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ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES " IDEE JEUNE INIZIATIVE PER LO SVILUPPO DELLE IMPRESE « IDEE JEUNE » IDEE - Jeunes intends to strengthen the technical and financial support provided to the creation and development of micro-enterprises by introducing the creation of semi-industrial processing units, in order to accelerate the creation of jobs (direct or indirect) through the mutualisation of production spaces and tools. The project also intends to consolidate the jobs already created in the previous phases, in particular: i) to ensure a better transition of enterprises from the informal to the formal sector; ii) to encourage young entrepreneurs and producers to expand their market nationally and internationally. With a focus on technical and vocational training, the project adopts an inclusive approach towards vulnerable groups, in particular women, people with disabilities and returning migrants. IDEE - Jeunes intende rafforzare il sostegno tecnico e finanziario fornito alla creazione e allo sviluppo di microimprese introducendo la creazione di unità di trasformazione semi-industriali, al fine di accelerare la creazione di posti di lavoro dignitosi (diretti o indiretti) attraverso la mutualizzazione degli spazi e strumenti di produzione. Il progetto intende inoltre consolidare i posti di lavoro già creati in fasi precedenti, in particolare: i) garantire una migliore transizione delle imprese dal settore informale a quello formale; ii) incoraggiare i giovani imprenditori e produttori a espandere il loro mercato a livello nazionale e internazionale. Il progetto, che pone un focus sulla formazione tecnica e professionale adotta un approccio inclusivo verso i gruppi vulnerabili, in particolare le donne, le persone con disabilità e i migranti di ritorno
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Development of the national mental health program in Niger Sviluppo del programma nazionale di salute mentale in Niger The general objective of the project is to contribute to improving the well-being and mental health of the population and to reducing premature mortality from non-communicable diseases in Niger. The specific objective of the project aims at supporting the PNSM through by upgrading the infrastructures, training staff and raising awareness of the local population. According to the MSP's Plan de Developpement Sanitaire (PDS) 2017-2021, due to a lack of financial, material and human resources, mental health services in Niger do not meet the needs of the population. People suffering from mental disorders are often stigmatised both by the population and, sometimes, even by health workers. Mental health is therefore one of the areas where the gap between emerging needs and effective access to prevention and treatment services is most alarming. In 2001, the WHO estimated around 800 thousand adults with neuropsychiatric pathology in the country, whilst a recent national research showed that 15% of Nigerien families include at least one person with a mental disorder. The problem is even more serious in relation to the infrastructures and human resources dedicated to the mental health of children and adolescents. In Niger, 2/3 of the population is under the age of 18 and still there are no specialists in neuropsychiatry services, despite the high prevalence of neuro-psychiatric pathologies, with their consequent burden of mortality and disability. Furthermore, there is a lack of specialized prevention, diagnosis and treatment services dedicated to addictions, a growing social phenomenon among young Nigeriens. The strategy promoted by the MSP and the project intends to integrate mental health within the essential services offered by the territorial health units, in particular by the Integrated Health Centers (CSI). The project plans to achieve the following results: Child psychiatry and neuro-psychiatry services are created and made operational in Niamey, Maradi and Tahoua, both by founding the first Mental Health Center for Developmental Age (CESMEE) in Niamey and by equipping and supplying the CESMEE and the mental health services of the Regional Hospital Centers (CHR) of Maradi and Tahoua with essential drugs (Result 1) Mental health skills of health professionals and community actors are strengthened by the training and supervision in mental health of non-specialist health workers (ONS) and of health professionals on specific issues related to child neuropsychiatry. Traditional healers will also be made aware of mental health issues. (Result 2) Governance and population’s awareness on mental health are enhanced by supporting the national system in coordinating, evaluating and planning mental health policies and strategies. Awareness raising campaigns and activities will be organized, both on the consumption of drugs among school children (10-16 years) and on the knowledge of epilepsy among primary school teachers. (Result 3) AEC will be responsible for the creation and broadcasting via radio of audio messages aimed at raising awareness on the abuse of substances and mental health. The activities will be mainly focused in the regions of Niamey, Maradi and Tahoua, identified by the partners as priority areas. 78,916 direct beneficiaries are estimated, including: 1) 16,000 patients (44% minors) of the mental health services of Niamey, Maradi and Tahoua; 2) 316 health workers and community actors; 3) 60,000 young people between 10 and 24 years old; 4) 2,600 primary school teachers. Il presente progetto è proposto in qualità di capofila da Medici per i Diritti Umani (MEDU) in partenariato con il Programma Nazionale di Salute Mentale (PNSM) organo del Ministero della Salute Pubblica (MSP) del Niger, e l'associazione nigerina Alternative Espaces Citoyens (AEC). L'iniziativa ha l'obiettivo generale di contribuire a migliorare il benessere e la salute mentale della popolazione e a ridurre la mortalità prematura da malattie non-trasmissibili in Niger. L'obiettivo specifico del progetto mira a supportare il PNSM attraverso il potenziamento delle infrastrutture, la formazione del personale e la sensibilizzazione della popolazione. La durata prevista è di 36 mesi. Secondo il Plan de Developpement Sanitaire (PDS) 2017-2021 del MSP, i servizi di salute mentale in Niger non soddisfano i bisogni della popolazione a causa della mancanza di risorse finanziarie, materiali e umane. Esiste inoltre un'elevata stigmatizzazione delle persone con disturbi mentali, sia da parte della popolazione che, talvolta, dagli operatori di salute. La salute mentale risulta essere, pertanto, una delle aree sanitarie dove il divario tra i bisogni emergenti e l'effettivo accesso ai servizi di prevenzione e cura è tra i più allarmanti. L’OMS stimava nel 2001 circa 800mila adulti con patologia neuropsichiatrica nel paese mentre una ricerca nazionale recente ha evidenziato che il 15% delle famiglie nigerine include almeno una persona con un disturbo mentale. Il problema è ancora più grave se riferito alla presenza di infrastrutture e risorse umane dedicate alla salute mentale dell'infanzia e dell'adolescenza. In un paese dove i 2/3 della popolazione ha meno di 18 anni, non esistono servizi specialistici di neuropsichiatria infantile, nonostante l'elevata prevalenza di patologie neuro-psichiatriche, come le paralisi cerebrali infantili e le epilessie, con il loro carico di mortalità e disabilità. Mancano, inoltre, servizi specialistici di prevenzione, diagnosi e cura dedicati alle dipendenze, fenomeno sociale in crescita tra i giovani nigerini. Il progetto mira pertanto a sviluppare in modo coerente le strategie e priorità del Plan Strategique de Santé Mentale (PSSM) 2016-2020 elaborato dal PNSM. La strategia promossa dal MSP e dal progetto intende integrare la salute mentale all'interno dei servizi essenziali offerti dalle unità territoriali di salute, in particolare dai Centri di salute integrata (CSI). Il progetto svilupperà altresì servizi specializzati di riferimento che permetteranno di affrontare bisogni rimasti ad oggi trascurati, come le patologie psichiatriche e neurologiche dell'età dello sviluppo. Il progetto prevede di raggiungere i seguenti risultati: 1) Creati e resi operativi servizi di psichiatria e neuro-psichiatria infantile a Niamey, Maradi e Tahoua. MEDU e PNSM collaboreranno sia alla creazione del primo Centro di salute mentale per l'età evolutiva (CESMEE) del paese a Niamey sia all'equipaggiamento e dotazione con farmaci essenziali del CESMEE e dei servizi di salute mentale dei Centri Ospedalieri regionali (CHR) di Maradi e Tahoua. 2) Rafforzate le competenze in salute mentale degli operatori sanitari e degli attori comunitari. MEDU e PNSM collaboreranno alla formazione e supervisione in salute mentale di operatori sanitari non specialisti (ONS) che operano nei CSI, Operatori specialisti (OS) che operano in strutture di secondo e terzo livello; operatori sanitari su temi specifici di neuropsichiatria infantile. Verranno inoltre sensibilizzati i curatori tradizionali sui temi di salute mentale. 3) Rafforzata la governance e la consapevolezza della popolazione sulla salute mentale. MEDU e PNSM collaboreranno nel supporto al sistema nazionale di coordinamento, valutazione e pianificazione della salute mentale. MEDU organizzerà attività di sensibilizzazione sia sul consumo di sostanze d'abuso tra i giovani delle scuole (10-16 anni) sia sulla conoscenza dell'epilessia tra gli insegnanti
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Multisectoral humanitarian preparedness and response to the acute vulnerabilities of populations affected by conflicts, floods and epidemics in Niger Preparazione e risposta umanitaria multisettoriale alle vulnerabilità acute delle popolazioni colpite da conflitti, inondazioni ed epidemie in Niger The project aims to ensure the effective and efficient implementation of the Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM), in accordance with the common framework and in coordination and harmonization with the national frameworks and standards outlined by clusters and working groups in Niger. UNICEF will ensure the technical leadership of the program in coordination with all interested parties and will act as a central agency for the purchase of food and non-food items. Il progetto mira a garantire l'attuazione efficace ed efficiente del Meccanismo di Risposta Rapida (RRM), conformemente al quadro comune ed in coordinamento con i quadri nazionali e agli standard delineati dai cluster settoriali e dai gruppi di lavoro in Niger. UNICEF assicurerà la leadership tecnica del programma in coordinamento con tutte le parti interessate e fungerà da agenzia centrale per gli acquisti dei prodotti alimentari e non.
