting in March 2003 and launched in April, 2003. The objectives of the Programme are targeted to enhance scientific capacity in developing countries in the Asia-Pacific Region to improve their decision-making in target areas related to climate change, water and food security, and global change that are directly linked to their sustainable development. Of particular relevance to the CAPaBLE Programme is Part 111 of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation: Establish regular channels between policy-makers and the scientific community for requesting and receiving science and technology advice for the implementation of Agenda 21, and create and strengthen networks for science and education for sustainable development, at all levels, with the aim of sharing experiences and best practices, and building scientific capacities, particularly in developing countries. [more]
Lead Partner: Stakeholder Forum for Our Common Future - Stakeholder Forum for Our Common Future
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Africa Summary: SEAL is a South-South partnership of civil and academic organizations that recognizes the importance of intra-Southern co-operation in promotion sustainable development.
The Secure and Equitable Access to Land (SEAL) partnership aims to secure equitable access by
* Furthering a pragmatic and programmatic approach to land development for food security in Africa
* Sharing the experience from other regions of Asia and Latin America, strengthening the networking structure of civil society in Africa
* Facilitating the adoption and replication of Southern initiative projects on securing access to land for the promotion of poverty eradication and food security within Southern countries with similar climatic and socio-political conditions
SEAL is the result of organizations agreeing to develop a unique collaborative programme to strenthen the networking structure of African civil society and share experiences from Asia and Latin America.
SEAL is a pragmatic networking partnership that is receptive and prepared to work with other networks in partnership for development
Specific Objectives include
* To strengthen civil society initiatives on land
* Strengthening community groups to form a cooperative society for food production and the diversification of land and agricultural resources
* To empower girl-child and women's groups, given the salience of gender equity and the advancement of women in promoting optimal
* To encourage best practices on land use issues, strengthening levels of mutual support and assistance through institutional training and exchange programs. [more]
Lead Partner: Réseau de Consommateurs Responsables Asbl
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The objective of the project is to favour a development of the selling of "responsible" products by supermarkets in optimal conditions in the all European Union. Very briefly described, the "responsible" products (or sustainable, or still ethical) are goods produced in conditions which take into account the respect for the man and for the environment. One includes generally in this category the products of fair trade, the products labellized " socially responsible production " or " ecologically responsible production ", the organic products, those of the social economy, etc
The hope is that spreading information on what other supermarkets do in other European countries will push forward the dynamic in other countries.
This is the quantitative goal. But as important, is the qualitative purpose : to install a stakeholder dialogue in a way to improve the present initiatives and build the most possible win-win relationships with the all interested parties.
A subsequent objective will be added : to begin identifying a methodology of the multistakeholders dialogue and to start implementing places where this kind of dialogue can be installed on a permanent basis. [more]
Lead Partner: Sister Cities International (SCI)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Sister Cities International is creating a network of sister city partnerships committed to implementing the concepts of sustainable development, as outlined by the international community. Through innovative, cross-cultural projects, sister city partners will demonstrate that locally based actions can: (a) be a catalyst for advancing sustainable development concepts throughout the world; (b) improve the quality of life for citizens within their communities; (c) advance the knowledge and practice of sustainable development through long-term, sustainable relationships; (d) mutually reinforce and integrate the goals of good governance, sustainable economic development, social development and environmental stewardship; and (e) achieve concrete results through partnerships with the public and private sector.
The Sister Cities Network for Sustainable Development will involve sister city communities and their citizens, international and U.S. non-governmental organizations, multilateral organizations, corporations, foundations and other major donors to address a variety of issues related to sustainable development as outlined in the United Nations' Agenda 21, the Plan of Implementation adopted at the World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD) and the Millennium Development Goals. Using the Sister Cities Internaitonal "model," sister city partnerships will promote the participation of local citizens in all levels of program development, including identifying project areas, suggesting and designing solutions, overseeing implementation and evaluating results. [more]
Lead Partner: Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) - Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) - Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR)
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Latin America and the Caribbean Summary: Main objectives:
1) To provide capacity building and transfer of know-how to decision makers and other major groups in the Dominican Republic on: organic agriculture`s principles and practices to foster long term sustainable food production, health, revitalize rural development and conserve natural resources.
2) Sharing lessons learned and promote information exchange on cultivation methods, information on marketing, trade, development or improvement of an appropriate legislative framework, certification and other mechanisms to ensure implementation and enforcement of organic agriculture at the local and country level.
