Posted 20 July 1998
Following last month's thematic focus on natural resources and environmental management (NREM) which included a lead article written by Mr. Uttam Dabholkar, the ACC Network's focal point in UNEP, members of the Network in some countries have been eager to use the Network's web pages to share information on their experiences and activities with others. The following two news items - on the Tonle Sap lake in Cambodia and on NREM activities in Yemen - provide complementary and interesting inputs to the June update.
Strategies for sustainable management of the natural resources of the Tonle Sap Region
The Tonle Sap lake in Cambodia is the largest lake in South East Asia, and part of it is a unique fresh water inundated forest ecosystem. In the rainy season the lake is fed by the reversal of the course of the Tonle Sap river and it's surface extends up to 5 times the dry periods surface when the water of the lake streams back through the Tonle Sap river into the Mekong river.
In Cambodia, there is increasing concern regarding the over-exploitation of resources within the basin of the Tonle Sap lake. Extensive hunting of wildlife and birds has greatly reduced their numbers. Increasing human population is contributing to increased pressure on the fishery resource, including mechanized fishing and destructive fishing practices such as electro-fishing, resulting in reduced fish harvests and the disappearance of some important species. In addition, the important inundated forest ecosystem which provides food, shelter and spawning grounds to many fish species is being steadily degraded or destroyed through excessive harvesting of fuelwood or conversion to agriculture use.
A Regional Workshop on Strategies for the Sustainable Management of the Natural Resources of the Tonle Sap Region (7-8 April 1998) was organized with support from FAO and UNESCO to help address resource management problems within the Tonle Sap lake basin. Sixty some participants attended the 2 day workshop representing key government officials and staff from concerned development agencies. Findings, recommendations, and strategies were presented from on-going projects and the participants held discussions to generate recommendations on how to proceed. In particular, they noted the need to review: the fishing lot system and its role in resource management; the access of small fishermen to sufficient fishing grounds; collection and use of fuelwood by local communities; bird hunting; degradation / deforestation of inundated forest; the use of pesticides in the watershed; and the role of local communities in participatory management of natural resources. The importance of maintaining both biodiversity and the overall productivity of the Tonle Sap ecosystem was emphasized.
Recognizing the importance of natural resource and environmental management in Cambodia, the UN Agencies in Cambodia established a UN Environmental Theme Group in early 1997. The Group currently focuses its attention on three main areas: environmental degradation in Tonle Sap Area, biodiversity conservation and sustainable forest management, and solid waste disposal.
For further information on the activities of this Group, please contact the Chairman of the UN Environmental Theme Group: Mr. Ad Spijkers, FAO Representative in Cambodia, P.O. Box 53, Phom Phen, Cambodia; fax: 00-855-216 547; e-mail: fao-khm@field.fao.org
Natural resource and environmental management in Yemen
In Yemen, natural resource and environmental management (NREM) is of critical importance for sustainable agricultural and rural development and for achieving food security. In partnership with other UN organizations, bilateral donors and the Government of Yemen, FAO is contributing towards the protection, conservation and sustainable use of natural resources in Yemen through activities in five main areas: i) land use assessment and planning; ii) water resource management; iii) watershed management and forestry; iv) fisheries; and v) environmental protection.
By providing long-term technical assistance, FAO has contributed to strengthening NREM in Yemen in a variety of ways. Through technical assistance of this nature, the Forestry unit in the Ministry of Agriculture has been upgraded to the Level of Directorate-General, a trained cadre of forestry staff has been created, and participatory approaches are being promoted. Follow-on assistance is now being provided in the areas of: watershed management; terrace rehabilitation; sand dune fixation; desertification control planning; community-based natural resources management; participatory natural resource management in peri-urban areas; and irrigation planning in order to help increase the efficiency of water use in agriculture, the largest consumer of Yemen's scarce water resources.
In collaboration with partner organizations, including UNDP, UNIDO, UNIFEM, WHO, GTZ, the Netherlands and CIDA, FAO has been involved in institutional strengthening of the Environment Protection Council and is now assisting the Government to establish and manage an environmental information system for natural resource conservation and use. This information system is expected to serve an important role in collecting, analyzing and evaluating data on natural resources and in monitoring temporal and spatial changes in their availability and use.
