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: City of Ancona
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Europe and North America Summary: The Aap2020 project will support and manage the implementation of Agenda 21, involving all local governments of the two sides of the Adriatic region, through a participative process meant to encourage:
* urban and coastal development in all sustainability fields;
* sustainable approach to environmental resources and ecosystems, i.e. rational energy and water supply consumption, promotion of renewable energy and so on;
* improvement in the transport, information and communication fields;
* cooperation in the juridical and administrative field;
* cooperation among citizens and institutions;
* contribution to the fulfilment of European integration of all countries involved, to support human rights defence and to encourage same opportunities for men and women.
All these themes have been approached involving all regional and local stakeholders in a "shared process" oriented to define scenarios, objectives, indicators and actions for the Adriatic Region. The final step of the process will be given by the implementation of the Adriatic Action Plan 2020.
The Adriatic Action Plan 2020 will pursue the following results:
* Dissemination of sustainable development practices through methods of "shared governance";
* Improvement of integration and exchange among communities, searching for a conscious and sustainable life style, efficacious in satisfying necessity of collective and individual development;
* Intensification of economic and business exchange to increase commercial potential of sustainable products;
* Development of local markets and autochthonous productions with valorisation of typical products and local cultures;
* Improvement of standards of environmental quality for all concerned communities;
* Increase of global efficiency in using resources, particularly in the production of consumer goods, services and commodities,
* Closing of material production and consumption cycles with matter recycling and recovery of energy incorporated in products no more used. [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: International Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO (ITC) - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), BIOTRADE Initiative
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The BioTrade Facilitation Programme (BTFP) helps enterprises in developing countries (for example small, medium, and community-based enterprises) with export promotion. To achieve this, it joins several partners in developing and developed countries. The programme supports products that have market potential and can be produced without harming biodiversity. To develop and trade these products, export plans are formulated and then implemented through a set of practical trade promotion services, including market information collection, products development, quality improvement certification, labelling, trade fairs participation and matchmaking. [more]
Lead Partner: Caribbean Community Secretariat (CARICOM)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Caribbean Summary: The main objective of this partnership is the effective protection of the natural heritage of the Caribbean region through the conservation and sustainable management of their natural biodiversity. This will be done through partnerships - a priority component of this initiative is the partnerships between regional organisations, national government agencies, international and national NGOs, local communities and wider civil society with interest in strengthening and upscaling initiatives that have shown to be successful. Objectives for the partnership include:
* Building capacity to provide support for the recording, compilation, and dissemination of traditional knowledge in order to maximising the benefits accruing to the countries and communities that own this knowledge, as well as focus on the application of this knowledge for the conservation and sustainable use of biological resources.
* Significantly increasing regional population awareness of the importance of biological resources, and what is required for protection of this vital resource. Public education and outreach is necessary to help increase public awareness and lay the foundation for community level participation. Awareness programmes will also be directed to traditional owners and potential users of traditional knowledge.
* Assist in the development of capacity at different levels for the identification, conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.
* Protecting traditional knowledge and IPR, enhancing income, and increasing the value of biological resources and local communities' traditional knowledge.
* Build capacity for the management of protected areas.
* Re-institutionalisation of traditional knowledge systems and traditional use of biological resources in the science, history and social components of formal and informal education curricula in the region. [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: 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: Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The objective is ambitious forested tropical countries collaborating to reconcile forest stewardship with economic development: facilitating new and improved revenue streams in order to underpin community-driven environmentally sustainable economic growth.
The Rainforest Coalition will facilitate substantive change within existing international frameworks, national regulations, and corporate policies. Specific to Coalition Initiatives, the Rainforest Coalition will:
Standards: Establish methodologies, standards and compliance & reporting procedures related to rainforest management, biodiversity conservation, sustainable development and climate change
Regulation: Institute domestic regulatory frameworks which uphold the policies and standards developed by the membership while seeking appropriate reform within international regulatory frameworks
Market Access: Facilitate market correction leading to more equitable market access within international markets for carbon emissions trading and certified forest products
Negotiation: Develop a cohesive negotiation platform related to the standards, regulation and market access which underpin the interaction between Developing Nations and Industrialized Economies. [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 United States of America - U.S. Agency for International Development - The Coca-Cola Company
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have created a unique partnership to address community water needs in developing countries around the world. In conjunction with local USAID Missions and Coca-Cola system partners (foundations and bottling facilities), and with support from the Global Environment and Technology Foundation (GETF), the “Water and Development Alliance” (WADA) has committed $14.3 million (2005-2010) thus far to achieve the following objectives in countries where both partners work:
- Establish participatory, sustainable management of water and watershed resources for domestic and productive use and conserve the ecosystems and biodiversity they support;
- Increase the level of access to sustainable, improved sources of water and sanitation services in communities around the world;
- Increase institutional capacity and investments in basic infrastructure;
- Foster improved behaviors in human sanitation and hygiene for positive health impacts.
WADA makes a conscious effort to maximize its impact by aligning multiple goals and pooling diverse resources in creative ways. The alliance makes strategic value-added investments that complement existing long-term development programs of USAID in collaboration with other donors and host country governments. Through engagement with WADA, TCCC also promotes long-term changes in water stewardship within the production facilities of Coca-Cola, as local bottlers are increasingly engaged and demonstrate their commitment to corporate principles by making their own investments to improve water use and management. Building on this, Coca-Cola foundations are able to enhance the positive benefits of their charitable contributions by aligning their community development efforts with WADA projects. The result is a combined partnership impact that is far more than the sum of the parts. [more]
Lead Partner: The Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean (CATHALAC) - The White Water to Blue Water Initiative (WW2BW)
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Latin America and the Caribbean Summary: The development objective of this project is to promote sustainable water and environmental management and human sustainable development. This will be achieved through capacity building, organizational strengthening, direct public participation, decentralized local governance, and small business development. Thus, the project proposes a participatory and bottom-up methodological framework to jointly address the water and environmental management issues, find feasible solutions and suggest new environmentally sound economic activities. Furthermore it is conceived as a project belonging to the local governments with which a protocol of cooperation has been established with CATHALAC. The application of participative strategies is expected to contribute to the strengthening of democracy and give a prominent role to achieving sustainable development, improving the quality of life of the population as a whole and especially the weaker strata including the indigenous Emberá tribe and women, and empowering them as stakeholders of their own destiny. [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 United States of America - U.S. Department of State - Government of United States of America - U.S. Department of State
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Central Africa- Congo Basin Summary: The Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) aims to promote the sustainable management of the Congo Basins' forests and wildlife by improving communication, cooperation, and collaboration among all the partners. It does not intend to create new institutions, but through the partnership forum and transparency and information sharing to assist partners and their associates to work better. Principal objectives include the preservation of the biodiversity and ecology of the forest and wildlife, placing their protection and use on a sustainable basis for the long-term benefit of the region's inhabitants. Examples of support contemplated or extended by partners include support for community-based sustainable forest and wildlife management, better timber harvesting and processing technologies, ecotourism, increasing capacity in public and private sectors, improvement of law and law enforcement infrastructures, realizing their contributions to the alleviation of poverty. Target themes are provided by an updated regional master plan being developed by the Conference of Ministers of Forests of Central Africa (COMIFAC).The Congo Basin forest is the second largest intact tropical forest in the world. It purifies the air and it catches, cleans, and sends to the ocean the waters from millions of hectares of pristine forests upon which the Congo Basin's inhabitants depend for their livelihood and survival. Within their forests are an incredible number of species of plants, trees, animals, and insects. The forest is a global treasure whose resources must be protected and conserved for the environmental and economic good of the citizens of the Congo Basin, of Africa, and for mankind. The forest is concentrated in six countries in the Congo Basin Region.