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Small irrigation project for the development of tomato production in Niger (PPI/DPT) Progetto di piccola irrigazione per lo sviluppo della produzione di pomodori in Niger (PPI/DPT) The goal of the initiative is to develop tomato production in all seasons in order to improve the quality of local products, increase producers' incomes and at the same time improve food and nutritional security in Niger.
The project aims to contribute to the development of the tomato value chain, through three components: 100 ha of hydro-agricultural systems with solar pumping, the development and enhancement of production sites through the purchase and distribution of agricultural inputs, support to the preservation and marketing of tomatoes through a better structuring of the sector. The management of the project will be ensured by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG/EL), and in particular by the Directorate General of Rural Engineering (DGGR) and the Directorate General of Agriculture (DGA). Project partners will also be the farmers' organizations, in particular the federation of horticultural producers FCMN Niya. The final beneficiaries are about 4,500 people, divided into 4 municipalities in the 2 regions of Tahoua and Maradi, for a duration of 36 months. L’obiettivo dell’iniziativa è quello di incoraggiare la produzione di pomodoro in Niger durante tutto l’arco dell’anno, al fine di migliorare la qualità dei prodotti agricoli locali, aumentare i redditi dei produttori e al contempo contribuire a migliorare la sicurezza alimentare e nutrizionale in Niger. Il progetto prevede di supportare la catena del valore della filiera pomodoro, attraverso tre componenti: i) la realizzazione di 100 ettari di sistemazioni idro-agricole con pompaggio solare, ii) lo sviluppo e valorizzazione dei siti produttivi tramite l’acquisto e distribuzione di input agricoli, iii) il supporto alla conservazione, trasformazione e alla commercializzazione dei pomodori tramite una migliore strutturazione del settore. La gestione del progetto sarà assicurata dal Ministero dell’Agricultura e dell’Allevamento (MAG/EL), e in particolare dalla Direzione Generale del Genio Rurale (DGGR) e dalla Direzione Generale dell’Agricoltura (DGA). Partner di progetto saranno anche le organizzazioni contadine nazionali, in particolare la federazione di produttori orticoli FCMN Niya. I beneficiari finali previsti sono circa 4.500 persone implicate nella filiera, ripartite in 4 comuni nelle 2 regioni di Tahoua e Maradi, per una durata di 36 mesi.
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COVID-19 Fund_AID_011451: Milk & Honey Fondo COVID-19_AID_011451: Latte & Miele: due filiere come risposta all'insicurezza alimentare ed economica delle zone urbane e rurali del Niger Fondo COVID-19_AID_011451: The Initiative contribute to ensuring the right to healthy, quality food sourced from local fair and sustainable supply chains, promoting the employment of vulnerable women and young people, in the urban population of Niamey and the rural departments of Say and Tillabéri in Niger. Specifically, productivity, quality and nutritional value of milk and honey products have improved and adjusted to local consumption. Breeders and beekeepers' organizations will be structured and strengthened at the technical, organizational and monitoring levels of the sustainability of supply chains with a focus on the dignity of work, women's empowerment and the inclusion of young people. The project supports a distribution and trade system promoted by local institutions and structured for the procurement of healthy, fair and quality products between urban and rural areas Fondo COVID-19_AID_011451: L'iniziativa contribuisce a garantire il diritto a un cibo sano, di qualità e proveniente da filiere locali eque e sostenibili, promuovendo l'impiego di donne e giovani vulnerabili, nella popolazione urbana di Niamey e dei dipartimenti rurali di Say e tillabéri in Niger. Nello specifico, la produttività, la qualità ed il valore nutrizionale dei prodotti delle filiere latte e miele sono migliorati e adeguati al consumo locale. Le organizzazioni di allevatori ed apicoltori saranno strutturate e rafforzate a livello tecnico, organizzativo e di monitoraggio della sostenibilità delle filiere con un focus sulla dignità del lavoro, l'empowerment femminile e l'inclusione dei giovani. Il progetto sostiene un sistema di distribuzione e commercio promosso dalle istituzioni locali e strutturato per l'approvigionamento di prodotti sani, equi e di qualità tra le aree urbane e rurali.
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Contribution to the International Committee of the Red Cross for its physical rehabilitation program for people with disabilities in Niger Contributo al Comitato Internazionale della Croce Rossa per le attività del programma di riabilitazione fisica per persone con disabilità in Niger The initiative, promoted by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), aims at making free physical rehabilitation services from the orthopedic centers at the Niamey National Hospital and the Zinder National Hospital more readily available to the most vulnerable. It will continue to provide support for pertinent associations that refer persons with disabilities in remote areas to the centers mentioned above. The ICRC will seek to ensure the sustainability of rehabilitative services, by helping more people to become certified physical rehabilitation professionals and urging various stakeholders to find ways to increase support. Eventually, the ICRC will support the social integration of persons with disabilities, with a focus on women. L’iniziativa, promossa dal Comitato Internazionale della Croce Rossa (CICR), si prefigge di rendere i servizi gratuiti di riabilitazione fisica dei centri ortopedici del Niamey National Hospital e dello Zinder National Hospital più facilmente disponibili per le persone in condizione di vulnerabilità. Il Comitato continuerà a fornire supporto alle associazioni competenti che indirizzano le persone con disabilità di aree remote ai centri sopra menzionati e cercherà di garantire la sostenibilità dei servizi riabilitativi, aiutando più persone a diventare professionisti certificati della riabilitazione fisica e sollecitando le varie parti interessate a trovare modi per aumentare il sostegno. Infine, il CICR sosterrà l'integrazione sociale delle persone con disabilità.
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3.1 Create awareness of communities and all stakeholders on the national climate change policy.
3.2 Advocacy visit to NYSC State Coordinators to facilitate NYSC members to implement the climate action programme as their Community Development Service (CDS).
3.3 Conduct a workshop on Niger-Delta climate action programme.
3.4 Sustained Media Advocacy on National Climate Change policy.
3.5 Development of a Niger Delta Climate Change State Action Plan.
3.6 Consultative and Validation Meetings for the Niger Delta State Climate Change Action Plan and Development of Niger Delta Climate Change Framework Document.
3.7 Hosting of World Environment Day.
3.8 Niger Delta Environmental Protection Summit/ Official launch of the Niger Delta Climate Change Framework Document and State Climate Action Plans.
