WWF has identified 10 key recommendations that need to be urgently acted-upon to ensure the world transitions to 100% renewable power by 2050.
1. CLEAN ENERGY
Promote only the most efficient products. Develop existing and new renewable energy sources to provide enough clean energy for all by 2050.
2. GRIDS
Share and exchange clean energy through grids and trade, making the best use of sustainable energy resources in different areas.
3. ACCESS
End energy poverty: provide clean electricity and promote sustainable practices, such as efficient cook stoves, to everyone in developing countries.
4. MONEY
Invest in renewable, clean energy and energy-efficient products and buildings.
5. FOOD
Stop food waste. Choose food that is sourced in an efficient and sustainable
way to free up land for nature, sustainable forestry and biofuel production. Everyone has an equal right to healthy levels of protein in their diet - for this to happen, wealthier people need to eat less meat.
6. MATERIALS
Reduce, re-use, recycle - to minimize waste and save energy. Develop durable materials. And avoid things we don’t need.
7. TRANSPORT
Provide incentives to encourage greater use of public transport, and to reduce the distances people and goods travel. Promote electrification whereve possible, and support research into hydrogen for shipping and aviation.
8. TECHNOLOGY
Develop national, bilateral and multilateral action plans to promote research and development in energy efficiency and renewable energy.
9. SUSTAINABILITY
Develop and enforce strict sustainability criteria that ensure renewable energy is compatible with environmental and development goals.
10. AGREEMENTS
Support ambitious climate and energy agreements to provide global guidance and promote global cooperation on renewable energy and efficiency efforts.
Source
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
Philippines joins Bangladesh in Global Appeal for action on Environment
By Climate Himalaya, October 10, 2011
The Philippines and Bangladesh joined forces for an initiative in the United Nations Human Rights Council to urge the international community to address the adverse effects of climate change on human rights.
Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, Ambassador Evan P. Garcia, presented the resolution early this week after increasing severity of typhoons and natural disasters suffered by the Philippines and other climate-vulnerable countries.
The Human Rights Council resolution entitled “Human Rights and Climate Change” expresses concern that climate change poses an immediate and far-reaching threat to people and communities around the world and has adverse implications for the enjoyment of human rights.
“Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges facing the world community, with direct and severe impacts on a wide range of human rights,” Garcia said. “The Philippines is extremely vulnerable to climate change, and our people experience the adverse effects of climate change on their human rights and livelihoods on a daily basis.”
He said extreme weather events such as increasing typhoons and floods wreck havoc on thousands of peoples’ lives.
Sea rise and coral bleaching directly impact on the fundamental human rights to life, food, health and adequate housing of our people, Garcia added.
“In a generation, the Philippines could stand to lose 300 of its islands due to climate change. The most vulnerable groups, such as the poor, women and children and indigenous peoples, unjustly bear the brunt of climate change. Many other countries, especially developing and least developing countries — those least responsible for climate change — are experiencing similar problems,” he said.
The following 41 countries from all regions of the world co-sponsored the Philippines-Bangladesh initiative: Algeria, Benin, Djibouti, Indonesia, Namibia, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestine, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cuba, Ecuador, Maldives, Mauritius, Peru, Qatar, Romania, Senegal, Spain, Chad, Germany, Ireland, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Monaco, Singapore, Sudan, Egypt, Greece, Bulgaria, Netherlands, Nicaragua and Montenegro.
The resolution recognizes the challenges of climate change to development and to the progress made towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.It also acknowledges that the global nature of climate change calls for the widest possible cooperation by all countries and their participation in an effective and appropriate international response, in accordance with the common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities and their social and economic conditions.
The council reaffirmed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the objectives and principles thereof, as well as the commitment to enable the full, effective and sustained implementation of the convention now and up to and beyond 2012, in order to stabilize the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere causing climate change.
Civil society groups strongly supported the Philippines-Bangladesh initiative, especially in light of the crucial phase in climate change negotiations with the Kyoto Protocol soon to expire.
The resolution requested the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to convene a seminar on addressing the adverse impacts of climate change on the full enjoyment of human rights, with a view to following up on the call for respecting human rights in all climate change-related actions and policies, and forging stronger interface and cooperation between the human rights and climate change communities.