The framework for the Congo Basin Forest Partnership is the Yaounde Declaration which was agreed to in 1999 by central African heads of State. That framework aims to protect forests through the harmonization of forest policies, protected areas, regulations against poaching and the adoption of practices for sustainable forest use. It recognized the ecological significance of key mixed landscapes which are critical to longer term forest conservation and sustainable management
[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: The World Conservation Union (IUCN), Invasive Species Specialist Group - The World Conservation Union (IUCN), Invasive Species Specialist Group
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional South Pacific Summary: The ultimate goal of the Cooperative Initiative on Invasive Alien Species (IAS) on Islands is to facilitate cooperation in key areas of invasive alien species management on islands. As a result managers, practitioners and policy makers will have increased capacity to define IAS problems, design solutions and implement them, at community, national and subregional level. This in turn, will generate a significant improvement in the conservation of island biological diversity.
Islands and other geographically and evolutionary isolated places are particularly vulnerable to the threat posed by IAS to biodiversity due to high levels of endemism and high numbers of threatened species. The rate of extinctions of native species has been higher on islands than anywhere else in the world. Threats to biodiversity also affect the ecosystem functions, and the cultural and economic use made of biodiversity by local communities. However, while islands are more vulnerable to invasions by alien species, they also present special opportunities for preventing new alien invasions and for eradicating or controlling existing IAS.
The development of this initiative will facilitate further progress on an international scale,
starting in the South Pacific sub-region and then expanding to a global approach by applying this sub-regional experience more widely. It will eventually encompass all islands that have significant biodiversity, including small island developing States, other island countries and any countries with islands.
* Objectives of the initiative are
* Build local, national and sub-regional capacity
* Systematically develop better techniques
* Share knowledge, skills and techniques internationally
* Make better use of existing information [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: ECOTRANS e. V. - United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) - Production and Consumption Branch - European Environment Agency (EEA) - World Tourism Organization (WTO) - UN Agency
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Europe Summary: DestiNet http://destinet.ewindows.eu.org - is a portal that provides information on sustainable tourism, and is primarily targeted at tourist destinations. Started in 2002 by the EEA the portal is now expanded to include Partner inputs from a wide range of tourism disciplines, via the ECOTRANS network of European sustainable tourism interests. The information provided on DestiNet includes tips on best practice in resource management, links to relevant websites and uploaded reports and articles.
The Partners intend to enhance the effectiveness of their multilateral efforts to protect the environment by focusing on improving communication and knowledge exchange among themselves and their stakeholders The effort will optimise decision making on issues relevant to developing, enhancing, and evaluating, policy measures, and the success of regulatory and voluntary actions concerning tourism and tourism destinations.
DestiNet website shall represent the leading communication and information dissemination platform for partners and relevant tourism communities to collaborate on information development and publishing Additionally the website will be used to organize events, select indicator methodologies, report on best practices, compare service eco-efficiency statements and labels, post news and announcements, propose models and tools for managing technologies and natural resources. [more]
Lead Partner: Future Harvest Foundation - Future Harvest Foundation
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Goals: To promote Science, Practice and Policy for Land Use Systems that Jointly increase Food Production, Reduce Rural Poverty, and Conserve Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services by catalysing:
* Research and land-use innovation with farmers and conservationists
* Capacity building
* Education and public awareness
* Enabling policies
* Resource mobilisation
Expected Results:
1. An international conference of ecoagriculture innovators
2. Support for on-going ecoagriculture field projects or community based initiatives
3. Identification and publicize communities managing successful ecoagriculture systems
4. Promotion of ecoagriculture education, training and capacity building
5. Promotion of information dissemination and thus public awareness of the potentials of ecoagriculture [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: EVE-olution Foundation
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: OUR SOLUTION:
To increase the number and profit of women entrepreneurs in developing nations with the help of retired executives from developed nations to coach them.
OUR MISSION:
To sustain women entrepreneurs in developing countries to emerge successfully in the global market by embracing the ¿Export Fever¿®
OUR PROCESS:
We are capitalizing potentials and selecting them by MBAs worldwide and in site tutors
We are coaching women selected with the help of motivated retired executives
OUR GOAL:
To challenge their new influence and position with their country leaders to build a healthier and secure Planet for our kids. [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: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) - Uppsala University
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional The Baltic Sea region (Europe) and the Great Lakes region (USA & Canada) Summary: The goal is to develop a new educational package on Ecosystem Health and Sustainable Agriculture and transfer knowledge on sustainable agriculture, land use, rural development, ecosystem health and management to teachers, students and professionals in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR in Europe) and in the Great Lakes Region (GLR in USA & Canada). The Baltic Sea is affected by many different environmental problems from different sources. Discharges of nutrients from agriculture and waste-water treatment plants, as well as discharge from industries, and waste facilities leads to eutrophication and other forms of pollution. It is important to increase the knowledge of and improve the management of land and land use to prevent pollution from agriculture from reaching the Baltic Sea or the Great Lakes. It is also of great importance to use the whole ecosystem health concept to understand and prevent problems for the future. As the need of knowledge regarding ecosystem health, sustainable land use in rural areas, rural development and sustainable agriculture will be a precondition for our future, it is of great importance that this knowledge can be offered to students, teachers, experts and people working in government offices, ministries, municipalities and as agricultural advisors and agricultural managers in the Baltic Sea region and in the Great Lakes region.
The goal of the project is to transfer knowledge through a series of seminars and training courses and at the same time to develop a new educational package on sustainable agriculture, land use, rural development, ecosystem health and management to teachers, students and people working in government offices, ministries, municipalities and as agricultural advisors and agricultural managers.
This partnership cooperation is unique, as it not only represents the Baltic Sea region (Europe) and the Great Lakes region (USA and Canada) but it also represents a cooperation between agronomists, veterinarians, nature geographers, biologists, chemists, animal scientists, wildlife biologists, public health professionals, economists, business and policy experts etc. It also elaborates a new concept on sustainable agriculture and its part in the rural ecosystem. In this course package not only will sustainable agriculture from the different aspects represented by the above mentioned professions be covered, there will also be substantial knowledge on such subjects as land use and rural development, climate change, ecosystem health and the interactions between the wild and domestic animal populations, as well as public health components and poverty alleviation.
The EHSA project contributes to the implementation of the Baltic 21 Agricultural sector action programme, where education, training and information for farmers, future experts and advisors, policy makers and consumers figure as one of the most important actions. It is also a Baltic 21 Lighthouse project since March 2007. [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: The EOLSS Publishers Ltd. - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), EOLSS Joint Committee
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), the world biggest web-based archive as transdisciplinary knowledge base of sustainable development.
It is, in fact, a global partnership among thousands of scholars aimed at creating an integrated knowledge base in support of sustainable development efforts. Thus, the EOLSS Project is a project in support of all other projects related to sustainable development irrespective at the level they have been carried out: local, governmental, regional or global.