3.9 Media Campaign for the Development of Niger Delta Regional Climate Change Action Plan Document.
3.10 NACGOND Pilot Livelihood Activity (Beekeeping and Rice Farming Projects) Advocate and lobby for the implementation of the National Climate Change Policy of Nigeria.
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5.1 Advocacy visit to Heads of targeted schools for their endorsement and support of the project objective.
5.2 Setting-up of Clubs in targeted Community Secondary Schools in the Niger-Delta.
5.3 Conduct Environmental education and training of Club, and mapping out action plan.
5.4 Organize Essay and quiz competition for clubs at state levels.
5.5 Conduct quarterly visits to the schools/clubs to assess performance and impact on their peers.
5.6 Sustained media advocacy on environmental education directed at forming the minds of youths in targeted communities for a future in the Niger Delta region.
5.7 Advocacy visit to community heads for their endorsement and support for Community Environmental Monitoring Clubs
5.8 Setting-up of Clubs in targeted Communities in the Niger Delta especially in communities where there are existing school Environmental Clubs.
5.9 Conduct quarterly visits to the communities/Environmental Monitoring Clubs to Assess Performance and Respond to Emerging Issues that need follow-ups.
5.10 Media advocacy through radio drama series and production of NACGOND information materials. Orientate and sensitize youths of Secondary School age (boys and girls) on environmental education for behavioral change and formation of their minds for the future of the Niger Delta region.
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Decentralised Climate Funds DCF BRACED aims to create more effective climate adaptation planning and finance by local governments in Mali and Senegal, which will improve communities’ resilience to climate change. In partnership with national and local governments, the project will pilot six devolved decision-making and funding mechanisms in four Départements and three Cercles in Senegal and Mali, respectively, to fund community-prioritized, public good investments that directly build the resilience of 750,000 local people to climate variability and extreme events. The pilot will deliver national policy and improve readiness of local government to draw down, and national government to disburse, global climate finance in support of local adaptation. In Mali and Senegal, climate extremes manifest in droughts, floods and, in Senegal, wildfires. Climate data analysis indicates increases in total rainfall in Mopti (Mali) and Koungheul (Senegal) from mid 90s to present, with “no trend” at nearby stations of Douentza (Mali) and Kaffrine (Senegal), although rainfall records there are incomplete. Maximum temperatures are on an upward trend, and minimum temperatures are also increasing. Extreme variability from year to year is still the norm, which makes long-term climate trends difficult to establish statistically. Climate remains characterized by great inter-annual and rainy season variability, including late onset and/or early termination of rains, significant gaps between ‘useful’ rainy days, and violent late-season storms.
Climate extremes challenge the ability of vulnerable people to prosper and, in some cases, to survive. In 2011, for example, rainfall in Mali was 40% less than the 10-year average, resulting in low crop production and leaving 60% of households dependent on humanitarian food aid. Flash floods after heavy rainfall, such as those in Kaffrine in 2013, displace people, put them at risk for physical harm, flood productive areas and destroy crops and infrastructure. In Kaffrine, wildfires are a recurrent and increasingly frequent phenomena, causing significant damage to dry season grazing, stored crops and vegetative cover, and damaging the capacity for soil regeneration.
For targeted areas, climate change is expected to yield further increase in temperature, increased frequency and severity of drought and increasingly unpredictable and frequent floods. These effects are expected to have major impacts on food security for rural populations.
In the Mopti Region (Mali), 98% of the population are farmers and agro-pastoralists. In the wetlands of the Cercle of Mopti, households combine irrigated and flood-recession family farming with some commercial agriculture, pastoralism and fishing. In the semi-arid and arid Cercles of Koro and Douentza and the Kaffrine Region (Senegal), production systems rely on rainfed cultivation, some irrigation, pastoralism, forestry and seasonal migration. Unpredictable rainfall, combined with periodic drought, undermines crop productivity and pasture regeneration, placing longer-term pressure on tree resources as poor households harvest wood and non-timber forest products (NTFP) to survive. Impacts on trees and shrubs adversely affect women and girls, who are responsible for collection of firewood and NTFP. For fishing communities, low water levels and dried up riverbeds reduce fish production. Transhumant herders find it difficult to maintain seasonal rights to grazing and passage on grasslands and floodplain pastures, which are increasingly occupied by expanding cultivation.
Successive years of low agricultural or pastoral productivity due to erratic rainfall patterns and drought erode communities’ asset base (e.g.. livestock, cereal stores) thereby undermining their short-term food security and longer-term capacity to cope with climate extremes and rebuild sustainable livelihoods in years of improved rainfall. Chronic malnutrition affects 32.3% of the population in the Mopti region (Mali) and 24% in Kaffrine region (Senegal). To cope with reduced income from cash crops and commercial ventures, agro-pastoralists increasingly turn to labor migration to diversify their livelihood portfolios.
Food and income insecurity in the targeted areas impacts women and girls more intensely than men. Women and youth, who are socially and politically marginalized, are particularly vulnerable to climate extremes because of unequal access to common resources. Women are typically responsible for ensuring family food security but lack control over assets and agricultural inputs. Intra-household food allocations mean that during shortages, women and girls generally eat last, receive less food with lower nutritional value. Women are responsible for collecting water and firewood for cooking, but dwindling ground water and scarce surface water resources mean that women must travel greater distances to find water or use less water for basic hygiene and sanitation. Access to deep (pumped) wells may require unaffordable payments to Water User Associations. When men migrate to find work, women and children left behind may experience increased burdens and income/food insecurity, but these impacts are not well documented – the implications of migration on households will be included in the resilience assessments undertaken at the beginning of the project. The project will produce four outputs through a number of activities:
Output 1: Vulnerable communities in three Cercles (Mali) and four Départements (Senegal) benefit from public good investments that build resilience.
(A) Convene multi-stakeholder meetings in each Cercle/Département to build common project vision.
(B) Establish climate Adaptation Planning Committees at the Commune/CR level to prioritize investments in public goods aimed at strengthening local adaptation and resilience and, once awarded, implement projects, and at the Cercle/Département level to provide oversight on CAPC proposals for resilience investments.
(C) Build local government capacity on climate change science, policy and implications for local economies/ecosystems; participatory budgeting that prioritizes women and children; conducting resilience assessments; risk management; and managing and monitoring projects.
(D) Conduct Resilience Assessments (RA) to assess vulnerability, stresses and local adaptation strategies and capacities (differentiated by livelihood group, age and gender, with an emphasis on risks specific to women and children). CAPCs will conduct RAs with support from local government planners and project staff.
(E) Radio broadcasts to disseminate climate information and promote participation in project activities and government planning.
Output 2: Devolved finance and planning mechanisms are established and functional in three Cercles (Mali) and four départements (Senegal) to support community-prioritized investments in public goods that build climate resilience.
(A) Mainstream socially inclusive resilience planning into existing systems
(B) Expand Climate Information Services (CIS). CIS will be extended to Mopti and Kaffrine regions through a multi-stakeholder platform, linked to existing national systems.
(C) Establish six Climate Adaptation Funds. Three CAFs (£500,000 each) will be established in each country. In Mali, each Cercle will have a CAF. In Senegal, two CAFs will be inter-municipal and a third fund, competitive among the 4 Départements, will be managed by a RAPC.
In Years 1 and 2, NEF/IED-Afrique will co-manage CAFs to ensure oversight and accountability. In Year 3, control over CAFs will pass fully to local governments.
(D) Ensure capacity of adaptation planning committees to manage funds. CAFs will conform to public finance policy and law, have the necessary fiduciary controls to ensure value for money and accountability, and complement local government development budgets. An auditing company will train CAPC, APC, and RAPCs.
Output 3: Evidence and learning on the effectiveness of decentralized climate finance investments to improve communities’ resilience is generated and disseminated.