3) Preparatory work: Identifying country's additional interests and needs. [more]
Lead Partner: Youth for Sustainable Development Assembly-Pilipin - Youth for Sustainable Development Assembly-Pilipin
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Southeast Asia Summary: This initiative aims to pilot at the sub-regional level a self-sustaining capacity development mechanism for the continuous and direct involvement of local and national youth organizations in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of community-level (village level) sustainable development efforts (eco-village initiatives) in 10 pilot communities in each of the following target countries in the South East Asia Sub region: Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.
The initiative will link both information and community organizing technologies to facilitate through capacity development interventions, the transformation of existing local community groups supported by national youth networks to self sustaining and politically strong youth cooperatives or enterprises engage in sustainable livelihood in such eco-preneurial (conservation-based) enterprises as: a) community-based coastal resource management, b) community-based forest management, c) community-based sustainable agriculture, d) community based ecological solid waste management and e) community-based eco-tourism.
The information generated and manage through an electronic information system once transformed into non-electronic forms of information sharing tools useful and usable at the community level can then be used both for accessing relevant information and opportunities and as a marketing & promotions mechanism for the products and services that will eventually be developed out of the expected community youth-led eco-enterprises to sustain the respective operations of the target community youth groups. [more]
Lead Partner: Centre for Social Markets
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Southern Business Challenge (SBC) is a new international network bringing together progressive companies and entrepreneurs from developing countries to promote an action agenda for sustainability and social justice. All SBC Members are committed to the four principles of sustainable development, social justice, personal ethics and corporate integrity.
The goal of the SBC is to transform debate at international policy fora and promote practical action for equitable and sustainable development. SBC Members are an important new voice and a major new constituency. They mark the emergence of a powerful economic force for progressive change in developing countries. [more]
Lead Partner: Southern Caucus Of NGOs For Sustainable Development
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: THE PARTNERSHIP SHALL:
1. Establish Five Multi Regional Centers to assist in recruitment, mobilization and development of human resources and strengthen Southern Major Group NGO Institutions on Local, National and Regional Levels and increase their Capacity to participate in and contribute to the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation Locally, Nationally and Regionally.
2 Seek resources to implement National NGO Action Plans to Eradicate Poverty, complementary to Government Plans
3 Report on the impact of reduction of poverty programs using UN CSD measurements and report on NGO Sustainable Development achievements and obstacles to participation in Local, National and Regional Sustainable Development.
4 Increase participation of Southern Major Group NGO¿s as observers and experts at Government Regional Meetings with feedback to local communities.
5 Replicate to NGOs in the countries served by the Centers best practices and expert programs developed by National and Regional NGO Major Groups that contribute to Sections IV to VIII of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, including the following:5a Reduce digital divide problems through Digital Divide Centers linked to Distance Learning, Technology Exchange, Higher Education, Research, Technical Assistance and Communications Programs,
5b Provide .
5c Participate in Monitoring and Management of Watersheds, Forests and Carbon Exchange programs [more]
Lead Partner: Leeds City Council
Geographical Scope: Local Summary: The SORM Partnership was established as an innovative partnership-based method of urban river management on the River Aire to fulfil the following strategic objectives:-
- To improve the environment and amenity of the River Aire;
- To support existing groups and organisations already working on the River Aire;
- To improve public perception of the River Aire;
- To increase stakeholder involvement in the management of the River Aire;
- To exchange information on issues affecting the River Aire;
- To develop opportunities for joint working for the benefit of the environment and amenity of the River Aire.
In fulfilling these objectives, the Partnership has a general interest in all water bodies within the metropolitan district of Leeds. For the purposes of this Partnership the River Aire is defined as the 21 miles of the River Aire (and its tributaries, including becks and streams) which flows through the metropolitan district of Leeds. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Benin - Ministry of Planing, Beninese Centre for Sustainable Development (CBDD) - Government of Bhutan - Ministry of Finance, Sustainable Development Secretariat (SDS) - Government of Costa Rica - Ministry of Energy and Environment, Fundecooperation
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: To promote sustainable development on a south-south basis through long term partnership between Benin, Bhutan and Costa Rica by implementing Agenda 21, program for further implementation of Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan of implementation based on the principles of equality, participation and reciprocity. Recognizing that lasting poverty alleviation will be achieved only in the context of sustainable development, the partnership will seek to catalyze the transition to sustainability by supporting innovation in the policies, seeding initiatives and replicating success stories. As the first step to translate the vision and objectives of the partnership into concrete projects, a program for south-south co-operation (PSC) was launched in May 2005. Biodiversity conservation, sustainable tourism, sustainable chains of production and consumption and sustainable energy are the key themes with gender equality as cross cutting issue. The partnership will be implemented through policy dialogues, consultation and participation of the multi-interest groups with focus on pilot and reciprocal projects. [more]
Lead Partner: Earthjustice
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The objective of the Partnership is to help governmental institutions, intergovernmental organizations and civil society in strengthening human rights based measures and policies in sustainable development and environmental protection
To provide training on the relationship between human rights and sustainable development so as to encourage consultation with intergovernmental organizations and major groups possessing expertise in human rights for guidance in sustainable development activities undertaken pursuant to Agenda 21 and the UN Millennium Declaration.