A number of other projects with complementary objectives are also on-going. For instance activities are being implemented to create a sound basis for rural land use planning in order to achieve an increased degree of self-sufficiency in food production and improved living standards for the rural population through a rational, efficient and sustainable use of natural resources. In this context, climatic data are being collected and processed and agro-climatological maps updated, soil data and maps are being classified, soil laboratories are being strengthened, and studies of farming systems and the role of women are under preparation.
For additional information about on-going projects related to NREM in Yemen, please contact: Mr. S. S. Mahdi. FAO Representative, P.O. Box 1867, Sana'a, Yemen; e-mail: faosan@field.fao.org; fax: 00-967-1- 208852.
On 23-25 of April 1998 a small technical meeting was held at FAO Headquarters in Rome, with senior technical staff from UNDP, to explore the possibilities for collaboration between the UNDP Sustainable Livelihoods Programme (SLP) and FAO units that are engaged in normative and operational activities to strengthen food security and sustainable livelihoods through the use of participatory methods and diagnostic tools. In particular, the potential for collaboration was explored with the FAO Special Programme for Food Security - Constraints Analysis Component and with the methodology component of the Rural Development Division's Programme for Linking Rural Household Income Strategies and Local Institutions.
The meeting was very useful for identifying the commonalities and differences in the various approaches and for exploring in a preliminary manner, possibilities for continued collaboration between FAO and UNDP/SL at the technical level to strengthen each agency's work on rural development issues centred on food security and sustainable livelihoods. A preliminary work plan outlining future steps toward collaboration was elaborated and is currently being reviewed in both agencies.
In the Philippines where UN agencies have a good record of working together to achieve common goals, a number of Inter-Agency task forces and/or working groups have been established to strengthen UN collaboration in specific areas. Among them, an Inter-Agency Task Force on Food Security, Nutrition and Rural Development and an Inter-agency Working Group on Sustainable Livelihoods have been established.
Inter-Agency Task Force on Food Security, Nutrition and Rural Development
In the Philippines, a Task Force on Rural Development and Food Security was established in October 1997 within the ACC Network. In order to duplication and overlap with the UNDAF Committee on Food Security and Nutrition, it was decided in May 1998 to merge these two groups into an Inter-Agency Task Force on Food Security, Nutrition and Rural Development. The membership of the Task Force, originally restricted to UN Agencies (FAO (chair), UNICEF, UNFPA, UNDP, UNIDO, ILO, WHO, UNESCO and UNHCR) has been widened to include representatives of civil society in accordance with the ACC Network's principle of encouraging pluralism and the participation of all relevant stakeholders. Three NGOs have been invited to participate in the Task Force: the Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ANGOC); PHILDRRA; the Philippines Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM). The Task Force on Food Security, Nutrition and Rural Development is currently considering opportunities for collaboration in six main areas: strengthening local institutions and producers organizations; income and employment generation and other poverty alleviation activities; integrated production and the Special Programme on Food Security; national food supply and distribution; and early warning measures and emergency relief. Terms of reference are also being discussed to guide the planning and implementation of activities.
For further information on the Task Force on Food Security, Nutrition and Rural Development, please contact: Mr. Virander K. Sibal, FAO Representative, P.O. Box 7285, Metro Manila, Philippines; tel: (632) 892-0611; fax: (632) 817-1654; e-mail: fao-phl@field.fao.org
Inter-agency Working Group on Sustainable Livelihoods
Reflecting the importance attached to sustainable livelihoods, an Inter-Agency Working Group on Sustainable Livelihoods has been established in the Philippines to build on the initial work undertaken by the ILO-led Task Force on Sustainable Livelihoods which was established in follow-up to the Social Summit.
The newly reconstituted Working Group on Sustainable Livelihoods has been integrated with UNDAF's priority areas and is convened by UNDP. One of its main objectives is to move from information exchange to implementation of collaborative programmes and activities in a number of areas related to sustainable livelihoods. Joint UN activities to support sustainable livelihoods are now being discussed and resources identified. For instance, at a meeting of the Working Group on 19 June 1998, participants agreed on the importance of sharing information and knowledge on best practices and decided to prepare success stories for previous projects implemented in the following areas: i) productivity increase; ii) diversification; iii) job creation; iv) improvement in working conditions; v) increase in income; vi) people's empowerment; vii) women's participation; viii) ecological considerations. Group members are also involved in finalising a report on employment and sustainable livelihoods programmes in the Philippines which will provide a useful basis for building partnerships in support of sustainable livelihoods.