The outcome of the seminar, including recommendations, would form the basis of future action of the Human Rights Council to address the adverse effects of climate change on human rights.
Source
The Philippines and Bangladesh joined forces for an initiative in the United Nations Human Rights Council to urge the international community to address the adverse effects of climate change on human rights.
Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, Ambassador Evan P. Garcia, presented the resolution early this week after increasing severity of typhoons and natural disasters suffered by the Philippines and other climate-vulnerable countries.
The Human Rights Council resolution entitled “Human Rights and Climate Change” expresses concern that climate change poses an immediate and far-reaching threat to people and communities around the world and has adverse implications for the enjoyment of human rights.
“Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges facing the world community, with direct and severe impacts on a wide range of human rights,” Garcia said. “The Philippines is extremely vulnerable to climate change, and our people experience the adverse effects of climate change on their human rights and livelihoods on a daily basis.”
He said extreme weather events such as increasing typhoons and floods wreck havoc on thousands of peoples’ lives.
Sea rise and coral bleaching directly impact on the fundamental human rights to life, food, health and adequate housing of our people, Garcia added.
“In a generation, the Philippines could stand to lose 300 of its islands due to climate change. The most vulnerable groups, such as the poor, women and children and indigenous peoples, unjustly bear the brunt of climate change. Many other countries, especially developing and least developing countries — those least responsible for climate change — are experiencing similar problems,” he said.
The following 41 countries from all regions of the world co-sponsored the Philippines-Bangladesh initiative: Algeria, Benin, Djibouti, Indonesia, Namibia, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestine, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cuba, Ecuador, Maldives, Mauritius, Peru, Qatar, Romania, Senegal, Spain, Chad, Germany, Ireland, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Monaco, Singapore, Sudan, Egypt, Greece, Bulgaria, Netherlands, Nicaragua and Montenegro.
The resolution recognizes the challenges of climate change to development and to the progress made towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.It also acknowledges that the global nature of climate change calls for the widest possible cooperation by all countries and their participation in an effective and appropriate international response, in accordance with the common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities and their social and economic conditions.
The council reaffirmed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the objectives and principles thereof, as well as the commitment to enable the full, effective and sustained implementation of the convention now and up to and beyond 2012, in order to stabilize the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere causing climate change.
Civil society groups strongly supported the Philippines-Bangladesh initiative, especially in light of the crucial phase in climate change negotiations with the Kyoto Protocol soon to expire.
The resolution requested the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to convene a seminar on addressing the adverse impacts of climate change on the full enjoyment of human rights, with a view to following up on the call for respecting human rights in all climate change-related actions and policies, and forging stronger interface and cooperation between the human rights and climate change communities.
The outcome of the seminar, including recommendations, would form the basis of future action of the Human Rights Council to address the adverse effects of climate change on human rights.
Source
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Climate change: 'Security focus on climate change could blur real issues'
By Afrique en ligne, October 7, 2011
Security focus on climate change could blur real issues - A growing focus on national and international security challenges posed by climate change could distract attention from the root causes of the problem, the needs of the most vulnerable people and the search for appropriate solutions, according to a researcher at the UK-based International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).
In an opinion paper published Thursday, Corinne Schoch said a growing focus on security could lead to top-down responses to climate change that marginalise the most vulnerable people and sideline the existing institutions that are best suited to meeting these people’s needs.
As ongoing UN climate-change negotiations in Panama reach their mid-point, security institutions – from the UN Security Council to national militaries – are increasingly looking at the potential for climate change to spark conflict.
Schoch’s paper examines why this is happening and what the implications of this trend could be.
“The focus on climate change and conflict implies an overly simple chain of cause and effect,” said Schoch. “The potential link between climate change and conflict may be real but the truth is that we have insufficient evidence to draw strong conclusions and there is a danger in extrapolating from the local to the global.”
“This could create top-down responses that focus on security in a very limited sense of the word and ignore both the causes of climate change and the best ways to limit its impacts on vulnerable communities,” the researcher observed.
Source
Security focus on climate change could blur real issues - A growing focus on national and international security challenges posed by climate change could distract attention from the root causes of the problem, the needs of the most vulnerable people and the search for appropriate solutions, according to a researcher at the UK-based International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).
In an opinion paper published Thursday, Corinne Schoch said a growing focus on security could lead to top-down responses to climate change that marginalise the most vulnerable people and sideline the existing institutions that are best suited to meeting these people’s needs.