To encourage North-North, North-South, and South-South experience exchanging, networking and advocacy to achieve poverty eradication. [more]
Lead Partner: The National Academies
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The overarching objective of the partnership is to facilitate better communication among scientists, policymakers, and other decision-makers so that scientific knowledge can more effectively inform public policy and private sector decisions relating to sustainability in developing countries. To achieve this objective, the partners are organizing a series of "science in decision-making workshops" in developing countries on key issues of particular concern to the host country such as water and sanitation, persistent organic pollutants, and biodiversity. The workshops convene representatives from the host country and U.S. scientific institutions, government, industry, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and other relevant organizations. Crosscutting themes include monitoring and evaluation; elements of good science advice; facilitating the flow of scientific information; and the roles of institutions that link scientists and decision-makers. [more]
Lead Partner: International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP) - Kenyan National Research Institute
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Africa Summary: Overall goal: Increased household food security in arid and semi-arid areas
1.To promote the development of affordable and low-cost irrigation technologies to ensure the efficient water resource utilisation in agriculture
2.To ensure low-cost irrigation technologies meet the needs of small-scale farmers, by developing research agendas through multi-stakeholder collaboration.
3.To strengthen farmer-to-farmer and farmer-to-researcher information exchange on appropriate, low cost irrigation technologies
Background: Sustainable agriculture and rural development are essential to the implementation of an integrated approach to increasing food production and enhancing food security. Therefore it is vital to encourage and support programmes that enhance, in a sustainable manner, land productivity and the efficient use of water resources in agriculture.
Low-pressure drip irrigation and treadle pumps have presented ways for smallholder farmers to produce high value crops. The technologies are affordable and easy to understand after initial training.
Drip irrigation reduces water use, increases crop yield and gives good quality produce within less time and money as compared to traditional ways of cultivating and irrigating commercial crops.
However the majority of small holders within developing countries are deprived of this technology due to its high initial cost and problems of appropriately adapting it to the specific needs of small holdings. Until recently it has been too expensive to be affordable for poor families and too large for tiny plots of land.
Since 1996, The Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) has worked with low head drip irrigation kits that include a range of small and easy to use, affordable micro irrigation kits to produce high value crops. In addition, a local NGO - Approtec has been promoting treadle pump technology in Kenya since 1998 with good rate of success.
The development of supply chain for affordable drip irrigation kits and treadle pumps through manufacturers, assemblers, dealers, nursery growers and farmers will help in creating small enterprises in particular areas and make the technologies available to smallholder farmers in the arid and semi arid areas.
The main aim of the project is to build upon this initial success in small -scale irrigation within Kenya by initiating a process to up-scale current rates of uptake within pilot areas.
The partnership will employ a multi-stakeholder approach to aaddress the problems faced by farmers in their efforts to use irrigation for food production.
The partnership will enable farmers¿ organisations and research the opportunity to learn, and thus build upon the strengths of this multi-stakeholder approach.
The partnership will also offer the opportunity to transfer knowledge and affordable technology.
Lead Partner: Government of El Salvador - El Salvador National Territorial Studies Bureau
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Central America Summary: The main objective is to contribute to risk reduction in Central America through the effective implementation of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) and the action points of Agenda 21.
Given the frequency, variety and magnitude of the adverse natural phenomena that affect the Central American isthmus, and the vulnerability of its inhabitants, risk reduction is a key prerequisite to achieving sustainable development in the subregion.
Agenda 21 contains significant action points for hazard and risk reduction, particularly in the chapters on Sustainable Human Settlements, Environment and Development, the Planning and Management of Land Resources, Drought, and Protection of the Quality and Supply of Freshwater. The International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) can help to systematize the activities underway to meet these challenges and consolidate the many efforts aimed at risk reduction and environmental protection in Central America. [more]
Lead Partner: Caribbean Community Secretariat (CARICOM)
Geographical Scope: Regional
Summary: A major source of economic pressure for the Caribbean Islands, with the exception of Trinidad and Tobago, is the cost of petroleum importation. Among the regions that scientists expect to be most adversely affected by the impacts of climate change and sea level rise, is the Caribbean. The major contributor to the GHG that drives climate change comes from the burning of fossil fuels like petroleum which contributes more that seventy-five percent of GHG. The region therefore seeks partnership for sustainable energy development that would reduce dependence on petroleum and demonstrate the viability of renewable energy to meet development needs.