(A) Generate project learning through action research. Studies will include RAs, effectiveness of local government planning in building resilience, and economic profiles of each Cercle/Département. Learning will focus on project experience with devolved funding, tools that enable existing planning systems to identify public-good resilience investments, and the contribution of adaptation to delivering more resilient livelihoods and economies. The project will also support Cercle/Départements to design a research agenda, enabling them to commission research that supports planning and investments for climate resilient growth and development.
(B) Develop local capacity for monitoring and evaluation. In addition to project M&E, the project will build the capacity of local government to monitor and evaluate resilience (building on RAs, Activity 1.1.4). The M&E system will be designed to track BRACED and appropriate TAMD indicators.
Output 4: Mechanisms and processes established for national governments to engage with locally generated evidence. The people of Mali’s Mopti Region and Senegal’s Kaffrine Region are vulnerable to climate extremes because of their strong dependence on natural resources, poor development infrastructure and the limited institutional, technological and financial capacity of local governments to manage climatic shocks and stresses and to support local adaptive strategies.
Local governments in Mali and Senegal have limited capacity to build resilience to climate stresses. Existing centralized planning mechanisms (a) are inflexible, top-down, and fragmented across sectors, (b) evidence poor understanding of local coping strategies, (c) reflect limited use of climate information to ensure ‘climate smart’ investments and (d) poorly integrate sustainable development planning with DRR or climate risk management. Further, despite strong evidence that resilient productivity and adaptability are part of rural communities’ livelihoods and institutions, stronger political and economic interests have captured planning systems that do not adequately reflect community adaptation strategies. Policy development through participatory action and learning with key stakeholders is a cornerstone of project design and sustainability. The project will pursue a multi-pronged strategy with communities and national and local governments to share changes that increase their capacity to build resilience to climate extremes through the CAFs.
The project seeks to build local ownership and national acceptance of decentralized CAF mechanisms so that they become institutionalized and used widely. By focusing on institutional development and strengthening local capacity, the project will ensure that financing mechanisms can function independently of BRACED in the future. The project will foster buy-in for change by demonstrating that empowered local leadership is central to effective adaptation and resilience investments over time and that viable approaches exist for this approach at scale.
The project will deliver on key national climate change and development policy objectives by introducing reforms that work through and strengthen, rather than replace, existing government systems consistent with national policy and legislation. Two pillars of this strategy are (i) working with and through local governments to identify policy and institutional changes required to build resilience to climate extremes, and (ii) closely engaging AEDD and CSE in the project.
Seconding project staff to local governments and providing training and technical support to government staff will further build local capacity for continued implementation. This principle has also been followed during the PDG phase, when relevant policy stakeholders were actively involved in the design and leaning process.
Through this participatory action-learning process, we expect to generate lessons around: (1) institutional linkages and financial transfer mechanisms from global funds to local decentralized government; (2) decentralized governments’ ability to program inclusive investments for climate adaptation in favor of vulnerable groups (especially women and children); (3) accountability, transparency and effectiveness in delivering adaptation investments locally; and (4) the nature and effectiveness of resilience investments that provide enhanced value for money. These lessons will be important to ensure replicability by government (not project-based) systems in Mali and Senegal as well as in other arid/semi-arid environments. Improved resilience to climate change will be accomplished through achievement of the following objectives:
(1) Investment in local, community-prioritized adaptation;
(2) Improved climate resilience planning, including use of climate information;
(3) Improved local government capacity to distribute devolved climate financing;
(4) Encouraging national governments to adopt reforms that are supportive of local resilience. The project will reach 750,000 people through CAF-funded resilience projects – approximately 250,000 in Senegal and 500,000 in Mali. Through the CAF, we expect to fund approximately 75 projects reaching an average of 10,000 people per project. Tis equals 50% of the total population in the targeted areas.
Target communities in Mali and Senegal were selected based on their exposure to climate extremes, chronic food deficits, high levels of poverty, and territorial connectivity and variation in ecological zones to facilitate collaboration and learning on natural resource management between communes/CR. Additionally, partners have long-established relationships in these communities, providing a foundation of knowledge, trust and credibility that will facilitate beneficiary participation and successful project implementation.
In Mali, NEF will work in 24 communes in Mopti Region, in the three Cercles of Douentza, Koro, and Mopti. The poverty rate is 72% in these Cercles. Agro-pastoralists and farmers (98% of the population) practice a combination of irrigated and flood recession farming, rainfed millet farming, pastoralism, fishing, and agroforestry. In Senegal, IED-Afrique will work in Kaffrine Region, in the four Départements of Kaffrine, Koungheul, Maleme Hoddar, and Birkilane, which include 28 CRs. The region’s poverty rate (63.8%) is significantly higher than the national average (47.6%). Rainfed agriculture, spring-fed crop irrigation, pastoralism, agroforestry and seasonal migration dominate local economic activity.
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22/23 Ethiopia Joint Response - Implementation SOS Across Ethiopia, 23,8 Million people are projected to be in need in 2021. Ongoing violent conflict, desert locust invasion and recurrent climatic shocks such as floods and droughts, as well as the socioeconomic impact of Covid 19 are the key drivers of humanitarian needs. Food Security and Livelihoods (including Agriculture), WASH, and Health are the sectors with the most people in need. Due to the projected increase in the number of IDPs, as a result of the ongoing conflict, unemployment, and the impact of climate change, needs are expected to increase in the coming months. The IPC Acute Food Insecurity Analysis of June 2021 concludes that in Northern Ethiopia (Tigray, Amhara and Afar), over 350,000 people were in Catastrophe (IPC 5) between May and June 2021, which is the highest number of people in IPC 5 since the 2011 Somalia Famine. 5,5 Million people (61% of the population analysed) were facing high levels of food insecurity (IPC 3 or over) and this level is predicted to be worse at the end of 2021.1
The outbreak of the Tigray conflict in Ethiopia in November 2020 had dramatic effects in the region. Telecommunications, roads, air travel, internet, electricity, banks, potable water, and other public institutions and services are not functioning, inaccessible, and/or are shut down, endangering the lives of the Tigray people. Despite the agreement between the Government of Ethiopia and the United Nations allowing humanitarian access into Tigray, humanitarian actors in practice are often denied access to the region. This severely hinders or even prevents the provision of humanitarian life-saving assistance to affected communities and IDPs, where the situation is quickly deteriorating. According to the latest UN Situation report of November 4th 2021, no humanitarian supplies have arrived in Tigray since the 18th of October. Also, the movement of humanitarian workers in and out of Tigray has been fully denied since 28th October, and movement within the surrounding regions (Amhara & Afar) has been severely restricted.
SOS CV and its local partner Tesfa Birham will implement one part of the Ethiopia Joint Response, focused in the sectors FSL, Health and MPC within the following locations: Fedis woreda (Oromia region) and Efratana uidim woreda (Amhara region). SOS CVE will also target the hard to reach areas in which people in general do not have (good) access to health facilities. Within the FSL component of their programme in Efrata, Ataye, SOS CVE will particularly focus on youngsters [ST1] who have lost their shops and help them to rehabilitate their businesses
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22/23 Ethiopia Joint Response - Lead Across Ethiopia, 23,8 Million people are projected to be in need in 2021. Ongoing violent conflict, desert locust invasion and recurrent climatic shocks such as floods and droughts, as well as the socioeconomic impact of Covid 19 are the key drivers of humanitarian needs. Food Security and Livelihoods (including Agriculture), WASH, and Health are the sectors with the most people in need. Due to the projected increase in the number of IDPs, as a result of the ongoing conflict, unemployment, and the impact of climate change, needs are expected to increase in the coming months. The IPC Acute Food Insecurity Analysis of June 2021 concludes that in Northern Ethiopia (Tigray, Amhara and Afar), over 350,000 people were in Catastrophe (IPC 5) between May and June 2021, which is the highest number of people in IPC 5 since the 2011 Somalia Famine. 5,5 Million people (61% of the population analysed) were facing high levels of food insecurity (IPC 3 or over) and this level is predicted to be worse at the end of 2021.1
The outbreak of the Tigray conflict in Ethiopia in November 2020 had dramatic effects in the region. Telecommunications, roads, air travel, internet, electricity, banks, potable water, and other public institutions and services are not functioning, inaccessible, and/or are shut down, endangering the lives of the Tigray people. Despite the agreement between the Government of Ethiopia and the United Nations allowing humanitarian access into Tigray, humanitarian actors in practice are often denied access to the region. This severely hinders or even prevents the provision of humanitarian life-saving assistance to affected communities and IDPs, where the situation is quickly deteriorating. According to the latest UN Situation report of November 4th 2021, no humanitarian supplies have arrived in Tigray since the 18th of October. Also, the movement of humanitarian workers in and out of Tigray has been fully denied since 28th October, and movement within the surrounding regions (Amhara & Afar) has been severely restricted.