As ongoing UN climate-change negotiations in Panama reach their mid-point, security institutions – from the UN Security Council to national militaries – are increasingly looking at the potential for climate change to spark conflict.
Schoch’s paper examines why this is happening and what the implications of this trend could be.
“The focus on climate change and conflict implies an overly simple chain of cause and effect,” said Schoch. “The potential link between climate change and conflict may be real but the truth is that we have insufficient evidence to draw strong conclusions and there is a danger in extrapolating from the local to the global.”
“This could create top-down responses that focus on security in a very limited sense of the word and ignore both the causes of climate change and the best ways to limit its impacts on vulnerable communities,” the researcher observed.
Source
Friday, October 7, 2011
Indian CFL industry puts consumers at risk with very high levels of Mercury
By Toxics Link
A study by Toxics Link titled "Toxics In That Glow: Mercury in Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) in India" reveals the potential threat associated with these bulbs. The study, which analyzed twenty-two samples of CFLs of well-known brands sold in India for their mercury content, exposes somewhat disturbing trend in mercury dosing practice by the manufacturers.
The average mercury content per unit CFL has been found to be 21.21mg, much higher than the internationally known standards – ranging four to six times the CFL sold in many developed countries. Fifty percent of the samples analyzed were found to have high average mercury content ranging between 12.24mg and 39.64mg across different wattages. The average mercury content in 5, 8, 11, 15 and 20 watts (across studied brands) samples are 22.2mg, 7.8mg (the least), 31.5mg 18.8mg and 17.7mg respectively.
In some cases the mercury content per watt has been found to be as high as 4.39mg. The disturbing trend is in most brands the mercury content is high in lower watt lamps, possibly to capture greater market share as mercury increases the lumen (light) output. It is also worrying to note that most multinational brands, having operations across the globe follow different regulatory norms in different countries including India, rather a dubious stand.
Mercury is a neurotoxin and highly toxic heavy metal known to impact vital organs such as lever and cause developmental and neurological problems; particularly dangerous to pregnant women and children. Some of their compounds are capable of crossing the placental barrier causing irreparable damage to the unborn / newborn babies. Higher level of mercury dosing in CFLs enhances the chances of mercury contamination and toxicity. Used and discarded CFL(s) are usually dumped with general waste, thinning out mercury in the environment. Currently, with India having no management system or infrastructure in place to manage the used-up and/ or discarded CFLs, there is a high chance of mercury running into the waste stream and the food chain through these energy saving lamps, the study says. The report argues that this exposure pathway would greatly impact the health of waste workers and local inhabitant and equally affect the environment and wildlife.
Ravi Agarwal (Director, Toxics Link) says: "The Indian CFL industry is exploiting the new market opened up by the climate change crisis; however they are creating a toxic crisis alongside. Instead of following the best practices in the world, they are putting the Indian consumer at risk through high level of mercury, even while the Government procrastinates on mandating a CFL collection and recycling system. Business interests are bypassing serious health concerns."
Health and environmental concerns have prompted the governments across the globe to take measures in order to contain mercury dosing. In the US, lighting manufacturer members of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) have voluntarily capped the amount of mercury used in CFLs in 2007 and lowered the cap again in 2010. Currently the U.S cap is 4mg/ CFL for units up to 25 watts and 5mg/CFL for units over 25 watts. In EU, the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (ROHS) law mandates the cap to 5mg/CFL.
India presents a bleak scenario in the entire life cycle starting from mercury dosing to end of life management of mercury and CFLs. What adds to the grim reality is the fact that despite the potential dangers and serious health afflictions, the country lacks any regulatory framework to standardize and limit mercury dosing in India, which is quiet random. There is no infrastructure to deal with collection, recycling and disposal of used-up and discarded lamps.
This is despite the fact that India has a strong manufacturing base having potential to manufacture 400-500 million pieces annually. India also imports about 1/3rd CFL tubes.