* It addresses the issue of knowledge and education for sustainability
* It is a unique archive created as a valuable source of knowledge to help other projects related to sustainable development.
* It provides a basis for inspiration. In the words of Leon M. Lederman, Nobel Laureate in Physics, the EOLSS is 'the theme of humanity, embedded in nature and constrained to find ways of maintaining a relationship with nature based on understanding and respect'
* The EOLSS has been regularly updated to be a living encyclopedia, not merely a replicated publication.
* It is innovative project- a global effort towards the creation of an integrated knowledge base in support of sustainable development
* It need not be replicated but it should be continued to enhance and update the knowledge base it develops
* It is first to inform decisions in the process of development and to inspire leadership. It is innovative in the sense that it is aimed at developing a base of integrated knowledge that addresses the contemporary issues of the world. [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: 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: 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: 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: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Regional Bureau for Europe and CIS - United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Danube - Black Sea Basin Summary: The Global Environment Facility Strategic Partnership on the Black Sea and Danube Basin is an initiative aimed to address the root causes of environmental degradation in this region and promote investments and capacity building to return the Black Sea/Danube Basin environment to its 1960s condition. The GEF funded Partnership has been established with the cooperation of the World Bank, UNDP, UNEP and other multilateral and bilateral financiers and basin countries.
The elements of the Partnership are two UNDP Regional Projects and the WB Investment Fund:
* The Danube Regional Project (DRB): Strengthening the Implementation Capacities for Nutrient Reduction and Transboundary Cooperation in the Danube River Basin
* The Black Sea Ecosystems Recovery Project (BSERP): Control of eutrophication, hazardous substances and related measures for rehabilitating the Black Sea ecosystem
* World Bank Investment Fund for Nutrient Reduction in the Black Sea/Danube Basin
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Lead Partner: Government of Italy - (Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea); - United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The purpose of the Global Bioenergy Partnership is to provide a mechanism for Partners to organize, coordinate and implement targeted international research, development, demonstration and commercial activities related to production, delivery, conversion and use of biomass for energy, with a particular focus on developing countries. GBEP also provides a forum for implementing effective policy frameworks, identifying ways and means to support investments, and removing barriers to collaborative project development and implementation.
The Partnership's main objectives are to:
1. Create a global high-level policy dialogue on bioenergy, support national and regional bioenergy policy-making and market development, and facilitate international cooperation.
2. Favour more efficient and sustainable uses of biomass and develop project activities in the bioenergy field.
3. Foster the exchange of information, knowledge skills and technologies by identifying and promote potential areas of bilateral and multilateral collaboration.
4. Facilitate bioenergy integration into energy markets by tackling specific barriers in the supply chain.
5. Act as a cross-cutting initiative, working in synergy with other relevant activities, avoiding duplications.
[more]
Lead Partner: The Global Conservation Trust
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Global Conservation Trust is a public-private partnership whose goal is to establish an endowment fund that will provide a permanent source of funding for ex situ conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture around the world.
The goal of the Trust is also to assure the availability of genetic material that underpins the global food supply to all researchers and scientists in perpetuity. The Trust will permit international institutions and governments to keep three promises:
* In 1994, the International Agricultural Research Centres of the CGIAR made a commitment to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to hold the plant genetic resources collections housed in the Centres in trust for humanity;
* In 1996, 150 countries adopted the Global Plan of Action for the Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, pledging to develop and support a rational system of ex situ genetic resources conservation;
* In 2001, 140 countries adopted the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, a promise to promote the development of an efficient and equitable global system of genetic resources exchange. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Italy - Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Directorate General for Development Cooperation (DGCS) - Government of United States of America - U.S.A - The World Conservation Union (IUCN) - I.A.O. - Istituto Agronomico per l'Oltremare
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Main objectives: To make geo-referenced data and projects on the environment and natural resources worldwide more accessible, with emphasis on developing countries, as a contribution to consolidating the capacities of both institutional and private decision-makers to effectively and sustainably address their development pursuits. This important objective focuses on relevant planning and management challenges which emerge within the framework of current sustainable development constraints, as summarized hereafter.
Global concerns about food security for the growing populations in developing countries, environmental degradation, and climate change or variation, and civil unrest have underscored the need for consistent and timely biophysical and socio-economic geo-information. Technological approaches are now available to quantify, document, and disseminate information on fluctuations and trends in the environmental parameters and natural resources, climate, changes in vegetation cover, surface waters, wetlands, land quality (including degradation), desert margins, settlements and other land cover features at local, national, regional and global levels.
A number of land cover classification projects have been developed to provide for the growing demand for information at global and regional levels. For example, recent products include the global land-cover dataset (IGBP-DIS for coarse resolution information) and Africover in East Africa for detailed high-resolution assessments. These and other more localized projects produce potentially valuable information on the current status of the environment and natural resources which could help assess trends through time or predict and model future development scenarios. This information from diverse sources, however, can be applied more effectively toward meeting sustainable development needs especially relative to capacity building and applications.
There is a great need to bridge the digital and knowledge divide by consolidating the capacity of both institutions and local-level users to actually manage the technical implications of accessing, integrating, up-dating, and adding local value to geo-information that is used in decision-making. Specific regard must be given to the local and sub-national as well as regional and/or global levels in the provision of on-the-job training, the development of integrated databases, model development, networking, and remote sensing testing and interpretation. [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.
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Lead Partner: International Steering Cttee for Global Mapping (ISCGM)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Global Mapping is an international collaborative initiative through voluntary participation of national mapping organizations of the world, aiming to develop globally homogeneous geographic data set at the ground resolution of 1km, and to establish concrete partnership among governments, NGOs, private sectors, data providers and users to share information and knowledge for sound decision-making. Primary objective of Global Mapping is to contribute to the sustainable development through the provision of base framework geographic dataset, which is necessary to understand the current situation and changes of environment of the world. [more]
Lead Partner: Global Water Partnership Secretariat
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Global Water Partnership is a working partnership among all those involved in water management: government agencies, public institutions, private companies, professional organizations, multilateral development agencies and others committed to the Dublin-Rio principles.
Today, this comprehensive partnership actively identifies critical knowledge needs at global, regional and national levels, helps design programs for meeting these needs, and serves as a mechanism for alliance building and information exchange on integrated water resources management.
The mission of the Global Water Partnership is to "support countries in the sustainable management of their water resources."
The GWP's objectives are to:
- Clearly establish the principles of sustainable water resources management,
- Identify gaps and stimulate partners to meet critical needs within their available human and financial resources,
- Support action at the local, national, regional or riverbasin level that follows principles of sustainable water resources management,
- Help match needs to available resources.
Although it is widely understood that water should be holistically managed, it was not until the Dublin Conference on Water and the Environment in 1992 and the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 that a more comprehensive approach to water management was judged necessary for sustainable development. This awareness, together with the need for participatory institutional mechanisms related to water, called for a new coordinating organisation. In response to this demand, the World Bank, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) created the Global Water Partnership (GWP) in 1996.
This initiative was based on promoting and implementing integrated water resources management through the development of a worldwide network that could pull together financial, technical, policy and human resources to address the critical issues of sustainable water management. [more]
Lead Partner: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The overall goal of the project is to identify and safeguard Globally Important Ingenious Agricultural Heritage Systems and their associated landscapes, agricultural biodiversity and knowledge systems through catalyzing and establishing a long-term programme to support such systems and enhance global, national and local benefits derived through their dynamic conservation, sustainable management and enhanced viability.