Within this Joint Response, Partners will work in the following different regions/ zones; North West Zone (Tigray), North Wollo Zone (Amhara), North Shewa Zone (Amhara) and East Haraghe Zone (Oromia). However, as the situation is highly volatile, the Joint Response Partners will keep monitoring and assess the situation again in the beginning of 2022, to see if Partners have regained access, or that the prospective target locations have to change. The specific needs in the targeted locations will be presented in the following chapter, the Joint Response Design.
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22-23 Sudan DRA JR4 During the past five years, Sudan has seen an increase in the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance from 5.8 million people in 2016 to 13.4 million in 2021. South Kordofan and Khartoum contain localities with priorities for humanitarian interventions. The Sudan Joint Response 4 aims to address the needs in 2022 and 2023 by providing affected people with multi-sectoral assistance to respond to the immediate needs and protection risks of the most vulnerable and conflict affected people in targeted areas in Khartoum, North- Darfur, East Darfur, South Kordofan, White Nile and Gadaref, through an effective and efficient humanitarian response by Dutch NGOs, national partners and actors.SOS in collaboration with VCO will achieve its overall objective which is: to contribute to build families for children in need, and help them shape their own futures, and share in the development of their communities. This will be done while increasing the resilience of protracted displacement and refugee groups, and vulnerable host communities, by addressing protection needs, FSL (Food security and Livelihood) and WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) for improved health, protection and livelihood in two prioritized localities in South Kordofan (Rashad and Abu Jubayhah) and two prioritized localities in Khartoum (Jebel Awlia and Um Bada). With three specific objectives and its outcomes:
Objective 1. Contribute to meet the immediate food security needs of IDPs, Refugees and conflict-affected host communities living in 4 localities within SK and Khartoum states.
Objective 2. Provide protection services to vulnerable crisis affected people, including those with special needs, and to strengthen community-based protection mechanisms to prevent and respond to protection risks, and to address protection needs in Khartoum and South Kordofan.
Objective 3: Vulnerable affected population in Khartoum and South Kordofan live in satisfactory conditions of sanitation and hygiene • IDP’s & Refugees: Sudan is both a destination and transit country for asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants from at least ten countries. After Uganda, Sudan is hosting the second-highest number of refugees fleeing violence from South Sudan . Refugees in Sudan reside in camps, out-of-camp settlements, and urban areas across 18 states. Of the 1.1 million refugees in Sudan, 48% are under 18 years old. This action targets at least 50,447 IDPs, returnees and refugees in Gedaref and rural North and South Darfur. In Gedaref, the action will target Um Rakouba camp where Ethiopian refugees fleeing the conflict in the Tigray region reside. In East Darfur the action will target Al Salam and Kalma IDP camps. Many South Sudanese refugees take residence in this area as well. In North Darfur and South Kordofan IDP’s and refugees in and out of camp are targeted with direct live-saving services and appropriate flexible FSL, WASH, Health and Protection solutions, following a multi-sectoral approach. IDPs and refugees are an important target group for the conflict resolution interventions under FSL.
• Returnees & Host communities have also been subjected to adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic drought, flooding and conflict with major effects on child protection as well as loss of livelihoods. The project will ensure protection mechanisms led by the communities are reinforced and functional. This includes support for Family Tracing and Reunification.
• Women and girls: Women and girls are more likely to experience a worsening of existing inequalities as result of the protracted crisis in Sudan. For example, 70% of food insecure people are women and girls in Sudan. As such, mainstreaming Gender throughout the entire project cycle is key. In North Darfur, South Kordofan and Khartoum the JR partners will work with different stakeholders including the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Social Development to conduct a gender assessment and understand the social and economic political factors that affect gender needs and opportunities in the project target areas. Based on the identified needs and gaps, Gender, GBV, and safeguarding are mainstreamed in capacity building and all project staff and frontline workers are trained on the gender-sensitive approach. In addition, the project is designed to respond directly to the needs of women, because of their disadvantaged position. Project sites, for example latrines in South Kordofan, are rehabilitated following gender considerations to ensure privacy and safeguarding, and support menstrual hygiene management (MHM). Considering FSL, the project builds on previous successes of SDNJR1-3 of building women’s financial assets, which strengthens women’s financial knowledge and saving habits, improving women’s agency and organizational skills, providing safe spaces to exercise leadership and eventually improve their decision making and negotiation at household level as well as increasing their resilience to shocks. Apart from this the project will ensure that women have equal representation in the various committees established in the project.
• Adolescence and youth: Targeted activities will ensure adolescents are actively involved in the process and activities. The JR4 will seek to target adolescence and youth through DRR interventions and youth involvement and FSL livelihoods activities and peace & reconciliation activities to ensure they receive appropriate targeted services to help them reintegrate into their communities and can act as agents of change. This group will be targeted for life skills, case management and vocational training and peer support activities. The vocation training subjects will be determined with the input of the targeted adolescents.
• Children: The project will provide training on the child friendly feedback and response mechanism to capture the needs, priorities, and relevance of the project inputs to children, boys and girls. Boys and girls will also be targeted through the project’s Child Protection activities by providing high quality case managements services, Family Tracing and Reunification, Education support and multi-purpose cash support for the most vulnerable children based on the updated Minimum Basket Expenditure MBE value that is agreed on by the cash working group as well as consultation with relevant partners.
• Men and boys: The project will reach men and boys through targeted FSL, Protection, Health, WASH and CfW activities but also will engage boys and men gender equality awareness, child protection and GBV risk mitigation, and roles and responsibilities training activities. Based on lessons learned from SDNJR1-3, the partners have noted the importance of ensuring gender-sensitive approaches to engage boys and men on topics of gender equality and participation of girls and women. The 2020 AAP report has include recommendations on the involvement of boys and men, to be adapted in the response to promote positive masculinity.
• PWD & Elderly: The construction of additional classrooms, latrines and/or the provision of water points will accommodate the needs of people with disabilities. Awareness campaigns on disability inclusion will be conducted, and teachers will be trained on inclusive learning environments. The selection of the CPCBN members will take the inclusivity aspect into account and proportionally include men, women, youth representation, PWD, and minorities. In 2019 Sudan experienced a political transition where months of sustained street protests have led to the fall of Omar al-Bashir. On July 5, 2019 a transition process started during which a transitional government, the so called Transitional Military Council, comprising of military representatives, representatives from the Forces for Freedom and Change and members to represent armed groups governed the country and prepared the way towards democratic elections. On August 31, 2020 and September 3, 2020 peace agreements were signed between Sudan's transitional government and the Sudan Revolutionary Front and between the transitional government and SPLM-North al-Hilu rebel faction, officially ending nearly two decades of armed conflict and bloodshed in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile. During 2021, tensions have escalated between the military and civilian components of the transitional authority in Sudan which resulted in a military coup on October 25, 2021. Thousands of people are currently protesting at sit-ins calling on the different parties as the country grapples with the biggest crisis since the end of Omar al-Bashir’s government. Civilian officials including the prime minister have been detained and the airport in Khartoum is closed. Sudan has been facing shortages of basic commodities after anti-government protesters blocked a port in Red Sea state. Due to the port block the country is running out of life-saving medicines, fuel, and wheat stocks . JR partner offices have been working in low profile with only essential staff on standby. Over the last weeks, implementation has been suspended in all offices, pending evolution of events in the country. Limited access to internet connectivity (mobile internet has not yet been restored and most other internet providers are working below capacity) continues to affect normal working environment for staff, partners as well as vendors and suppliers. At this point in time it is not clear how the situation will affect the Sudan Joint Response in the coming weeks and months as the situation continues to evolve.