The study recommends three-pronged action to contain the mercury menace through CFLs:
a. Standard: The government needs to come out with maximum mercury limit standard in CFL owing to the various health and environmental hazards. It is technically feasible to achieve 2-3 mg/CFLs in India, have the standards set accordingly. The standard should be made mandatory with effective monitoring strategy;
b. Consistent Practice: Since most multinational players in the organized sector have the means to move towards safer regimes, they must immediately standardize their production process as followed by them in other parts of the world;
c. End-of-life management: The end-of-life management must be the joint responsibility of the manufacturers, regulatory agencies and the executive bodies. Consumers, too, have a responsibility for the proper disposal of broken and used-up lamps. For recycling etc. the best-suited technology must be decided based on a collective dialogue among various stakeholders.
Source
A study by Toxics Link titled "Toxics In That Glow: Mercury in Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) in India" reveals the potential threat associated with these bulbs. The study, which analyzed twenty-two samples of CFLs of well-known brands sold in India for their mercury content, exposes somewhat disturbing trend in mercury dosing practice by the manufacturers.
The average mercury content per unit CFL has been found to be 21.21mg, much higher than the internationally known standards – ranging four to six times the CFL sold in many developed countries. Fifty percent of the samples analyzed were found to have high average mercury content ranging between 12.24mg and 39.64mg across different wattages. The average mercury content in 5, 8, 11, 15 and 20 watts (across studied brands) samples are 22.2mg, 7.8mg (the least), 31.5mg 18.8mg and 17.7mg respectively.
In some cases the mercury content per watt has been found to be as high as 4.39mg. The disturbing trend is in most brands the mercury content is high in lower watt lamps, possibly to capture greater market share as mercury increases the lumen (light) output. It is also worrying to note that most multinational brands, having operations across the globe follow different regulatory norms in different countries including India, rather a dubious stand.
Mercury is a neurotoxin and highly toxic heavy metal known to impact vital organs such as lever and cause developmental and neurological problems; particularly dangerous to pregnant women and children. Some of their compounds are capable of crossing the placental barrier causing irreparable damage to the unborn / newborn babies. Higher level of mercury dosing in CFLs enhances the chances of mercury contamination and toxicity. Used and discarded CFL(s) are usually dumped with general waste, thinning out mercury in the environment. Currently, with India having no management system or infrastructure in place to manage the used-up and/ or discarded CFLs, there is a high chance of mercury running into the waste stream and the food chain through these energy saving lamps, the study says. The report argues that this exposure pathway would greatly impact the health of waste workers and local inhabitant and equally affect the environment and wildlife.
Ravi Agarwal (Director, Toxics Link) says: "The Indian CFL industry is exploiting the new market opened up by the climate change crisis; however they are creating a toxic crisis alongside. Instead of following the best practices in the world, they are putting the Indian consumer at risk through high level of mercury, even while the Government procrastinates on mandating a CFL collection and recycling system. Business interests are bypassing serious health concerns."
Health and environmental concerns have prompted the governments across the globe to take measures in order to contain mercury dosing. In the US, lighting manufacturer members of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) have voluntarily capped the amount of mercury used in CFLs in 2007 and lowered the cap again in 2010. Currently the U.S cap is 4mg/ CFL for units up to 25 watts and 5mg/CFL for units over 25 watts. In EU, the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (ROHS) law mandates the cap to 5mg/CFL.
India presents a bleak scenario in the entire life cycle starting from mercury dosing to end of life management of mercury and CFLs. What adds to the grim reality is the fact that despite the potential dangers and serious health afflictions, the country lacks any regulatory framework to standardize and limit mercury dosing in India, which is quiet random. There is no infrastructure to deal with collection, recycling and disposal of used-up and discarded lamps.
This is despite the fact that India has a strong manufacturing base having potential to manufacture 400-500 million pieces annually. India also imports about 1/3rd CFL tubes.
The study recommends three-pronged action to contain the mercury menace through CFLs:
a. Standard: The government needs to come out with maximum mercury limit standard in CFL owing to the various health and environmental hazards. It is technically feasible to achieve 2-3 mg/CFLs in India, have the standards set accordingly. The standard should be made mandatory with effective monitoring strategy;
b. Consistent Practice: Since most multinational players in the organized sector have the means to move towards safer regimes, they must immediately standardize their production process as followed by them in other parts of the world;
c. End-of-life management: The end-of-life management must be the joint responsibility of the manufacturers, regulatory agencies and the executive bodies. Consumers, too, have a responsibility for the proper disposal of broken and used-up lamps. For recycling etc. the best-suited technology must be decided based on a collective dialogue among various stakeholders.