To achieve this goal, the main objectives are to:
1) Leverage global and national recognition of the importance of GIAHS and institutional support for their safeguard;
2) Build capacity of local farming communities and local and national institutions to conserve and manage GIAHS, generate income and add economic value to goods and services of such systems in a sustainable fashion;
3) Promote enabling policy, regulatory and incentive environments to support their conservation, evolutionary adaptation and viability.
The project will be implemented in 10 pilot systems worldwide. The long term programme will build on the experiences and lessons learnt in up to 10 pilot systems/sites.
The project development phase (PDF-B) (18 months 2004-2005) will
- select the 10 initial systems/sites;
- develop a methodological framework and a step by step approach for the participatory development and implementation of the framework strategy and actions for a ¿dynamic conservation¿ of the pilot systems;
- establish participatory mechanisms and processes and design Pilot Frameworks in each pilot system and country
- develop a communication strategy and plan;
- leverage global and national support and co-funding arrangements for the full scale project
- develop the full project executive summary and project document. for the implementation of the programme.
The fullscale project (2005-2010) will develop and test the methodologies for dynamic conservation and sustainable management of GIAHS in 10 pilot systems through implementation of the pilot frameworks. [more]
Lead Partner: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Great Apes Survival Project (GRASP)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Main objective of the Partnership is to lift the threat of imminent or medium term extinction faced by the four main kinds of great apes (bonobos, chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans.
The immediate objectives leading to the achievement of the Partnership's goal include;
- To promote the Global Strategy for the Survival of Great Apes and Their Habitat;
- To determine the potential of sites, monitor populations of great apes and establish a database of great ape population information;
- To collate and analyse existing projects and initiatives at different levels, in order to identify gaps and set priorities in action and to encourage coordination and cooperation;
- To encourage range States to prepare and implement national action plans for the survival of great ape populations and their habitat and ensure that they have the necessary resources to do so;
- To prioritize the use of resources for optimum effectiveness and identify funding areas that are currently neglected and underfunded;
- To promote and enforce a legal framework for the survival of great apes and their habitat in the countries concerned;
- To identify and support income-generating initiatives for the benefit of communities living in and around great ape habitat and protected areas, with due consideration for indigenous communities and to ensure, where it becomes imperative to resettle indigenous people in conformity with United Nations guidelines, that compensation is paid with international support;
- To educate and raise awareness among local populations;
- To help generate new and additional funds for the survival of great apes and their habitat and to ensure that the international community in the widest sense (donor States, international organizations and institutions, non-governmental organizations and representatives of private business and industry) provides effective and coherent support to the efforts being made by the great ape range States.
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: Pro-Natura International
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Many carbon sequestration initiatives, both public and private, are being implemented with the involvement of a wide spectrum of solutions. They nonetheless suffer from being scattered, difficult to access, and uneven in terms of quality. Overall access to proper scientific and technical information is also difficult and there is a lack of clear norms for carbon assets certification and verification. New R&D studies as well as pilot projects are proliferating world-wide; but there is no common platform where information relating to these activities can be gathered, organised and made accessible to interested parties including financial sources to support new pilot projects.
To solve this problem, Pro-Natura International and Eco-Carbone have joined forces. They are now proposing to create the International Centre for Carbon Sequestration (ICCS). This initiative is already supported by companies from the oil industry and other industrial sectors that are high emitters of GHGs, together with Trade Associations. Support has also been mobilised from the agricultural and forestry sectors as well as from public and private financial agencies.
The main objective of the ICCS is to provide and share information on carbon sequestration and biomass energy at an international level. All forms will be covered, whether physical, chemical or biological (forests and agricultural land). More specifically, the ICCS will constitute a platform where interested parties will find the overall information on R&D, pilot projects, best practices, and financial and economic aspects, including risk assessment. A special emphasis will be put on meeting the needs of developing countries, particularly African ones. [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
[more]
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: Government of Canada - International Development Research Centre - Government of Canada - Natural Resources Canada - Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The International Model Forest Network (IMFN) is a voluntary association of partners from around the world working toward the common goal of sustainable management of forest landscapes and natural resources. The IMFN is based on an innovative approach that combines the social, cultural and economic needs of local communities with the long-term sustainability of forest landscapes. The more than 40 model forests operating around the world make up the international network.
Model forests are primarily about people, the communities they live in and the sustainable management of the landscapes and resources they rely on. They provide the geographic foundation upon which people of differing values can meet, build a partnership and define what sustainability means in their particular context. The partnership plans its own program of activities and sets its own sustainability goals, and then works together to achieve those goals.
The International Model Forest Network Secretariat (IMFNS, the Secretariat) was established in 1995 in Ottawa, Canada, to support the development of a global network of model forests that would:
-Foster an international exchange of ideas on the concept of sustainable forest management (SFM)
-Facilitate international cooperation in the application of SFM at the field level
-Use these concepts and applications to support ongoing international discussions on the principles, criteria, and policies related to SFM
[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: 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: Government of Italy - Ministry of Foreign Affairs - The World Conservation Union (IUCN) - CESVI- Working for Water
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Limpopo Corridor Summary: This partnership supports participation of communities living in areas adjacent to the Great Limpopo Trans-frontier Park (GL-TFP) in the TFP establishment process. The TFP is being establishment by the Governments of Zimbabwe, RSA and Mozambique as a first step in the process of developing a broader TFCA: this in its broad concept encompasses a vast area of almost 100.000 km2, including two National Parks and a Reserved Hunting Area in Mozambique (Banhine NP, Zinave NP and Limpopo NP), Kruger NP in South Africa and Gonarezhou NP in Zimbabwe.
This partnership programme focus on poverty alleviation and the conservation of biological diversity and ecosystem functioning through institutional capacity building, and the involvement and livelihood enhancement of local communities. Its components target selected rural areas mediating nodal ecosystemic and economic fluxes (e.g. wildlife and commercial corridors and buffer zones) within the programmed large scope multipurpose cross-boundary conservation area. the Great Limpopo Trans-frontier Park (GL TFP). Ecosystem management in these areas holds the potential to make or break the GL TFP and, at the same time, to make or break the economic future of its own rural communities. With appropriate land use planning and development, the target areas can act as links between the components of the Transfrontier Park, can enhance their ecological and economic values and can provide an ecologically sound economic engine for the disadvantaged target areas.
The partnership programme will be based on two components:
1. Foundation component: this will build on a pilot project implemented in the southeast lowveld of Zimbabwe (1998-2003) by CESVI in cooperation with the Rural District Councils of Beitbridge, Chiredzi and Chipinge: this pilot component has promoted community-based natural resource management in communal lands in the Limpopo and Save valleys, along the border with South Africa, Mozambique and Botswana. The target areas of the project include, inter alia, rural areas bordering the Gonarezhou National Park which have strong historical and social links with neighboring areas in Mozambique and South Africa.
2. New partnership component: this component will comprise two projects (sub-components), which will address country specific issues in a coordinated manner:
* The South African sub-component, to be implemented in cooperation with the Department of Water Affairs and SANP in areas adjacent to Kruger NP.