For further information on the Inter-Agency Working Group on Sustainable Livelihoods in the Philippines, please contact: Mr. Clark Soriano, Advisor, Programme Support to the Resident Coordinator, United Nations Development Programme, NEDA sa Makati, 106 Amorsolo Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City, Philippines; tel: (632) 810-2562; fax: (632) 816-4061; e-mail: clark.soriano@undp.org or undevpro@webcrest.com
One of the characteristics of poor rural areas is the lack of access to information of all types, including about technologies, prices and markets, successful replicable experiences, financial systems and marketing, and policies that affect them. FIDAMERICA was established in November 1995 by IFAD's Latin American and Caribbean division in this context. It is a network of projects and institutions dedicated to fighting rural poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean by means of improving information and knowledge systems. Its purpose is to increase the efficiency and the impact of initiatives of sustainable agricultural development in poor rural areas. Its main activities focus on: training; on-site technical assistance; and information management.
FIDAMERICA is organizing an electronic conference "Transferring agricultural and rural development projects to clients" from 13 to 31 July 1998. The conference will be divided into three main parts: i) presentation of concept papers and methodologies (13-24 July); ii) comments and questions from leaders of agricultural and rural development projects (20-25 July); and iii) open discussion as a basis for preparation of a document including results and recommendations.
To find out more about how to subscribe to this electronic conference, send an e-mail to Sara Holloway at: RIMISP@rimisp2.cl.
In Angola, the lack of access to markets, resulting from poor roads and destroyed bridges, has constrained people in the Huambo Province from exploiting the potential of their area for food production, as a means to enhance their food security and generate rural incomes. In this context, UNIDO's technical support to a Swiss Humanitarian Aid project aimed at rehabilitating roads and bridges in the area is achieving important results.
The UNIDO prefabricated modular wooden bridge system and basic furniture making techniques have been introduced to the MUBELA cooperative in Huambo which has used wood from virtually abandoned plantations to build two bridges. The first bridge at Calima, 15 metres in length, was completed in December 1997. The second bridge (3 spans of 9 metres each) over the Cunene River near Satchitemo was inaugurated during May 1998. Both bridges can accommodate loads of up to 30 tonnes. These bridges, together with the three additional ones scheduled for completion by the project during 1998, will play an important role in linking rural communities with the provincial capital which was badly damaged during the civil war.
For further information, please contact: Robert Hallett, Senior Industrial Development Officer, United Nations Industrial Development Organization, Vienna International Centre, Wagramerstrasse 5, A-1400 Vienna, Austria; fax: 0043-1-21131.6849; e-mail rhallett@unido.org or visit UNIDO's Wood Unit web pages.
Published in April 1998, by the International Monetary Fund, the World Economic Outlook, presents a revised assessment of the global economic situation and outlook. In addition, it deals with a number of special issues of particular of interest for policy-makers around the world as they consider the challenges their economies face. Much of the report is addressed to the issue of financial crisis, foreign exchange market crisis, and banking crisis. In this context, the report includes a survey of a large number of crises which have taken placed during the past 25 years to try to see if they have any common characteristics that may allow lessons to be drawn which might be useful in pre-empting future crises. The full report can be down loaded in pdf format from the IMF's Web site
The IMF's Role in the unfolding African renaissance was the subject of a speech made by Mr. Alassane D. Ouattara, Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund on 11 June 1998 during the Africa-U.S. Economic Conference convened in Arlington, Virginia. After nearly two decades of stagnation, Mr. Ouattara described how economic performance in sub-Saharan Africa has improved markedly in the last few years. Average real growth in sub-Saharan Africa has increased from about 1 percent in 1992 to about 5 percent in 1997, and conditions are ripe for this trend to continue. The strengthening of growth has been increasingly widespread. While in 1992 only 18 of the 47 countries recorded growth of 3 percent or more, by 1997 the number had increased to 32. Real per capita incomes of about 40 out of 47 countries are on the rise.
The Tokyo Declaration which was adopted in Tokyo at the conclusion of the World Conference on International Cooperation of Cities and Citizens for Cultivating an Eco-Society (Eco-Partnership Tokyo), convened from 26 to 29 May 1998, provides a comprehensive vision and action for local authorities, private enterprises, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and citizens to promote an eco-society in urban areas across the globe.
The main objective of the Conference was to explore how to cultivate an eco-society, through exchange of ideas and experiences and strengthening partnership and cooperation of all the players involved, such as municipal administrators, citizens, NGOs, business enterprises, academics, the media and others.