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UNDP and the Environment

Unique to UNDP within the UN System is its focus on representing developing countries. UNDP is driven by one overarching objective Ð the eradication of poverty. The undertakings of the organizations are rooted in the goal to better the long term health of and the harmony between the three systems Ð socio-cultural, economic and environmental The environment has not been identified as a key area of focus for UNDP in the upcoming years. However, concerns for the environment will inevitably be addressed when dealing with information technology for development, globalization and trade or any other of the priority areas of UNDP. Presented below is a glance at the work of UNDP in the field of environment.

UNDP is changing continually and some of the programmes identified here may end in the next year. Up-to-date information on the work of UNDP is available on their website. The Newsfront section contains daily press releases, speeches by the Administrator, and Choices Magazine, which gives profiles of country projects.

UNDP after Rio

In 1992, at the United Nations Environment and Development Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, governments agreed that environmental degradation and poverty were inseparable. Following the Summit, UNDP decided to actively participate in global efforts to meet the goals of Agenda 21- the blueprint for action - that resulted from the Summit. In countries stricken by poverty, UNDP promotes integrated approaches to poverty alleviation that aim to break the cycle that links increasing poverty with increased environmental degradation.

The Sustainable Energy and Environment Division (SEED)

The Sustainable Energy and Environment Division (SEED) was established in 1994 as a direct outcome of the Earth Summit in 1992. Agenda 21 called for action and UNDP created the SEED to enable UNDPÕs participation in the implementation of the recommendations of the blueprint for action. Under the SEED Division, a series of specific programmes are in place. UNDPÕs website already provides extensive information on each of these programmes and their own respective undertakings.Ê

We here provide you with a first glance at these programmes and a roadmap to get to the information you want.

Energy and Atmosphere Programme (EAP)

UNDP recognized back in 1994 with the creation of the SEED programme that energy was a central issue in the fight towards poverty alleviation. The mandate of the Energy and Atmosphere Programme (EAP) is to promote sustainable energy. Like many other UNDP programmes, the organization works to provide assistance directly at the country level through their country offices.

The EAP is presently working on numerous programmes relating, among others, to Climate Change, Energy and Women and training for sustainable energy. UNDP also helps developing countries identify appropriate energy efficient technologies to meet their needs, through their Financing Energy Services for Small Energy Users (FINESSE) programme.

Key reports from the Energy and Atmosphere Programme

The Capacity 21 project was launched at the 1992 Environment and Development Conference (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro. Started as a pilot initiative, the project is now in its sixth year. Capacity 21 aims to increase the capacity of countries to implement the guidelines set-out in Agenda 21. Three factors are central to building capacity: integration, participation and information. Capacity 21 financially supports country specific projects through the Trust Fund. UNDP also supports country efforts to: 1) incorporate sustainable development principles in the development plans; 2) increase participation by all stakeholders in planning and management, and 3) develop country capacity to continue efforts towards sustainable development planning.

An example of a Capacity 21 project is the Burkina Faso initiative to strengthen the environmental management capacity in the country, particularly with regards to a National Action Plan to Combat Desertification. Some of the activities undertaken are: the identification of priorities from all stakeholder groups including women, youth, and religious groups; the organization of workshops on environmental education; research projects; and planning national and local dialogues on the National Action Plan. As a result of Capacity 21, Burkina Faso has benefited through the development of an education strategy on environmental issues that will lead to the creation of a new generation of environmental managers in the country. Country Reports are available on the website and provide a profile of the Capacity 21 for each participating country.

The Global Environmental Facility was also mandated to work towards the implementation of the recommendations put forth in Agenda 21. UNDP is one of three implementing agencies of the GEF with the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and the World Bank. A UNDP-GEF website provides detailed information on the role on UNDP and the specific projects undertaken by the organization under the GEF auspices.Ê UNDP manages the Small Grants Programme (GEF-SGP). Through the SGP, community-based organizations and NGOs can access funding of up to $50,000 US for projects that address threats to the global environment. This decentralized grant programme aims to empower communities and build partnerships. Over 50 developing countries are now participating in the SGP.

The Programme on Forests (PROFOR) was initiated in 1997 for a four year period ending in 2001. Its mandate is to promote the adoption of sustainable forest management approaches. It works both at the international and national levels. Like many of UNDP`s programmes, PROFOR`s objective is to increase the capacity of countries to adopt sustainable forest management practices. The design of the PROFOR programme stems from the recommendations of the 1997 Proposals for Action of the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF). The Programme is presently active in four partner countries: Cameroon, Costa Rica, Guyana, Malawi, and Vietnam. Links to key publications on sustainable forest management are available of the PROFOR website.

The PPPUE programme was initiated in 1994 following the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in 1992. The Programme is a collaborative initiative between UNDP and the Business Council for Sustainable Development (BCSD). The goal of the PPPUE Programme is to facilitate the creation of public-private partnerships (PPPs) as tools to turn environmental problems into business opportunities for the benefit of the poor themselves and the environment.

UNDP`s rationale for supporting such an initiative was the realization that governments alone could not meet the needs of people in developing countries faced with tremendous population growth and an already inadequate infrastructure base. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) were seen in 1994 and still today, as an important approach to address UNDP`s main objective Ð sustainable human development.

In partnership with Yale, UNDP`s PPPUE programme manages a Global Learning Centre (GLC) for interactive and continuous learning on PPPs. Because every PPPs is different, the GLC collects, analyzes and shares the lessons from each PPPs initiative and maintains an open dialogue among practionnioners, academics, NGOs and other interested groups.

UNDP`s water strategy, which is rooted in the concept of sustainable water management, is implemented at the global, regional and national level. While the bulk of the efforts are invested at the national level through the country offices, projects of larger scope ensure UNDP`s presence in global discussions. These projects fall under the Global Water Partnership umbrella (GWP).

Under the GWP, UNDP provides support for the UNDP/World Bank Water and Sanitation Programme, the International Programme for Technology Research in Irrigation and Drainage (IPTRID), and the International Centre for Capacity Building. The transboundary river initiatives - pilot projects, and the Strategic Initiative for Ocean and Coastal Management (SIOCAM) are two other main components of the GWP which are also relevant at the regional and national level. UNDPÕs Sustainable Water Management website offers detailed information of the various initiatives and a list of key publications.

The GWP Water Forum is a tool financed by UNDP which provides a central place for international agencies, individuals, local communities, the private sector, academia, governments, and non-governmental organizations to find and exchange information.

The Poverty and Environment Initiative (PEI) is a partnership effort between UNDP and the European Commission (EC). The objective of the PEI is to facilitate the identification of concrete policies to address poverty and environmental concerns based on the national and local realities of developing countries. UNDP and the EC joined efforts to facilitate dialogue and the preparation of concrete recommendations for the Forum of Ministers that was held on September 29th, 1999.Ê The report of the Ministerial meeting and the series of five commissioned background papers produced for the Brussels preparatory meeting from January 19-21 1999, are available on the PEI website.

UNDP and the EC continue to facilitate the work of the Forum of Ministers. The goal is to ensure that the poverty and environment discussions keep progressing toward concrete and coherent actions at the national and international level. The work ensuing from the PEI will be incorporated in the work undertaken at other global events such as the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) and the Rio + 10 process.