* The Mozambican sub-component, to be implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to address the requirements of a vast rural area between the Limpopo NP, Banhine NP, Zinave NP and the border with Zimbabwe. [more]
Lead Partner: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) - United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Developing local capacities and mechanisms for adapting and implementing global principles and norms of sustainable urbanisation (including related MEA¿S e.g. on climate change; air quality; water management, biodiversity);Strengthening the capacities of local (and national) actors for contributing local experiences and expertise to the formulation of global principles and norms. [more]
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: 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 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: 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: United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Building nationally the capacities of local and central governments, associations of local authorities, and training institutions to routinely integrate the lessons of experience from local demonstrations into national sustainable urbanisation and poverty alleviation policies, up-scaling strategies, and associated legal frameworks. In other words: Developing institutional frameworks and national networks for sustained EPM support. [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: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), BIOTRADE Initiative - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), BIOTRADE Initiative
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Andean and Amazon region Summary: Smallholder producers and SMEs active in products and services derived from biodiversity frequently have difficulties attracting long-term finance. Obstacles are greatest for enterprises seeking debt and equity financing to conduct feasibility studies; start up businesses; secure patents and legal rights; develop/test new products; expand; convert to sustainable practices; or move into value-added products.
Although a number of initiatives have already been launched to address these needs, experience so far shows that many companies are not able to fully benefit from these initiatives, due to the small amount of capital required, the nature of the products, and the type of the enterprises involved (i.e. community-based enterprises or start-ups). Many enterprises still lack managerial capacity to scale up their business without compromising the environmental and social components, to introduce products to new markets, and to develop strategic partnerships.
In order to cater for these needs, CAF, WRI, and the BIOTRADE Initiative of UNCTAD have entered into a partnership to organize a Investor Forum entitled 'New Ventures Biodiversity Investor Forum - for the Andean and Amazonian regions'. The objective is to support existing and start-up small and medium sized bio-businesses from the Andean and Amazonian regions to access credit and venture capital to overcome their difficulties in obtaining long-term finance. The three organizations have designed an approach comprising three stages:
1) A technical assistance track to up-grade biodiversity-based businesses and business plans.
2) Organization of investor forums - i.e. New Ventures Forum - introducing special measures to cater for some of the financial needs of biodiversity-based businesses.
3) Facilitation of access to credit from national financial institutions for promising business proposals that were nevertheless not selected for the investor forum.
The aim of this partnership is to promote concrete bio-businesses to set examples of successful sustainable use initiatives and attract additional investments for sustainable development.
Expected results:
* An increased number of bio-businesses will have received credits, equity capital and technical assistance grants to finance business activities that support sustainable development.
* An increased visibility for the bio-business sector and the opportunities generated for sustainable local development and biodiversity conservation.
* Increased priority for bio-business development in agendas of Government, private sector, local and indigenous communities, donors and other relevant stakeholders.
* A methodology that can be replicated in a cost effective way in other regions. [more]
Lead Partner: Nile Basin Initiative Secretariat
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Nile Basin Summary: (Vision); To achieve sustainable socioeconomic development through the equitable utilization of, and benefit from the common Nile Basin water resources.
Objectives;
1. to develop the Water resources of the Nile in a sustainable and equitable way to ensure prosperity, security and peace for all its people
2. to ensure efficient water management and the optimal use of the resources
3. to ensure cooperation and joint action between the riparian countries, seeking win-win gains
4. to target poverty eradication and promote economic integration
5. to ensure that the program results in a move from planning to action
[more]
Lead Partner: Japan Water Forum
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: * to encourage the creation of national partnerships in industrialized countries to deal with unresolved and emerging water issues within the countries and to provide "windows" through which the countries water sector interfaces with the international water community.
* to facilitate the development of networks among industrialized countries to exchange experiences and good practices of water resources and services management and interact with partnerships in developing countries.
* to bring water issues in industrialized countries to the World Water Forums and other global events to be discussed in multi-stakeholder sessions and to be presented to politicians and decision-makers.
[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.
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Lead Partner: International Association of Scientific Technical and Medical Publishers - United Nations Environment Programme - Yale University
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Through Online Access to Research in the Environment (OARE), a new international public-private partnership, the world’s most prestigious scientific publishers, societies and associations are now offering one of the world’s largest collections of peer-reviewed natural and environmental science literature to more than 1500 national institutions in 106 least-developed nations of Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and Eastern Europe.
Launched October 30, 2006 in New York, OARE has a mission to improve the quality and effectiveness of natural and environmental science research, education and training in low-income countries. In doing so, OARE will help achieve four primary development objectives:
• Growth in the number of national scholars and experts who will, through their knowledge and reputation, integrate into and facilitate the development of more progressive science-driven policy development processes, regulatory frameworks, and governance structures.
• Strengthen the intellectual foundation of universities and research institutions so as to enable faculty to perform research on a par with peers in industrialized countries, develop their own publishing record, and enable students to conduct research and seek education in new and emerging subjects.
• Build the capacity of independent national organizations to gather, interpret, and disseminate and use global scientific research. Local rather than foreign organizations will engage/empower end-users of information.
The average annual US institutional subscription fee of each title provided through OARE is approximately $1,500. Each institution enrolled in OARE will receive access to more than 1200 serial titles and search engines with a US annual retail subscription value of more than $1 million. The total US annual retail subscription value of scholarly literature and scientific search engines to be provided through OARE to all enrolled institutions is more than $200 million per year.
Research is provided in a wide range of disciplines, including biotechnology, biology, botany, climate change, wildlife conservation, ecology, energy, environmental chemistry, environmental economics, environmental engineering and planning, environmental law and policy, environmental toxicology and pollution, forest and fisheries sciences, geography and population studies, geology, meteorology, natural disaster prevention, natural resource management, oceanography, urban planning, water and hydrology, zoology, and many others. In addition to obtaining direct access to vast quantities of scientific findings, developing countries will be provided access to the world’s most powerful scientific abstract and information databases and indexes, critical intellectual tools the scientific community uses to identify information located in tens of thousands of articles across thousands of international publications.
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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: World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), South Pacific Program - Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) - South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Pacific Summary: The initiative aims to achieve its objective through the mainstreaming of biodiversity at all levels, including such issues as:
* Methods (both scientific and traditional) and field activities for the identification, protection, conservation and sustainable use of Pacific biodiversity access and equitable benefit sharing from the use of genetic resources protection and strengthening of traditional knowledge, practises innovation and management systems putting real economic value on biodiversity.
* A complementary and participatory approach to conservation will be promoted, including both ex situ and in situ strategies, developed on the basis of both scientific and traditional knowledge.
* A key strategy will be to protect and strengthen traditional knowledge on the use of biodiversity - including agricultural, forestry, wildlife and marine resources - for food, medicine, fibre, shelter and ceremonial purposes - and other relevant expressions of culture in the Pacific Islands. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia Summary: Mission statement: To contribute to the protection and improvement of the environment, an improvement in quality of life, and the promotion of sustainable development in Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia, through partnership projects involving the public and private sectors and civil society.
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Lead Partner: Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)
Geographical Scope: National Summary: The Belgian partnership with the CGIAR includes an important part devoted to the education and training of young scientist of the South in highly specialised laboratories for agricultural research in Belgium and in other developed countries.