Main objectives of the Partnership/Initiative
* Accelerate the transfer and adoption of cleaner and renewable energy technologies.
* Implementing pilot energy efficiency projects to help influence energy.
* Increased availability of adequate, affordable and environmentally sound energy for the sustainable development of the Caribbean islands.
* Build capacity for the training of energy sector professionals who will provide the technical guidance to help the region transition to sustainable energy. [more]
Lead Partner: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: This is a civil society led, government supported, FAO facilitated undertaking.The preliminary focus of the SARD Initiative has currently been focusing on three themes, which were discussed in the International Conference on Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development in Mountain Regions (Adelboden, Switzerland, 6/2002), in the SARD Electronic Forum (6/2002-present) and in a number of local consultations in different regions of the developing world and among some of the NGOs/CSOs attending the World Food Summit: five years later (6/2002). Sub-Initiatives can be organized around the following or other thematic areas of action, based on the interests, priorities, commitment and resources of specific partners involved:
* Access to resources
* Fair conditions of employment
* Good Agricultural Practices for SARD
Given the critical mass of Mountain Governments supporting the SARD Initiative in the Adelboden Declaration, the relevant sub-Initiatives outlined in the Adelboden Plan of Action, and that 2002 is the International Year of the Mountains, it has been proposed that the Initiative should begin with a mountain focus, subject to the interest and resources of concerned stakeholders. The Initiative may capitalize on other key conferences and International Years, for instance, 2003 is the International Year of Fresh Water. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Canada - Industry Canada
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: By partnering with cities in developing and emerging economies, the SCI helps cities define their sustainable development objectives and implement projects to improve the environmental and human health of their community. Multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder city teams (Canadian private sector, government and NGOs) combine forces and resources with local authorities to develop and implement city sustainable development plans. The SCI's main areas of focus are all priority areas for sustainable urban development: clean water, waste management, clean energy, transportation, housing, capacity-building, urban planning, telecommunications, urban infrastructure projects, and waterfront development. By showcasing Canada's expertise in sustainable development technologies and services, the SCI demonstrates the important role the private sector can play in reducing poverty, enhancing quality of life and promoting the principles of good governance. [more]
Lead Partner: Caribbean Community Secretariat (CARICOM) - University of the West Indies
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Caribbean Summary: The overall goal of this initiative is more sustainable management of land resource across the region in order to reverse land degradation and desertification. Current management of land resources need significant improvement in order to address loss of fertility, reduction in fresh water resources, loss of biological diversity, and degradation of coastal ecosystems that are part of the unintended consequences of current land use and management practices. To increase the capacity for sustainable land use (including agriculture, settlement development, tourism, forestry and livestock) in the region, a partnership of national, regional, and international organisations with farming and forestry communities is being proposed. The components of the partnership will be integrated land use management, appropriate technologies, food security, economic development, and environmental protection. [more]
Lead Partner: European Partners for the Environment
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Globally, no institution is mandated to support developing countries respond to this challenge. The scoping study found that an array of multilateral, national, NGO and business initiatives currently exist - in many cases delivering useful results. But these are often small-scale, limited in terms of sectoral scope or types of participants. To deliver genuine benefits to developing country exporters, the study concluded that a dedicated organisation is required that brings together four key attributes:
- practical experience with export promotion;
- expertise in sustainability issues;
- technical competence in innovation; and, crucially
- developing country leadership.
The Sustainable Trade and Innovation Centre aims to fill this gap. The proposed goal of STIC is to enable developing country exporters to respond, anticipate and ultimately shape the environmental and social dimensions of the market, thereby capturing a greater share of the value-added of trade. This can be achieved in three main ways:
i. information exchange
ii. promoting innovation and strengthening skills
iii. brokering solutions
i. Information Exchange
Practical experience has shown that inadequate information is often a major constraint to both developing country producers and the buyers in developed countries. Very often developing country producers lack information on the multitude of standards and regulations that exist in export markets. This is often accompanied by a lack of knowledge and know how on technological and managerial solutions. On the part of the North too there is inadequate information and understanding, not only of the pressures facing businesses operating in the South, but also of the potential for Southern businesses to meet environmental and social challenges. [more]
Lead Partner: Region of Crete
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Balkan and South Mediterranean Summary: Main objectives:
To develop and implement a plan for integrated management of water resources by introducing the concept of risk management emphasizing on drinking water and irrigation to counter-act widespread water scarcity in the regions involved.