Source
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Civil Society Call: Energy for All 2030
By Practical Action
A diverse group of 71 civil society organizations from Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa, have united to call on EU leaders to commit to eradicating energy poverty and achieving universal energy access by 2030.
With a particular focus on Sub-Saharan Africa, as the region most acutely affected, we call for increased political will to deliver energy for all and the quantity and quality of EU funding to make this a reality.
The civil society representatives call on the EU to:
- Endorse the UN objective of achieving universal access to modern energy services by
2030, and to commit its fair share of the necessary resources to achieve this goal
- Make energy access a key objective ahead of the Rio+20 Earth Summit
- Ensure provision for universal energy access is incorporated into the new Multi-annual Financial Framework
- Champion energy access in dialogue with Sub-Saharan African governments, as a
catalyst for community, national and regional development
- Use the pro-poor ACP-EU Energy Facility as a model for EU and global energy
financing mechanisms and commit to a long-term, scaled-up Energy Facility beyond
2014
- Adopt an action plan for EU contributions to universal energy access from now until
2030, including targets for annual financial contributions and regular evaluation of
progress
- Ensure that the Africa EU Energy Partnership prioritises energy access for the poor in its political targets and cooperation programmes and advocates investment in
small-scale infrastructure and enhanced civil society engagement
- Ensure the integration of energy access perspectives in its climate financing
The key principles underpinning the above demands are:
- Increased quantity and quality of finance for energy access
- Focus on poverty reduction and sustainable development as objectives central to energy delivery
- Effective participation and consultation of local communities and civil society
- Active consideration of the full range of energy services – including cooking, heating,cooling, access to information and communications, and energy for income generation
- Harmonisation and coherence of goals and strategies of all relevant EU financing
instruments and policies
Read the Civil Society Call: Energy for All 2030 from here
A diverse group of 71 civil society organizations from Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa, have united to call on EU leaders to commit to eradicating energy poverty and achieving universal energy access by 2030.
With a particular focus on Sub-Saharan Africa, as the region most acutely affected, we call for increased political will to deliver energy for all and the quantity and quality of EU funding to make this a reality.
The civil society representatives call on the EU to:
- Endorse the UN objective of achieving universal access to modern energy services by
2030, and to commit its fair share of the necessary resources to achieve this goal
- Make energy access a key objective ahead of the Rio+20 Earth Summit
- Ensure provision for universal energy access is incorporated into the new Multi-annual Financial Framework
- Champion energy access in dialogue with Sub-Saharan African governments, as a
catalyst for community, national and regional development
- Use the pro-poor ACP-EU Energy Facility as a model for EU and global energy
financing mechanisms and commit to a long-term, scaled-up Energy Facility beyond
2014
- Adopt an action plan for EU contributions to universal energy access from now until
2030, including targets for annual financial contributions and regular evaluation of
progress
- Ensure that the Africa EU Energy Partnership prioritises energy access for the poor in its political targets and cooperation programmes and advocates investment in
small-scale infrastructure and enhanced civil society engagement
- Ensure the integration of energy access perspectives in its climate financing
The key principles underpinning the above demands are:
- Increased quantity and quality of finance for energy access
- Focus on poverty reduction and sustainable development as objectives central to energy delivery
- Effective participation and consultation of local communities and civil society
- Active consideration of the full range of energy services – including cooking, heating,cooling, access to information and communications, and energy for income generation
- Harmonisation and coherence of goals and strategies of all relevant EU financing
instruments and policies
Read the Civil Society Call: Energy for All 2030 from here
Local organisations are overlooked in aid effectiveness debate
By Jennifer Lentfer, The Broker on line
The Arab awakening is shaking up what has been a slow-moving effort to reform the effectiveness of development aid. As the people of the Middle East “speak truth to power” and their actions reverberate across the world, many are asking: Can we do more to enable grassroots movements to emerge and gain strength and in the process increase the demand for human rights and development?
Despite the imperatives of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness (2005) and the Accra Agenda for Action (2008), there is a huge gap for direct funding of local groups in the aid industry. Assistance to a small proportion of mostly urban-based organizations remains too-often focused on building the monetary absorptive capacity and the degree of formal structure needed to implement large-scale programs.