The main objectives of the agricultural research activities for development, in the frame of this partnership and of the CGIAR in general, are to contribute to food security and poverty eradication in developing countries through research partnerships, capacity building, and policy support, promoting sustainable agricultural development based on the environmentally sound management of natural resources.
Expected results:
* contribute to the promotion of sustainable agriculture and rural development through an increase of the food production and a better organisation of local and regional markets
* contribute to the well being of poor farmers in the South so that they take part, effectively and in a socially acceptable way, in the economic development of their countries while conserving biodiversity and the environment
* strengthening the involvement of all the partners in international agricultural research for development especially those of the Southern countries
* capacity building and participatory approaches to sustainable development [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Mexico - SEMARNAT: Subsecretaría de Fomento y Normatividad Ambiental - Rainforest Alliance - United Nations Environment Program - DTIE
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Sustainable tourism works to protect the environment and the rights and livelihoods of local communities. Tourism businesses – including hotels, lodges, and tour operators -- can demonstrate their commitment to sustainability by meeting the standards for social and environmental practices that have been created by leading national and international certification programs. These objective, third-party organizations offer an authoritative “seal of approval” to those businesses meeting standards that conserve biodiversity and promote the well-being of workers and communities. There are more than 50 certification programs worldwide that have created national and international standards for sustainable tourism and ecotourism, and more are being created every year. However, key questions arise about them:
How can the public tell which of these programs are credible?
How can tourism businesses choose which sets of standards will have legitimacy?
Which programs can show that they are making a difference – that certified tourism businesses have tangible impacts on workers, communities, and the environment and that businesses benefit from being certified?
And how can tourists be confident that the programs audit, certify, and provide continuous monitoring of those businesses that are serious about social and environmental sustainability and accountability.
In response to these challenges, a coalition of tourism industry associations, nonprofit civil society organizations (NGOs), private foundations, and U.N. and government agencies has been working to create a global Sustainable Tourism Stewardship Council (STSC) -- an umbrella organization that would set universal minimum standards for certification programs and accredit those that meet them. This effort is currently being led by a board of directors that includes 17 organizations including representatives from international NGOs and the private sector and a Technical and Scientific Council that with participation of the United Nations Environment Program, the UN World Tourism Organization, and Rainforest Alliance, the international conservation organization that has provided technical and administrative leadership for the effort since 2001.
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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: Government of Italy - Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Directorate General for Development Cooperation (DGCS) - United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) - United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Goal: improve living standards among islands¿ residents while sustaining conservation of unique biodiversity.
Main challenge: foster the role of residents in setting planning agendas and participating fully in their islands' development.
Objective 1: provide opportunities for horizontal know-how transfer among relevant professional staff from both archipelagos, and to promote the involvement of the islands' residents in planning processes together with their participation in the sustainable development of the islands.
Low levels of awareness on the relationships linking the conservation of ecosystems, natural resources and biological diversity and the generation of concrete and sustainable development opportunities, is an issue to be addressed, at different levels, in both archipelagos. This extends to officials, community leaders as well as the local business community. There is an urgent need to strengthen the capacities of relevant institutions and society to work in a systemic and cross-sectoral fashion to improve the overall management of the island's resources.
Objective 2: contribute to the consolidation of relevant institutional capacities in the systemic planning and management of sustainable development, by promoting inter-linkage and information exchange between relevant institutions and administrations, as well as boosting their capacity to dialogue with local communities, NGOs and the general public. [more]
Lead Partner: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Conservation Monitoring Centre
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Proteus is a public-private partnership established in the spirit of the Johannesburg summit ¿ business, multilateral organizations, governments and NGOs working together to achieve more. Proteus aims to gather and analyze the best available data on the world¿s living resources, such as species and ecosystems, and make it available globally as usable and accessible information suitable for decision-making. [more]
Lead Partner: The Asia-Pacific Regional Technology Centre
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: APRTC's Web-based online eLearning programme agLe@rn - uses modern information, communication and educational technologies to provide individuals working with small holder farmers with the updated knowledge and skills they need to be effective agents of change for sustainable agriculture. The value and feasibility of eLearning is proving itself and has a demonstrated potential to help bridge the knowledge and technology gaps that exist between what is known in centers of learning and what information and knowledge is needed among the millions of the developing world's rural population. [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: Public Interest Intellectual Property Advisors
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Public Interest Intellectual Property Advisors is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation whose primary goal is to improve the ability of developing countries to manage, protect, or challenge intellectual property in the public interest. To this end, PIIPA was formed to help governments, government agencies and non-government public service organizations acquire intellectual property expertise on a pro bono basis, in order to meet the health, agricultural, environmental and cultural needs of developing countries. PIIPA seeks to promote volunteerism among intellectual property professionals worldwide to serve developing country public interest needs. PIIPA serves as a mechanism for networking between intellectual property legal professionals in different countries, and as outreach to such professionals. PIIPA offers services to those who need assistance from a broad range of areas, including: intergovernmental organizations (e.g., WHO, UNAIDS, FAO, South Centre); non-industrialized country governments and government agencies; certain research institutions (e.g., universities and government funded public laboratories in developing countries); international research consortia (e.g., CGIAR centers, disease specific public-private partnerships); non-governmental organizations and non-profit entities (e.g., MIHR, PIPRA); and certain qualifying small-to-medium enterprises and individual innovators. For these applicants, PIIPA seeks to arrange professional representation for a wide range of intellectual property services. These include: patent prosecution, counseling, licensing and litigation; trademark prosecution, counseling, licensing and litigation; copyright counseling, licensing and litigation; trade secret protection, counseling, licensing and litigation; legislative counseling (e.g., drafting legislation and regulations in relation to intellectual property matters); and national, international and multinational dispute resolution. PIIPA has developed a worldwide corps of IP professionals ("IP Corps") able and willing to provide pro bono representation to developing country clients. At the present time our members number 200, and represent countries around the world. Members of the IP corps are solicited via professional associations, direct solicitations, and professional firm networking. [more]
Lead Partner: Tropical Forest Foundation (TFF)
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Asia and the Pacific Summary: On a pilot demonstration basis, this initiative will seek to:
* Identify forest management units (FMU) or companies committed to the achievement of sustainable forest management.
* Integrate key aspects of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) principles into Forest management through introducing and verifying chain of custody arrangements.
* Provide reporting mechanism of SFM and chain of custody arrangements in order to satisfy USA distributors of forest products
* Ensure that Indonesian producers can be assured of market access for sustainably managed and produced forest products.
* To foster responsible and sustainable development through the encouragement and stimulation of sustainable forest management using a market orientated mechanism. [more]
Lead Partner: Rainforest Alliance - Sustainable Food Lab
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Africa Summary: 1. To develop a set of business models that support sustainable smallholder and rural laborer inclusion in high-value, formal export and domestic markets in four distinct product clusters (dried beans, fresh vegetables, bananas, cocoa).
2. To apply these new business models (through value chain analysis and upgrading) in sub-Saharan Africa.
3. To expand these validated business models through existing and new supply chain partnerships that provide direct benefits to 158,000 smallholders and 301,000 laborers while using project results to influence existing standards.