To develop the adequate "critical mass" of human resources, infrastructure, technical and methodological tools, on local level referring to Balkan areas and Southeast countries that can ensure the improvement of the level of offered services to the citizens by securing:
a. The qualitative and quantitative control of the water resources and through this, the prevention of hazardous situations to public health, properties and environment due to local and transfrontier caused pollution to the water resources, as well as the prevention of disasters due to draughts or floods in the Balkan and South Mediterranean Countries area, by the early warning of the Local Authorities.
b. The discourage of the potential "pollution contributors" and organizations, industries, farmers and individuals which overuse the water resources.
The proposed objectives satisfy vital practical requirements of the participating areas such as the adequacy of drinking and bathing water, confrontation of disaster and prevention of human lives, etc. while they contribute to the economic and social development of the areas involved.
The trans-regional co-operation secures the success of the proposed objectives by the direct involvement of Organizations that already work on regional level to the above mentioned issues and they have direct knowledge of existent problems and responsibility of water management.
It facilitates the technology and experience transfer from European regions to Balkan areas regarding national models of water management and the adoption of European directives concerning the quality of water and prevention of high risks. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Italy - Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Directorate General for Development Cooperation (DGCS)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional MAP area ( bordering regions of Madre de Dios (Perù), Acre (Brasil), Pando (Bolivia) Summary: The general objective of the programme is to improve the living conditions of the local communities while ensuring the conservation of biological diversity and other ecosystem resources and services of the Amazon forest. This will be achieved by improving the relationships among the different administrative, scientific, conservation and social groups present in the area toward the sustainable and harmonious development of the three neighbouring countries sharing the same ecosystems and, hence, planning and management problems and development opportunities.
More specifically, this objective will be achieved by jointly designing and carrying out a strategy, commonly agreed upon by, and with the contributions of public and private organizations, and the key groups of the three countries, toward the conservation and the sustainable use of the natural resources and of the biodiversity in the south-western Amazonian forest ecosystems.
The above target will be pursued by establishing a systemic transnational framework in support of the integration of existing relevant inter-institutional and information networks and attracting the involvement also of the international donors focussing on other sectors indirectly related to sustainable development and preservation of the biodiversity, such as the fight against drug production, poverty alleviation and food security, access to basic services like health and education, and the strengthening of equitable systems and processes and of social participation. [more]
Lead Partner: National Institute of Public Finance and Policy - Prayas Energy Group - World Resources Institute
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Electricity Governance Initiative seeks to enhance global understanding of electricity sector governance, and build the capacity of governments and civil society to implement good governance. The electricity sector globally has undergone fundamental transformations over the past decade. With new forms of organization, ownership, and technologies have come new and complicated questions about how decisions in the electricity sector are made and who makes them. Electricity reform has raised questions of governance that are increasingly recognized as important, but seldom answered. The Initiative is a partnership of civil society and electricity sector actors, whose goal is to create space for voices representing social and environmental considerations to be included in electricity sector decision-making, and advance implementation of Agenda 21. We seek to develop a common language for understanding governance and to build the capacity of civil society and governments to practice good governance. The partnership complements the efforts of civil society, governments, and private sector actors to advance public interests in the electricity sector. [more]
Lead Partner: INTERSECT
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: At no time in history has the threat to our human and natural resources been so acute. Also, at no other time has there been such a high level of the awareness, capacity, connectivity and commitment required to shift the social environment to one in which sustainability is possible. INTERSECT sees that as the co-epidemics of HIV and Violence Against Women & Girls rage rampantly out of control across the global landscape, not only are women at critical risk and girls, even baby girls, left to face unimaginable dangers, the impact on all aspects of society and the sustainability of the earth are under threat from these, and a vast array of inseparably related issues. Clearly, innovative, far-reaching and never-before-tried collaborative approaches on a massive scale are called for.
INTERSECT envisions and will provide the catalyst for the creation of Intersect Coalitions across nations worldwide to confront the results of HIV, Violence Against Women and Girls and the blowback into other movements caused in their wake. These multi-disciplined, diverse, broad-based Coalitions will inspire and work towards sweeping changes brought about through a shift in our approach to collaboration. The time has come to harness the existing creative energy of all related movements, coalitions, networks, appropriate governmental and intergovernmental institutions, major groups, NGO's, CBO's, grassroots organisations and individuals on an on-going basis, so that commonalities and intersecting points of vision and concern lead the way while bridging existing divides.
INTERSECT will:
* Bring together the Coalitions Networks, NGOs, CBOs, and individuals working in HIV, Violence Against Women and Girls, and all related fields.