Luckily I’ve had the unique chance to experience the impact and potential of alternative funding mechanisms that directly support “under-the-radar” local groups, which, for me, highlight a way forward.
Think of the group of grandmothers gathered under the tree to plan to get orphaned children back into school. A cohort of small villages banded together to protect a local forest they depend on for hunting. A women’s self-help group that forms a cooperative to get better prices for their crafts.
I believe that the creation of more easily accessible and wider-reaching funding opportunities for these small, often “informal” local initiatives may be the revolution our sector needs.
Why should we re-orient international assistance to place grassroots groups at its center?
1) Local indigenous organizations are well placed to provide “scale-up.”
The web of local organizations and grassroots movements is still largely undocumented and unrecognized around the world. WiserEarth.org has already registered over 113,000 local organizations and movements working on a wide variety of issues in 243 countries. They conservatively estimate that they may well be over 1,000,000 such local groups operating across the globe. According to a University of Kwazulu-Natal survey, there are at least 50,000 community-based organizations in the South African non-profit sector alone (Manji & Naidoo, 2005).
2) Local indigenous organizations have capacities that larger aid agencies just don’t have—primarily, rootedness.
While local groups may lack the formal structure and accountability mechanisms that would make them more esteemed among other development actors, they have a range of competencies, including astute resourcefulness in mobilizing local resources, downward accountability, legitimacy within the community, authentically holistic services, adaptability, and responsiveness. Chet Tchozewski, Founder of GlobalGreengrants, describes within local movements a “culture of peer accountability and structural trust, which further enhances the pre-existing social capital” to unleash change.
3) Local indigenous organizations have vital expertise about how poor people cope day-to-day.
Outsiders can often be blind to how poor people and marginalized communities systemically mobilize and share resources through a quite resilient, but often informal system of self-help and mutual assistance, which Wilkinson-Maposa and Fowler (2009) have coined as “horizontal philanthropy” or “philanthropy of community.” i Local groups’ day-to-day interactions and connection with their constituency results in a deep, inherent knowledge about the social context, which may never be fully understood even through the most comprehensive needs assessment or baseline study.
4) Local indigenous organizations already fill gaps in government and international aid.
I’ve worked in children and HIV programming in east and southern Africa for over a decade. What has been undeniable to me in this time is that most children are getting by not because of sweeping national-level policy protections or major internationally-funded programs. Rather, those who survive and thrive do so because of the local efforts of people who organize their communities to extend support and services to vulnerable children in areas not sufficiently reached by government or international agencies. The 300 grassroots organizations with which I’ve worked, often linked to local churches, schools, or clinics, are organized around one purpose—to fill the gap for children and families not being helped otherwise. Despite all of the challenges in working in a low-resource setting, this is what sustains local leaders’ commitment and groups’ persistence.
Donors Are Putting Local Organizations at the Heart of Development
World Bank President Robert Zoellick is signaling that the institution is looking towards more direct support for civil society, at least in the Middle East and North Africa. In fact, the World Bank and many other multi-lateral and bilateral donors have a robust history of civil society engagement. The World Bank has run a small grants program that directly funds CSOs since 1983. Rajiv Shah’s reform agenda at USAID, as set forth in “Delivering Assistance Differently,” calls for USAID Missions to “increase the number of partners and the amount of direct grants with local nonprofit organizations.”
I often hear that “CBOs will just abscond with the money”, “it takes too much effort and resources to find good groups,” and “other policy efforts and economic reforms are still necessary.” All are valid issues for consideration. Certainly not all local organizations are created equal. However I encourage people to consider the relative risk of “losing” small amounts of money by funding local organizations as compared to the waste within the aid system. Donors can learn from the growing numbers of experienced small foundations and NGOs that specialize in offering direct funding to local initiatives, grassroots leadership, and small, often “informal” movements.
Source
The Arab awakening is shaking up what has been a slow-moving effort to reform the effectiveness of development aid. As the people of the Middle East “speak truth to power” and their actions reverberate across the world, many are asking: Can we do more to enable grassroots movements to emerge and gain strength and in the process increase the demand for human rights and development?
Despite the imperatives of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness (2005) and the Accra Agenda for Action (2008), there is a huge gap for direct funding of local groups in the aid industry. Assistance to a small proportion of mostly urban-based organizations remains too-often focused on building the monetary absorptive capacity and the degree of formal structure needed to implement large-scale programs.