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Lead Partner: Yachay Wasi - Yachay Wasi
Geographical Scope: Local Summary: Surging from a pressing environmental need, this Partnership was implemented by the Indigenous NGO Yachay Wasi (based in New York City, USA and in Cuzco, Peru) to assess and stop the growing chemical contamination of 4 Andean mountain lakes, one of them affecting the village of Acopia in Peru, birthplace of Luis Delgado Hurtado, Yachay Wasi co-founder and president, who now resides in Cuzco, Peru.
This environmental and educational project is geared to the recovery of the circuit of 4 lakes located in the provinces of Acomayo and Canas, Dept of Cuzco, in the Peruvian Andes (altitude: 3,600 meters (11,811 feet)). There are several Indigenous communities living near these lakes with a 2002 estimated population of 25,518 inhabitants.
Lakes are: Laguna Acopia near the village of Acopia, Lagunas Pampamarca and Asnacocha (Mosoqllaqta) near the village of Mosoqllaqta, Laguna Pomacanchi near the village of Pomacanchi.
The inhabitants of these respective Indigenous villages and many other smaller Indigenous communities rely on these waters. The contamination of these lakes has been a growing problem over the past few years. The lakes waters are not used for drinking, but the fish, a daily staple from these lakes, can become a potential health hazard.
The Project has the goal to clean the waters and banks of these four lakes and to recover the biological diversity, flora and fauna representative of this important site; to educate and assist the communities on ways to prevent future contamination, which will include recycling of solid waste, building/upgrading septic tanks and laundry facilities in some villages.
One way of recovering the biological diversity of this area was initiated in May 2008: planting Native Trees around lakes and communities.
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Lead Partner: International Model Forest Network Secretariat
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Latin America and the Caribbean Summary: This collaborative initiative supports the development and establishment of a Regional Network of Model Forests in Latin America and the Caribbean. Model Forests are about translating higher-level policy goals into achievable and locally relevant models of sustainable use and best practices for the conservation of all forest resources. They use locally-based partnership to find working solutions to forest resource management issues through capacity building, improved decision-making and governance systems, economic diversification, integrated resource management, and poverty alleviation.
The Regional Centre:
- provides technical support to promote and strengthen model forest development in the region;
- documents and demonstrates best practices for sustainable forest management and sustainable economic development opportunities for local communities;
- substantially strengthens the transfer of technology from Canada to the region and among countries and projects in the region;
- secures new country and institutional partners and donors. [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).
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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: Desert Development Foundation
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Using the 40,000 kilometers of desert seacoast for a new agriculture - that of seawater instead of fresh water - promises wealth generation of jobs and products, future food security, drought relief for ruminant feed and atmospheric carbon sequestration. [more]
Lead Partner: ASEAN Regional Center Biodiversity Conservation (ARCBC)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Southeast Asia Summary: To promote fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources in South-east Asia Region, including by appropriate access to genetic resources and by appropriate transfer of relevant technologies, taking into account all rights over those resources and to technologies, and by appropriate funding.
Expected results include:
* Improve understanding of the issues on access to genetic resources and benefit sharing, including the related intellectual property rights associating with the use of traditional knowledge and transfer of related technology;
* Conservation of genetic resources in ASEAN countries
* People-based genetic resources management based on local/traditional knowledge, and fair and equitable sharing of benefits.
* Trust-building and transparency in order to facilitate the exchange of genetic resources, particularly with regard to the implementation of Article 15 of the CBD.
* Creation of Partnerships and Promotion of Co-Operation in regard to the regional, as well as national interests and also to better take advantage of the international processes in the field of ABS (the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and Bonn Guidelines on Access to Genetic Resources and Sharing of Benefits Arising out of the Utilization of Genetic Resources). [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: 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: Government of Italy - Ministry of Foreign Affairs - International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB)
Geographical Scope: Regional
- Africa Summary: The initiative aims at ensuring a thorough involvement of African countries, through their competent ministries, offices and research institutions, in the activities implemented by the Biosafety Unit, on a basis similar to the one that has allowed the implementation of a series of activities that are being already successfully implemented with the Italian Ministry for the Environment. The objectives mentioned below will be reached through the implementation of programmes that will have to be complementary to the projects being implemented by other intergovernmental organisations, and in particular those mentioned above which are part, together with the ICGEB, of the Inter-Agency Network for Biosafety (IANB).
The initiative is also in line with the "Cape Town Declaration" and the "Cape Town Initiative", endorsed by the Governments of South Africa and Italy, in March 2002, during the State Visit to South Africa of the President of the Italian Republic, which identifies the essential role of science and technology for sustainable development.
The initiative will therefore pursue the following objectives:
* protection and exploitation of genetic resources;
* technical cooperation in the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity;
* identification of research priorities (definition of the priority traits for viable crops: improvement of the nutritional value, resistance to insects, pesticides, high salinity, other stresses);
* testing facilities and field trials (containment, availability of land);
* genetically modified organisms: procedures for risk assessment and management, national legislation(s) and public information;
* international instruments: the Cartagena Protocol, the Biosafety Clearing House, Risk Assessment Searching Mechanism.
Lead Partner: Caribbean Community Secretariat (CARICOM)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Caribbean Summary: The overall goal of this initiative is to develop capacity to address the current threats to the environmental quality of the Caribbean Sea. This growing threat endangers the sustainable provision of goods and services that is the basis of the economy of the majority of countries across the region. A healthy Caribbean Sea is essential to the livelihood and aspirations of Caribbean people.
The special initiative is intended to assist with the implementation of the Plan of Action for sustainable development of the Caribbean Sea. The initiative will help harmonize and build upon ongoing programs being implemented within the region, and to implement priorities identified at the first ever meeting between leading environment and sustainable development actors from government, academia, NGOs and donors from Central America and the Caribbean, at which sustainable development of the Caribbean Sea was identified as the priority for collaboration and partnerships. [more]
Lead Partner: International Institute for Sustainable Future and Global Future Net
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Sustainable Rural Development and Ecovillage Training Program (SRDETP) will be based on an integrated and holistic approach to sustainable rural (and impoverished urban) development, particularly in the 3rd world. It will include a primary component focusing on the ecovillage model of development.
The Program would include an easily accessible information database containing descriptions of the primary programs, exemplary projects, and best practices that are being carried out around the world. It would also provide the means to widely disseminate and share such information. A number of programs have been developed that could be expanded and scaled up to spread such knowledge and resources throughout the developing world and support would be given to field training and implementation projects that can be replicated in other regions throughout the world. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of Burkina Faso - Regional Agency for Support and Consulting on Tourism and Development (ARTODEV)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The project's purpose is to use experiments currently being carried out in various countries in order to analyze the conditions conducive to developing forms of tourism in line with the stated sustainability criteria, and to suggest methodologies for implementing these new approaches as well as for their follow-up and evaluation. This will involve transforming experimentation into development programmes for emerging countries and offering validated methodological tools to national authorities.
The first phase will consist of identifying experiments in progress, selecting the "best practices," and analysing and evaluating them in order to identify the appropriate model-building parameters. This "expertise" will be able to make use of comparative data from similar experiments carried out in developed countries, particularly in fragile rural areas.
The financial and methodological assistance for these experiments will make it possible to verify, during a second phase, the feasibility of their increased use and of their ability to have a greater impact on the diversification and qualitative improvement of tourism in these countries.