* Facilitate Coalition Building Sessions at which Coalition members will make agreements, set aside differences, plan strategies and outreach, and begin to determine their course.
* Help to translate the outcomes of these dialogues into action
* Connect Intersect Coalitions within a given country so that they can act nationally as well as locally, with great strength, visibility and unity. [more]
Lead Partner: Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The SEED Initiative inspires, supports and researches exceptional, entrepreneurial, nascent, multi-stakeholder partnerships for locally-led sustainable development in order to contribute to the delivery of the Millennium Development Goals and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.
The initiative focuses on 'business as unusual' - innovative action delivering real solutions through project cooperation among small and large businesses, local and international NGOs, women's groups, labour organisations, public authorities and UN agencies, and others working in the field of sustainable development.
Through an international award scheme, intensive capacity-building activities and a research programme, the SEED Initiative endeavors to stimulate and build the capacity of outstanding start-up enterprises executing action on the ground; create a conduit for investment in partnerships; disseminate good practice and lessons-learned from successful partnerships to inspire further new partnerships; and generate evidence-based research to assist policy makers.
The SEED Initiative aims to:
• support outstanding and innovative start-up entrepreneurs working in partnership in developing countries to improve livelihoods and manage natural resources sustainably
• develop practical tools to help social and environmental entrepreneurs to scale up
• influence policy-makers to create enabling environments for sustainable development businesses
• inspire new entrepreneurial ventures to deliver social and environmental benefits.
Lead Partner: Government of Japan - Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Geographical Scope: Regional
Summary: At WSSD, Japanese Government launched this partnership to contribute to sustainable development by further encouraging the sharing the know-how of Japanese local governments on environmental problems with local authorities in developing countries. This partnership also intended to promote the Kita-Kyushu Initiative adopted at the 4th Ministerial Meeting on Environment and Development held in Kita-Kyushu City in September 2000.
On March 23, 2003, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan announced the "Initiative for Japan's ODA on Water" at the 3rd World Water Forum. In collaboration with the central government, Japanese public waterworks (operated by local governments) have played a significant role in assisting the ownership and capacity-building for planning, management, and control in the fields of water supply and sewage, as well as developing a network among Asian cities. [more]
Lead Partner: Steering Committee on Transport, Environment and Health
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Europe and North America Summary: Transport, Health and Environment Pan European Programme (THE PEP) aims at making progress towards the achievement of transport patterns that are sustainable for health and the environment by focusing work at the Pan-European level on those priorities where further work of the international community is most needed and could make the biggest impact: integration of environmental and health aspects into transport policies and decisions; shift of the demand for transport towards more sustainable mobility; urban transport issues. In addition, special attention will be given to the needs of the Newly Independent States and South-Eastern European countries as well as to areas, which are particularly sensitive from an environmental point of view.
THE PEP streamlines and consolidates the WHO and UNECE activities on transport, environment and health with a view to a more effective use of resources and better co-ordination of efforts at the international as well at the national level. [more]
Lead Partner: The Travel Foundation - The Travel Foundation - The Travel Foundation
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: To create a step-change in the implementation of sustainable tourism practices by the UK outbound tourism industry, and to build the foundation for an ongoing process of continual improvement and engagement, by:
- Increasing the economic benefits from tourism by promotion of sustainable livelihoods for local communities from meeting the needs of the tourism industry.
- minimising the use of scarce resources - land, soil, energy and water.
- reducing pollution, waste, noise and congestion
- conserving of plants, animals, ecosystems and landscapes including protected areas
- respecting the integrity of the local cultures and avoiding negative effects on social structures of communities affected by the tourism industry
- encouraging responsible behaviour by tourists [more]
Lead Partner: Government of United States of America - Department of State
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Clean Energy Initiative (CEI) is an umbrella energy partnership comprising U.S. activities in the Global Village Energy Partnership, Cleaner Fuels and Vehicles Partnership, Partnership for Clean Indoor Air, and Efficient Energy for Sustainable Development. Collectively, these components will increase access to modern energy services, promote clean transportation fuels, indoor cooking and heating practices, and improve the productivity and efficiency of current energy systems reducing waste, saving money, and improving reliability. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of United States of America - Dept of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional USA-Mexico Summary: Rapid industrialization and population growth have produced profound environmental stresses along the U.S.-Mexico border. Despite efforts by both governments, risks to human health remain a significant problem. The goal of this project is to reduce exposure to environmental hazards, with a focus on children, by improving the capacity of lay community health workers (promotores) in U.S. communities along the US-Mexico border to raise public awareness and inform their peers about such hazards and how to minimize exposure. A seondary goal is to improve the capacity of health professionals in the same communities to recognize, manage, and report pesticide related illnesses. The objectives are: 1) improve knowledge of sources of environmental hazards and ways to minimize exposure; 2) improve knowledge of basic sanitation, referral resources for medical care and legal assistance, 3) understand how to report exposure to agricultural pesticides, 4) improve leadership and communication skills, 5) strengthen public participation through community mobilzation, and 6) develop mechanisms facilitating cross-border sharing of environmental health information. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of United States of America - HHS/CDC
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Flour fortification with iron is an important component of any public health strategy for the prevention of iron, folic acid and other vitamin and mineral deficiency. It works well to deliver iron in constant small needed amounts to a majority of the population. There is widespread recognition that iron and folic acid deficiencies are prevalent throughout the world. The consequences of this are decreased cogitative capacity of the next generation, decreased work productivity, increased maternal deaths, increased disease and increased birth defects.