The humanitarian situation in Sudan is driven by an economic crisis, localized conflict, protracted internal displacement, climate shocks (drought and flooding), cyclical disease outbreaks, and pressure from hosting more than 1 million refugees and asylum seekers. Furthermore, the economic crisis, including inflation (the inflation rate has reached 412.75% as of June 2021) resulted in record-high numbers of food-insecure people. According to the Humanitarian Needs Overview report of 2021, the number of people in need in Sudan in 2021 is the highest reported in the past decade, having a total of 13.4 million people requiring life-sustaining support to meet minimum living standards. The COVID-19 measures significantly affected commodity movement, market functionality and cross-border trade, and compromised livelihoods and daily labour opportunities. This reduced households’ purchasing power and access to basic commodities for the most vulnerable people. According to the HRP 2021, the Health sector has the highest number of people in need – 9.2 million, followed by WASH – 9 million, and the Food Security and Livelihoods sector – 8.2 million people in need and Education 2.1 million children in need. Whilst, Protection needs are most severe in localities of Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile, and increasing in parts of eastern Sudan . There are 2.5 million IDPs in Sudan. Most of them are in the Darfur states, South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, which have also been epicentres of conflict over the past 17 years . These are also the areas with the highest percentage of people in need – 52% of all people in these states are in need of humanitarian assistance. Besides, Sudan hosts over 1.1 million refugees, including 763,000 refugees from South Sudan and more than 61,000 Ethiopian refugees, and acts as a key transit country for migrants from the Horn of Africa heading to Europe.
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Somalia JR 2022 -2023 The Joint Response for Somalia is a project funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Dutch Relief Alliance. Oxfam Novib is leading a consortium that consists of Help a Child, SOS Children’s Villages, World Visionand OxfamNovib. The proposed project aims to address the Humanitarian Response Plan objectives of 1.) reducing loss of life for the most severely vulnerable people by decreasing the prevalence of hunger, acute malnutrition, public health threats and outbreaks, and abuse and violence; 2.) sustaining the lives of people requiring humanitarian assistance by ensuring safe, equitable and dignified access to livelihoods and essential services; and 3.) upholding commitments to the centrality of protection across the humanitarian responsethrough protection mainstreaming, accountability to affected populations and monitoring of the protection environment. The Joint Response for Somalia will address the needs of the affected population in the sectors of WASH, Food Security and Livelihoods, Health, Nutrition, Protection and Multi-Purpose Cash.
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Sudan DRA JR2024-2026 During the past five years, Sudan has seen an increase in the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance from 5.8 million people in 2016 to 13.4 million in 2021. South Kordofan and Khartoum contain localities with priorities for humanitarian interventions. The Sudan Joint Response 4 aims to address the needs in 2022 and 2023 by providing affected people with multi-sectoral assistance to respond to the immediate needs and protection risks of the most vulnerable and conflict affected people in targeted areas in Khartoum, North- Darfur, East Darfur, South Kordofan, White Nile and Gadaref, through an effective and efficient humanitarian response by Dutch NGOs, national partners and actors.SOS in collaboration with VCO will achieve its overall objective which is: to contribute to build families for children in need, and help them shape their own futures, and share in the development of their communities. This will be done while increasing the resilience of protracted displacement and refugee groups, and vulnerable host communities, by addressing protection needs, FSL (Food security and Livelihood) and WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) for improved health, protection and livelihood in two prioritized localities in South Kordofan (Rashad and Abu Jubayhah) and two prioritized localities in Khartoum (Jebel Awlia and Um Bada). With three specific objectives and its outcomes:
Objective 1. Contribute to meet the immediate food security needs of IDPs, Refugees and conflict-affected host communities living in 4 localities within SK and Khartoum states.
Objective 2. Provide protection services to vulnerable crisis affected people, including those with special needs, and to strengthen community-based protection mechanisms to prevent and respond to protection risks, and to address protection needs in Khartoum and South Kordofan.
Objective 3: Vulnerable affected population in Khartoum and South Kordofan live in satisfactory conditions of sanitation and hygiene • IDP’s & Refugees: Sudan is both a destination and transit country for asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants from at least ten countries. After Uganda, Sudan is hosting the second-highest number of refugees fleeing violence from South Sudan . Refugees in Sudan reside in camps, out-of-camp settlements, and urban areas across 18 states. Of the 1.1 million refugees in Sudan, 48% are under 18 years old. This action targets at least 50,447 IDPs, returnees and refugees in Gedaref and rural North and South Darfur. In Gedaref, the action will target Um Rakouba camp where Ethiopian refugees fleeing the conflict in the Tigray region reside. In East Darfur the action will target Al Salam and Kalma IDP camps. Many South Sudanese refugees take residence in this area as well. In North Darfur and South Kordofan IDP’s and refugees in and out of camp are targeted with direct live-saving services and appropriate flexible FSL, WASH, Health and Protection solutions, following a multi-sectoral approach. IDPs and refugees are an important target group for the conflict resolution interventions under FSL.
• Returnees & Host communities have also been subjected to adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic drought, flooding and conflict with major effects on child protection as well as loss of livelihoods. The project will ensure protection mechanisms led by the communities are reinforced and functional. This includes support for Family Tracing and Reunification.
• Women and girls: Women and girls are more likely to experience a worsening of existing inequalities as result of the protracted crisis in Sudan. For example, 70% of food insecure people are women and girls in Sudan. As such, mainstreaming Gender throughout the entire project cycle is key. In North Darfur, South Kordofan and Khartoum the JR partners will work with different stakeholders including the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Social Development to conduct a gender assessment and understand the social and economic political factors that affect gender needs and opportunities in the project target areas. Based on the identified needs and gaps, Gender, GBV, and safeguarding are mainstreamed in capacity building and all project staff and frontline workers are trained on the gender-sensitive approach. In addition, the project is designed to respond directly to the needs of women, because of their disadvantaged position. Project sites, for example latrines in South Kordofan, are rehabilitated following gender considerations to ensure privacy and safeguarding, and support menstrual hygiene management (MHM). Considering FSL, the project builds on previous successes of SDNJR1-3 of building women’s financial assets, which strengthens women’s financial knowledge and saving habits, improving women’s agency and organizational skills, providing safe spaces to exercise leadership and eventually improve their decision making and negotiation at household level as well as increasing their resilience to shocks. Apart from this the project will ensure that women have equal representation in the various committees established in the project.
• Adolescence and youth: Targeted activities will ensure adolescents are actively involved in the process and activities. The JR4 will seek to target adolescence and youth through DRR interventions and youth involvement and FSL livelihoods activities and peace & reconciliation activities to ensure they receive appropriate targeted services to help them reintegrate into their communities and can act as agents of change. This group will be targeted for life skills, case management and vocational training and peer support activities. The vocation training subjects will be determined with the input of the targeted adolescents.