The project will directly benefit village communities involved in developing this form of tourism as well as local authorities, who should enjoy an increase in revenues from tourism and a greatly enhanced image abroad. It will indirectly benefit customers, who will have access to better information about the products available and a more diversified offer, and who, because of the labels that can be used, will have greater confidence in the redeployment of monetary flows towards local populations. [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: Government of Italy - Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Directorate General for Development Cooperation (DGCS) - The World Conservation Union (IUCN)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional WESCANA - West/Central Asia and North Africa Summary: This partnership reflects the spirit and supports the endeavours of the EU Water Initiative. It aims at contributing to sustainable, ecosystem-based freshwater management on the basis of an integrated, systemic approach linking two of the core development components related to water. The first component, water resource, refers to aspects such as water supply and storage, and their related technologies, institutional and policy frameworks and networks (e.g. on the development of dams, embankments, irrigation, schemes, etc.). The second component, water quality, pertaining to the maintenance of the freshwater ecological balance, biodioversity, and environmental and human health, etc, and related institutions, policies and networks (e.g. on land use planning, pollution control, biological requalification including biological and chemical monitoring and treatment, etc). The project will contribute to facilitating effective and informed policy and decision-making on integrated freshwater management by supporting the above interlinking through the creation of a strong regional systemic network of networks of national excellence and expertise. Further, this initiativ
Expected results include:
* Regional Water Programme Centre Jordan consolidated as focal point for the regional network of networks of sustainable water management expertise;
* Capacity of network partners built with the support of the Regional Water Programme Centre (including access to on-line information as well as regional training and monitoring), in propping up national systemic planning and management processes and, in turn, providing services to the partner countries of WESCANA;
* Institutional set-ups and legislative foundations analysed and synthesised as a basis for the development of sustainable water management policy in the WESCANA;
* Water conservation and sustainable use techniques inventorised, classified and analysed against sustainable, integrative water management;
* A number of pilot planning and management action implemented, jointly and/or in coordination, by two or more partner countries on transboundary/regionally shared management problems and/or development potentials, such as in water catchments/watersheds, groundwater basins, etc.e will support the implementation of partnership pilot planning and management action at transboundary/regional level. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of France - Agropolis - Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The Southern National Agricultural Research Systems (SNRAs) have recently gained a forum in which to discuss and express their needs at world level. Within the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR), they can meet their Northern partners as well as representatives of international centres. Together, they have determined that issues addressing biodiversity, ecosystem management and sustainable development (SD) must now be included in their mission.
GFAR is designed to encourage an upward structure of research systems: national, sub-regional, regional and global. These various levels also offer a place for stakeholders within societies affected by development research. This allows them to become involved in the various stages of formulating and monitoring research programmes.
The project aims to strengthen the abilities of GFAR's Southern members to implement and manage the SD research programmes they believe to be strategically important for their regions. [more]
Lead Partner: The GAIA-Movement Trust Living Earth Green World Action (The GAIA-Movement)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Southern Africa Summary: The overall goal of the Total Water Programme (TWP) is to improve the livelihood of people by mobilising the communities to greater care of and better use of water and the natural resources influencing the water cycle.
The two year TWP mobilises communities for activities that improve conditions for both people and environment in the project area:
- The land degradation component assists the local communities in reducing land degradation and enables them to safeguard the local resources for sustainable use ¿ also for future generations
- The deforestation component will benefit the ones, mostly women and girls, who collect firewood for household energy. In the long run this also improves local water balances.
- The restoration component starts restoration of selected degraded nature areas, thus reducing erosion and siltation of rivers, increasing the recharge of groundwater so less wells run dry.
- The safe water component reduces the workload of fetching water and reduces water related diseases
- The sanitation component reduces the number of diseases and child mortality. Furthermore the compost produced by the ecolatrines improve tree and food production.
- The component of water efficient farming improves food security and reduces the loss of valuable nutrients. [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: The World Conservation Union (IUCN)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: The mainstreaming of an ecosystem approach into catchment policies, planning and management. [more]
Lead Partner: Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) Secretariat
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: WSUP¿s mission is to advance the Millennium Development Goals for water, sanitation, and associated health benefits through multi-sector, stakeholder partnerships delivering sustainable, equitable, and affordable water and sanitation services to the urban poor in developing countries. [more]
Lead Partner: Government of United States of America - U.S. Department of State
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Caribbean Summary: The White Water to Blue Water Partnership designed to promote integrated watershed and marine ecosystem-based management in support of sustainable development, is underway in the wider Caribbean.
Objectives:
1. To increase coastal state and regional capacity for cross-sectoral approaches to management of watersheds and marine ecosystems.
2. To develop a framework for regional management programs that will promote a common vision, the efficient use of program resources, and address the entire scope of watershed and marine ecosystem management from forests to the sea.
3. To reverse the downward trend in fisheries.
[more]
Lead Partner: Huxley College of the Environment (Western Washington University)
Geographical Scope: Sub-regional Mediterranean Summary: AWISH - Hellas - Mesogeiou is a nonprofit registered in Greece and in the United States (Washington State) for educational and charitable purposes. AWISH's objective is to promote understanding and education in community sustainable development. The Corporation's activities include the development of model programs, applied research, seminars, academic programs and university partnerships, workshops and activities which demonstrate sustainable community development that promote a community's social, economical, and environmental well being, including activities that promote: a) individual and community mental, social, economical and spiritual health, wellness and wellbeing, b) community social-interaction, c) community service, d) social, economical and environmental justice, e) community self determination, f) environmental education and human and natural resources protection, g) community energy sustainability and recycling, h) biodiversity, i) environmentally sound economical development, j) culture and architectural resources protection and enrichment, and k) creative artistic and endeavors including fine and performing arts. [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]
Lead Partner: Federation of German Consumer Organisations (vzbz)
Geographical Scope: Global Summary: Partnership for the creation of an international communication and information platform on sustainable consumption (SC) for youth.
The partnership will consist of a platform for capacity building on sustainable consumption for schools, local authorities and consumer organisations. Capacity building will be facilitated through the provision of pedagogical materials as well as a of a space ( meetings and a electronic forum) for the exchange of experiences among youth. The project attaches importance to the language used: the concepts and issues related to sustainable consumption as well as sustainable development will be transmitted using visuals, text, youth icons, concrete examples in order to bring closer to the day to day reality of young people. The partners believe that to stimulate critical thinking in young consumers one has to talk to them a language understandable to them and icons they recognise as their own and provide critical material and reliable information rather than "already packaged dos and don'ts"and will operate with the following objectives:
The partnership is based on a awareness raising and training web-site www.yomag.net and will operate with the following objectives:
* Provide reliable and integrating information about the concept of sustainable consumption at global level. In particular, provide a critical insight in the global environmental and social impacts and challenges of the current consumption patterns of affluent societies.
* Offer an online platform" for the exchange of ideas, visions and projects to youth from all over the world.
* Provide youth, communicators, teachers and consumer organisations with the tools to efficiently communicate about sustainable consumption.
* Through teachers ans students workshops, allow youth from all over the world to meet, exchange perspectives and experiences on their different consumption patterns and to envision concrete solutions to the imbalances to goods and resources.
* Establish and link networks of education authorities and other relevant institutions in the field of education and consumer organisations to enable capacity building, awareness raising and mutual understanding of the problems and imbalances linked to current consumption patterns and the solutions to overcome them. [more]
to collapse the Summary of Partnerships.