Luckily I’ve had the unique chance to experience the impact and potential of alternative funding mechanisms that directly support “under-the-radar” local groups, which, for me, highlight a way forward.
Think of the group of grandmothers gathered under the tree to plan to get orphaned children back into school. A cohort of small villages banded together to protect a local forest they depend on for hunting. A women’s self-help group that forms a cooperative to get better prices for their crafts.
I believe that the creation of more easily accessible and wider-reaching funding opportunities for these small, often “informal” local initiatives may be the revolution our sector needs.
Why should we re-orient international assistance to place grassroots groups at its center?
1) Local indigenous organizations are well placed to provide “scale-up.”
The web of local organizations and grassroots movements is still largely undocumented and unrecognized around the world. WiserEarth.org has already registered over 113,000 local organizations and movements working on a wide variety of issues in 243 countries. They conservatively estimate that they may well be over 1,000,000 such local groups operating across the globe. According to a University of Kwazulu-Natal survey, there are at least 50,000 community-based organizations in the South African non-profit sector alone (Manji & Naidoo, 2005).
2) Local indigenous organizations have capacities that larger aid agencies just don’t have—primarily, rootedness.
While local groups may lack the formal structure and accountability mechanisms that would make them more esteemed among other development actors, they have a range of competencies, including astute resourcefulness in mobilizing local resources, downward accountability, legitimacy within the community, authentically holistic services, adaptability, and responsiveness. Chet Tchozewski, Founder of GlobalGreengrants, describes within local movements a “culture of peer accountability and structural trust, which further enhances the pre-existing social capital” to unleash change.
3) Local indigenous organizations have vital expertise about how poor people cope day-to-day.
Outsiders can often be blind to how poor people and marginalized communities systemically mobilize and share resources through a quite resilient, but often informal system of self-help and mutual assistance, which Wilkinson-Maposa and Fowler (2009) have coined as “horizontal philanthropy” or “philanthropy of community.” i Local groups’ day-to-day interactions and connection with their constituency results in a deep, inherent knowledge about the social context, which may never be fully understood even through the most comprehensive needs assessment or baseline study.
4) Local indigenous organizations already fill gaps in government and international aid.
I’ve worked in children and HIV programming in east and southern Africa for over a decade. What has been undeniable to me in this time is that most children are getting by not because of sweeping national-level policy protections or major internationally-funded programs. Rather, those who survive and thrive do so because of the local efforts of people who organize their communities to extend support and services to vulnerable children in areas not sufficiently reached by government or international agencies. The 300 grassroots organizations with which I’ve worked, often linked to local churches, schools, or clinics, are organized around one purpose—to fill the gap for children and families not being helped otherwise. Despite all of the challenges in working in a low-resource setting, this is what sustains local leaders’ commitment and groups’ persistence.
Donors Are Putting Local Organizations at the Heart of Development
World Bank President Robert Zoellick is signaling that the institution is looking towards more direct support for civil society, at least in the Middle East and North Africa. In fact, the World Bank and many other multi-lateral and bilateral donors have a robust history of civil society engagement. The World Bank has run a small grants program that directly funds CSOs since 1983. Rajiv Shah’s reform agenda at USAID, as set forth in “Delivering Assistance Differently,” calls for USAID Missions to “increase the number of partners and the amount of direct grants with local nonprofit organizations.”
I often hear that “CBOs will just abscond with the money”, “it takes too much effort and resources to find good groups,” and “other policy efforts and economic reforms are still necessary.” All are valid issues for consideration. Certainly not all local organizations are created equal. However I encourage people to consider the relative risk of “losing” small amounts of money by funding local organizations as compared to the waste within the aid system. Donors can learn from the growing numbers of experienced small foundations and NGOs that specialize in offering direct funding to local initiatives, grassroots leadership, and small, often “informal” movements.
Source
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Kenya set to boost wheat production with two disease-resistant varieties
By Steve Mbogo and Elizabeth Wanjiru, Business Daily, October 3, 2011
Kenya hopes to contain the wheat rust, which destroys about a tenth of the wheat crop, through introduction of two disease-resistant varieties next year.