• Children: The project will provide training on the child friendly feedback and response mechanism to capture the needs, priorities, and relevance of the project inputs to children, boys and girls. Boys and girls will also be targeted through the project’s Child Protection activities by providing high quality case managements services, Family Tracing and Reunification, Education support and multi-purpose cash support for the most vulnerable children based on the updated Minimum Basket Expenditure MBE value that is agreed on by the cash working group as well as consultation with relevant partners.
• Men and boys: The project will reach men and boys through targeted FSL, Protection, Health, WASH and CfW activities but also will engage boys and men gender equality awareness, child protection and GBV risk mitigation, and roles and responsibilities training activities. Based on lessons learned from SDNJR1-3, the partners have noted the importance of ensuring gender-sensitive approaches to engage boys and men on topics of gender equality and participation of girls and women. The 2020 AAP report has include recommendations on the involvement of boys and men, to be adapted in the response to promote positive masculinity.
• PWD & Elderly: The construction of additional classrooms, latrines and/or the provision of water points will accommodate the needs of people with disabilities. Awareness campaigns on disability inclusion will be conducted, and teachers will be trained on inclusive learning environments. The selection of the CPCBN members will take the inclusivity aspect into account and proportionally include men, women, youth representation, PWD, and minorities. In 2019 Sudan experienced a political transition where months of sustained street protests have led to the fall of Omar al-Bashir. On July 5, 2019 a transition process started during which a transitional government, the so called Transitional Military Council, comprising of military representatives, representatives from the Forces for Freedom and Change and members to represent armed groups governed the country and prepared the way towards democratic elections. On August 31, 2020 and September 3, 2020 peace agreements were signed between Sudan's transitional government and the Sudan Revolutionary Front and between the transitional government and SPLM-North al-Hilu rebel faction, officially ending nearly two decades of armed conflict and bloodshed in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile. During 2021, tensions have escalated between the military and civilian components of the transitional authority in Sudan which resulted in a military coup on October 25, 2021. Thousands of people are currently protesting at sit-ins calling on the different parties as the country grapples with the biggest crisis since the end of Omar al-Bashir’s government. Civilian officials including the prime minister have been detained and the airport in Khartoum is closed. Sudan has been facing shortages of basic commodities after anti-government protesters blocked a port in Red Sea state. Due to the port block the country is running out of life-saving medicines, fuel, and wheat stocks . JR partner offices have been working in low profile with only essential staff on standby. Over the last weeks, implementation has been suspended in all offices, pending evolution of events in the country. Limited access to internet connectivity (mobile internet has not yet been restored and most other internet providers are working below capacity) continues to affect normal working environment for staff, partners as well as vendors and suppliers. At this point in time it is not clear how the situation will affect the Sudan Joint Response in the coming weeks and months as the situation continues to evolve.
The humanitarian situation in Sudan is driven by an economic crisis, localized conflict, protracted internal displacement, climate shocks (drought and flooding), cyclical disease outbreaks, and pressure from hosting more than 1 million refugees and asylum seekers. Furthermore, the economic crisis, including inflation (the inflation rate has reached 412.75% as of June 2021) resulted in record-high numbers of food-insecure people. According to the Humanitarian Needs Overview report of 2021, the number of people in need in Sudan in 2021 is the highest reported in the past decade, having a total of 13.4 million people requiring life-sustaining support to meet minimum living standards. The COVID-19 measures significantly affected commodity movement, market functionality and cross-border trade, and compromised livelihoods and daily labour opportunities. This reduced households’ purchasing power and access to basic commodities for the most vulnerable people. According to the HRP 2021, the Health sector has the highest number of people in need – 9.2 million, followed by WASH – 9 million, and the Food Security and Livelihoods sector – 8.2 million people in need and Education 2.1 million children in need. Whilst, Protection needs are most severe in localities of Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile, and increasing in parts of eastern Sudan . There are 2.5 million IDPs in Sudan. Most of them are in the Darfur states, South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, which have also been epicentres of conflict over the past 17 years . These are also the areas with the highest percentage of people in need – 52% of all people in these states are in need of humanitarian assistance. Besides, Sudan hosts over 1.1 million refugees, including 763,000 refugees from South Sudan and more than 61,000 Ethiopian refugees, and acts as a key transit country for migrants from the Horn of Africa heading to Europe.
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Somalia JR 2024 -2026 The Joint Response for Somalia is a project funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Dutch Relief Alliance. Oxfam Novib is leading a consortium that consists of Help a Child, SOS Children’s Villages, World Visionand OxfamNovib. The proposed project aims to address the Humanitarian Response Plan objectives of 1.) reducing loss of life for the most severely vulnerable people by decreasing the prevalence of hunger, acute malnutrition, public health threats and outbreaks, and abuse and violence; 2.) sustaining the lives of people requiring humanitarian assistance by ensuring safe, equitable and dignified access to livelihoods and essential services; and 3.) upholding commitments to the centrality of protection across the humanitarian responsethrough protection mainstreaming, accountability to affected populations and monitoring of the protection environment. The Joint Response for Somalia will address the needs of the affected population in the sectors of WASH, Food Security and Livelihoods, Health, Nutrition, Protection and Multi-Purpose Cash.
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Using the law to address illegal use of forest resources and promote better forest and land governance The causes and drivers of deforestation are rooted in the demand for and supply of timber and forest-risk commodities, such as soy, palm oil, beef and cocoa. Weak forest governance systems permit illegal operations of timber and forest-risk commodities to proliferate and threaten the world’s forests and the livelihoods for some of the world’s poorest communities. This project will strengthen weak forest governance systems, legal frameworks and law enforcement by improving the legal awareness, capacity and engagement of stakeholders who depend on, and are in a position to safeguard the future of, forests. This will significantly contribute to the improved management of forests, poverty reduction, biodiversity conservation, and climate protection • By improving the capacity of stakeholders to meaningfully engage in law reform and negotiations, our project contributes to more effective, transparent and accountable forest governance in forested countries;
• By engaging with companies and lawmakers in the EU, the UK and beyond, our project will contribute to improving the formulation and operation of regulations and practices influencing the trade of forest commodities; and
• By engaging with international policy makers and donors, our project will improve the integration of best practice in locally driven forest governance and management into internationally driven policies and frameworks.
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Liberia Multi-stakeholder Forest Governance & Accountability Programme MFGAP will work with national stakeholders in Liberia to ensure accountability and oversight of Liberia’s EU Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) process. The programme will work with the legislature to guarantee oversight, engage civil society and communities to raise awareness and ensure effective representation in the deliberation process, leverage independent media to raise awareness and communicate transparently, and promote innovative strategies to incentivise compliance by the private sector. Through a technical assistance facility based in Monrovia, our team and consortium partners will work in coordination across four outputs to build new levels of accountability into the Liberian VPA process: EMEA PC01 SOP01 TL02 Subcontract EMEA 2018 23 / 38 1. Ensuring that government services and agencies hold the Forest Development Authority to account on the regulation of forest production as enshrined in the VPA 2. Increase the capacity and engagement of civil society and community actors to monitor the forest sector and hold the government to account 3. Support independent media to hold government, civil society, communities and the private sector to account on the implementation of sector reforms framed by the VPA 4. Engage the private sector in policy development processes to address underlying causes of illegal and unsustainable practices and support compliance with national regulations ClientEarth will mobilize its staff and resources to provide the following services to the MFGAP project as required: • Support with legal drafting, documenting, reporting and publishing • Delivery of legal training workshops to civil society organisations, community forest management bodies, community forest development committees, forest enterprises and other stakeholders • Support the legislature and government agencies to understand their legal obligations under the VPA
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Using the law to address illegal use of forest resources and promote better forest and land governance The programme contributes to reducing deforestation and illegal use of forest resources. We combine legal capacity building of civil society (including women) and private sector, with legal analysis and advocacy to governments. We work to: achieve more effective laws, developed in deliberative and accountable ways in four African producer countries; improve the operation of market regulations (in the EU and China); and improve international policies impacting forest resources. We use FLEGT VPA processes, laws regulating illegal timber trade, business commitments, and climate initiatives (e.g. REDD+, NDCs and reforestation). a) By improving the capacity of stakeholders to meaningfully engage in law reform and negotiations regarding the governance and ownership of forests, our project will contribute to more effective, deliberative and accountable forest governance in forested countries. b) By engaging with companies and regulators operating in the EU (and China) and beyond, our project will contribute to improving the operation of regulations and practices influencing the trade of forest resources. c) By engaging with international policy makers and donors, our project will improve the coherence of internationally driven policies that impact forests, including climate related policies, approaches to conversion and business standards.