Cereal flours are a major staple food throughout [g1]the world and in more than 30 countries fortified flour is being used to deliver essential vitamins and minerals in the diet. Flour fortification needs to be supported and expanded globally on an accelerated basis through stronger collaboration between private, public and civic organizations. [g2]The Association of Operative Millers (Africa and Middle East Chapter) is holding its annual meeting October 21-23, 2002in Mauritius. This is one of the largest meetings of flour millers outside of the US to be held this year.
The Micronutrient Initiative, Ottawa, Canada and the HHS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA would like to take advantage of the occasion of the Annual Meeting of AOM to hold a forum immediately following the AOM meeting [g3]for a select number of senior staff from key public and private organizations to plan a joint strategy for Universal Flour Fortification wherever it is necessary and feasible.
Forum Objectives
To reach general agreement by key private, public and civic organizations to
* support the concept of universal flour fortification,
* identify key needs and actions to achieve this objective and
* understand more clearly ways in which each organization could support this
There is an invitation to other organizations interested to join the policy forum and contribute to this initiative. [more]
Lead Partner: Vinyl 2010
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Europe and North America Summary: The Voluntary Commitment of the European PVC industry is a 10-year plan for sustainable development and product stewardship across the life cycle of PVC. It was set up in 2000 to minimise the environmental impact of the PVC production, promote responsible use of additives, support collection and recycling, and encourage social dialogue between all of the industry stakeholders. Vinyl 2010 is the legal entity set up to provide the organisational and financial infrastructure to manage and monitor the actions undertaken as part of the Voluntary Commitment. It groups European vinyl resin manufacturers, plastic converters and producers of stabilisers and plasticisers. The four founding members are: the European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers (ECVM), the European Plastics Converters (EuPC), the European Stabiliser Producers Associations (ESPA) and the European Council for Plasticisers and Intermediates (ECPI).
Vinyl 2010 operates through projects covering technology, research, organisation (e.g. recycling schemes) and communication (e.g. on best practice). Total expenditure on waste management projects reached 8.2 million Euro in 2008 (more than 43 million Euro over the last 8 years) and the resource allocation in terms of time and effort is considerably greater.
As planned from the beginning, the Voluntary Commitment was reviewed and revised in 2006 to take into account practical experience, technical progress and the enlargement of the European Union , and it is now rolled-out across the EU-27.
[more]
Lead Partner: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - European Space Agency (ESA)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The principal objectives of the Integrated Global Observing Strategy are to address how well user requirements are being met by the existing mix of observations, including those of the global observing systems, and how they could be met in the future through better integration and optimization of remote-sensing (especially space-based) and in situ systems.
The Integrated Global Observing Strategy serves as guidance to those responsible for defining and implementing individual observing systems. Implementation of the Strategy, i.e. the establishment and maintenance of the components of an integrated global observing system, remains with those governments and organizations that have made relevant commitments, for example, within the governing councils of the observing systems' sponsors.
The "Theme" approach is a step-wise internal process based on perceived priorities towards the development of the integrated global observing strategy.
The IGOS Partnership brings together the efforts of a number of international bodies concerned with the observational component of global environmental issues, both from a research and a long-term operational programme perspective. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Italy - Ministry for the Environment and Territory
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional North Africa, Horn of Africa, Middle East, East Asia Summary: The overall aim of this partnership is to contribute to the achievement of three principal objectives in the perspective of the Millennium Development Goals:
(1) to contribute to the achievement of water security in water-stressed environments by providing rural and urban populations with fresh water;
(2) to satisfy water needs for nature and food production by a more efficient integrated water management;
(3) to alleviate poverty by providing adapted water and sanitation services particularly to rural populations.