The strains — Robin and Eagle 10 — will save farmers the costs incurred in intensive spraying of wheat fields to control the grain disease.
“We have two seed varieties that are disease resistant. The seeds are being multiplied and we expect farmers to have them by April next year,” said Peter Njau, a plant breeder at Kenya Agriculture Research Institute (Kari) in Njoro.
The disease has mainly affected small-scale farmers because most of them cannot afford to buy the pesticides, leading to up to 80 per cent of their crop being lost. It is estimated that up to 30,000 tonnes of wheat are lost to the rust annually.
The cost of spraying pesticide four times before the harvest is estimated to be Sh10,000 per hectare, or about 33 per cent of the cost of production.
“The small-scale farmers produce only 20 per cent of the wheat in Kenya but their crop is mostly affected by this disease,” said Dr Njau. “We expect the impact on production to be dramatic when they grow the new seed varieties.”
The research institution said that some farmers were growing the two seed varieties on pilot basis while the Kenya Seed Company had been given the contract to produce at least 10 tonnes of seeds for distribution to farmers next year.
The new varieties would help Kenya bridge the wheat deficit that is almost three times its total production. Kenya consumes 900,000 tonnes of wheat annually while annual production is estimated at 350,000 tonnes.
“The demand for wheat has been growing at five per cent per annum and this has not been matched by the production” said Agriculture assistant minister Gideon Ndambuki.
The deficit is met through imports, mainly from Egypt and Mauritius.
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The fungus that ravages wheat in Kenya is known as UG99, taking the name from its discovery in Uganda in 1999. Since then, the fungus, which causes wheat rust, has spread across to the southern Africa region and it is feared that it could extend in other continents.
The Kari Njoro centre is being used as a global research centre to develop wheat seed varieties that are resistance to stem rust.
Kenyan scientists at the centre are working with counterparts from US, Latin America, Middle East and Ethiopia.
The institution has set aside 12 hectares of land to establish international screening nurseries.
“We have already screened more than 200,000 wheat accession. The successful varieties are high yielding and early maturing,” said Kari director Ephraim Mukisira.
Source
Kenya hopes to contain the wheat rust, which destroys about a tenth of the wheat crop, through introduction of two disease-resistant varieties next year.
The strains — Robin and Eagle 10 — will save farmers the costs incurred in intensive spraying of wheat fields to control the grain disease.
“We have two seed varieties that are disease resistant. The seeds are being multiplied and we expect farmers to have them by April next year,” said Peter Njau, a plant breeder at Kenya Agriculture Research Institute (Kari) in Njoro.
The disease has mainly affected small-scale farmers because most of them cannot afford to buy the pesticides, leading to up to 80 per cent of their crop being lost. It is estimated that up to 30,000 tonnes of wheat are lost to the rust annually.
The cost of spraying pesticide four times before the harvest is estimated to be Sh10,000 per hectare, or about 33 per cent of the cost of production.
“The small-scale farmers produce only 20 per cent of the wheat in Kenya but their crop is mostly affected by this disease,” said Dr Njau. “We expect the impact on production to be dramatic when they grow the new seed varieties.”
The research institution said that some farmers were growing the two seed varieties on pilot basis while the Kenya Seed Company had been given the contract to produce at least 10 tonnes of seeds for distribution to farmers next year.
The new varieties would help Kenya bridge the wheat deficit that is almost three times its total production. Kenya consumes 900,000 tonnes of wheat annually while annual production is estimated at 350,000 tonnes.
“The demand for wheat has been growing at five per cent per annum and this has not been matched by the production” said Agriculture assistant minister Gideon Ndambuki.
The deficit is met through imports, mainly from Egypt and Mauritius.
Share This Story
5Share
The fungus that ravages wheat in Kenya is known as UG99, taking the name from its discovery in Uganda in 1999. Since then, the fungus, which causes wheat rust, has spread across to the southern Africa region and it is feared that it could extend in other continents.
The Kari Njoro centre is being used as a global research centre to develop wheat seed varieties that are resistance to stem rust.
Kenyan scientists at the centre are working with counterparts from US, Latin America, Middle East and Ethiopia.
The institution has set aside 12 hectares of land to establish international screening nurseries.
“We have already screened more than 200,000 wheat accession. The successful varieties are high yielding and early maturing,” said Kari director Ephraim Mukisira.
Source
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