With the view that this Project is focusing on developing countries in arid and semi-arid the following objectives have been identified:
- Improved alternative water resources use and management;
- Improved health conditions reducing vulnerability to water related diseases and water scarcity;
- Improved productivity through identification of wise practices using both traditional knowledge and scientific expertise
- Improved efficiency of water services and treatment systems with the renewable energy. [more]
Lead Partner: WAWI Secretariat
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional West Africa Summary: The West Africa Water Initiative (WAWI) works with communities and governments in Ghana, Mali, and Niger:
1) To increase the access to sustainable, safe water and environmental sanitation for poor and vulnerable communities in rural and peri-urban settings.
2) To reduce the prevalence of water-borne and sanitation-related diseases, particularly trachoma, guinea worm and diarrheal diseases through the promotion of personal hygiene and environmental sanitation practices.
3) To ensure ecologically, financially, and socially sustainable management of water quantity and quality.
4) To foster a new model of partnership and institutional synergy to ensure technical excellence, programmatic innovation, and long-term financial, social and environmental sustainability in water resources management that may be replicable in other parts of the world. [more]
Lead Partner: Netherlands Council of Women (NVR) - Women in Europe for a Common Future (WECF)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: In the Women for Water Initiative existing national and international women's organizations working on sustainable development, water, poverty eradication and gender join forces:
* To give an impulse to IWRM through ownership & partnership for sustainable development
* To provide the missing link between bottom-up initiatives and top-down policy and decision-making
* To provide a means for the implementation of Dublin Principles 2 and 3, especially women's equal participation in IWRM at all levels, including the local level
* To implement Rio Principle 10: Access to information, participation and justice [more]
Lead Partner: Government of France - Centre Français du Commerce Extérieur (CFCE)
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Africa Summary: All the analyses conducted by the CFCE and its clients confirm the importance of modern, stable, predictable and transparent business law in strengthening the inflow of foreign and domestic investment (required to support jobs, management and technology), promoting business growth and ensuring fair regulation of the local impact of the resulting benefits. We also know that sound legal governance exerts an influence on all the structures of national power.
The Africa Circle was set up in January this year with 20 or so members, including specialist lawyers and representatives of UNIDA (Association for the Unification of Law in Africa), ARPEJE (Association for the Renewal and Promotion of International Judicial Exchange) and IDLI (International Development Law Institute).
A questionnaire developed in consultation with all Circle members and issued to some 1,500 businesses working in French-speaking Africa has enabled us to make a more precise evaluation of the knowledge businesses have of African business law.The questionnaire will be used by the economic missions of French Embassies in Africa to evaluate other, larger, target groups of French businesses operating in the 16 countries of French-speaking Africa. [more]
Lead Partner: World Nuclear Association
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The mission of the World Nuclear University (WNU) is to strengthen the international community of people and institutions so as to guide and further develop:
- The safe and increasing use of nuclear power as the one proven technology able to produce clean energy on a large global scale; and
- The many valuable applications of nuclear science and technology that contribute to sustainable agriculture, medicine, nutrition, industrial development, management of fresh water resources and environmental protection.
Through a worldwide network that coordinates, supports and draws on the strengths of established institutions of nuclear learning, the WNU promotes academic rigour and high professional ethics in all phases of nuclear activity, from fuel and isotope supply to decommissioning and waste management.
While looking to the future, the WNU will strengthen capabilities to manage, and responsibly dispose of, the waste legacy of early weapons and power programmes in compliance with rigorous standards of custodianship and environmental protection. [more]
Lead Partner: National Federation of Youth Organisations in Bangladesh
Geographical Scope: National Summary: The prime and primary need to improve the public health condition is to provide the population with pure drinking water, healthful sanitation and increased health care facilities. But the data in hand shows that we are yet in an alarming condition.
From a latest report on Water and Sanitation Condition of Bangladesh about 97% of the total population of our country uses water from tap, tube-well and ring wells. But in the dry season 550 million people suffers from the unavailability of water from the tube wells. And the greatest problem with drinking water is due to Arsenic and unfortunately 320 million people of Bangladesh live in great risk with Arsenic.
In the Sanitation sector about 56.7% of the total population do not use hygienic latrines. 23.7% of the total families leave there wastes in open places and this causes a lot of environment and health hazards.
About 55% of the govt. and registered primary schools do not have pure drinking water and hygienic sanitation facilities. So, a lot of work to be done in this sector and to do that we need a huge number of capable people and thus the employment opportunities are unlimited to say.
. [more]
to collapse the Summary of Partnerships.