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PROG2017-2021_Outcome_La mise en œuvre du SPA/IGMVSS au Burkina Faso est améliorée par le renforcement des capacités organisationnelles et techniques du MEEVCC et par une expérimentation du processus de mise en œuvre du SPA/IGMVSS au niveau d’une commune pilote pour mettre à l’échelle la GDT et en prenant en compte le genre L'intervention vise l’amélioration de la mise en œuvre de la stratégie et des plans d’actions de l’Initiative de la grande muraille verte pour le Sahara et le Sahel au Burkina Faso; pour mettre à l’échelle la Gestion Durable des Terres (GDT) au bénéfice des populations de la zone d’intervention (ODD 15, Cible 15.3) par le renforcement des capacités fonctionnelles et techniques des cadres et agents du MEEVC et la valorisation des résultats scientifiques; et par la capitalisation de bonnes pratiques en GDT ainsi que la mise en œuvre au niveau d’une commune pilote. Cette intervention s’intègre dans une stratégie régionale harmonisée pour l’Initiative de la Grande Muraille Verte du Sahara et du Sahel dont l’objectif est de lutter contre la dégradation des terres et la désertification au Sahel et au Sahara, de renforcer la sécurité alimentaire et d’aider les communautés à s’adapter au changement climatique.
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PROG2017-2021_Outcome_L’accès aux soins de réadaptation de qualité, au bénéfice des personnes atteintes d’une incapacité (facteur de handicap) avec une attention particulière pour les personnes les plus vulnérables (PH, femmes, indigents) est amélioré au Burkina Faso, dans les zones de Ouagadougou et Tenkodogo L'intervention vise l’amélioration de l’accès aux soins de réadaptation de qualité, au bénéfice des personnes atteintes d’un handicap ou d’une incapacité fonctionnelle (ODD 3, Cible 3.4 ) par l’appui à la gouvernance du sous-secteur de la réadaptation kiné-médecins-MPR, le développement quantitatif et qualitatif des ressources humaines de la réadaptation kiné-médecins-MPR et le développement des capacités de soins en Médecine Physique et Réadaptation (MPR) en créant deux services de référence MPR au niveau national (Ouagadougou) et régional (Tenkodogo). Cette intervention s’intègre dans une stratégie du développement de la réadaptation médicale plus large appelée projet « B4 » (Belgique, Bénin, Burundi, Burkina Faso).
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Discerning the role of the private sector in creating health system resilience: A case study in Zambia Undersöker den privata sektorns roll för att skapa resiliens mot hälsosystemet: En fallstudie i Zambia Chocker, eller oförutsedda händelser, som coronapandemin kan hota hälsosystemets förmåga att fungera och fortsätta att tillhandahålla sjukvård, särskilt för människor som lever i fattigdom och andra särskilt utsatta grupper. Hälsosystem som är motståndskraftiga (engelska ”resilient”) har förmåga att anpassa vården som svar på chocker som COVID-19 så att grundläggande vård förblir tillgänglig. Motståndskraftiga system kräver att alla delar av hälsosystemet kan samarbeta för att hantera chocken, och att systemet har samhällets tillit. Det saknas fortfarande mycket kunskap om vad som händer med privat, vinstdrivande, sjukvård under en kris, om den har större förtroende än offentlig vård eller hur privata och offentliga vårdgivare samverkar. Genom att studera hälsosystemet i Zambia under coronapandemin syftar projektet till att bättre förstå hur den privata, vinstdrivande sjukvården bidrar till hälsosystemets resiliens när hälsosystemet svarar på en chock. Förändringar i sjukvården inom både offentliga och privata vårdgivare under COVID-19 kommer att identifieras och studeras med hjälp av data från vårdgivarna och semi-strukturerade intervjuer. En social nätverksanalys och intervjuer med berörda parter kommer att användas för att bedöma samverkan och utbyte mellan privata och offentliga vårdgivare under coronapandemin. Fokusgruppsdiskussioner och intervjuer kommer att genomföras med vanliga medborgare för att bättre förstå hur förtroendet för privat jämfört med offentlig sjukvård påverkats under COVID-19. Genom att studera den privata, vinstdrivande sjukvårdens roll i att bygga resiliens i hälsosystem kan bidra till att identifiera sätt att förbättra samarbetet mellan den offentliga och privata vårdsektorn. Detta kan i sin tur bidra till att skapa resiliens och stärka hälsosystemets förmåga att motstå framtida chocker. The COVID-19 pandemic has threatened the ability of many health systems to function and continue delivering healthcare. Resilient health systems can adapt their health services in response to shocks like COVID-19. Resilience is closely linked to community trust and the interactions between actors in the system. However, very little is known about the ways in which the private, for-profit health services sectors contributes to the health system’s ability to manage resilience. By studying the Zambian health system during COVID, the project aims to better understand how the private, for-profit health services sector contributes to the health system’s capacity to manage resilience during shocks. During COVID, changes in service delivery in public and private health facilities will be identified and explored using facility data and semi-structured interviews. A social network analysis and stakeholder interviews will assess interactions between private and public health service actors. Focus group discussions and interviews with community members will be used to understand trust in the private compared to public health services. Exploring the private sector’s role in resilience will help to improve interdependence among health system sectors and strengthen the community’s trust and ownership in the system, ultimately building resilience for future shocks. Lund University, the University of Zambia, and the University of Geneva will run the project between Jan 2022 and Dec 2024.
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Water use, water quality/quantity and biodiversity across landscapes - synergies and trade-offs in an era of climate change and modernization Vattenanvändning, vattenkvalitet/kvantitet och biodiversitet - synergier och avvägningar i landskap som förändras pga klimatförändingar Världsbilden bakom FNs hållbarhetsmål (SDG) karakteriseras av modernitet. Om man tittar historiskt på hur moderna samhällen utvecklats har dock moderniseringen skett parallellt med ett ökat tryck på biodiversitet och ekosystem med förlust av ekosystemtjänster som följd. På samma sätt som det finns tydliga motsättningar utmed vägen till modernitet (t.ex. ekonomisk tillväxt kontra ojämlikhet och miljöförstöring) finns det också tydliga sådana spänningar mellan de olika hållbarhetsmålen. Därför är en viktig utmaning för forskningen att lyfta fram lovande synergier som samtidigt fokuserar på människors välbefinnande, miljörättvisa och uthålligt brukande av ekosystem. Detta är inte minst tydligt i det Globala Syd där trycket är stort efter moderniseringen både genom marknadskrafter och policy. Förutom de snabba stegen mot ökad modernitet står vi inför nya utmaningar med globala klimatförändringar.I detta projekt lyfter vi fram olika samhälleliga mål kring vatten i tätbefolkade jordbrukslandskap. Det är ett tvärvetenskapligt projekt där vi skall studera hur småbrukare använder vatten i olika delar av landskapet, hur de ser på och påverkas av olika vattenflöden och vatten kvaliteer I vattendragen. Vi skall också mäta vattenflöden och vatten kvalitet samt studera biodiversitetsvärden associerat med vatten, både sådan biodiversitet som kan ge indikation på vattenkvalitet men också sådan som bönderna direkt använder såsom fisktillgång. Dessa aspekter av vatten relaterar tydligt till de tre hållbarhetsmålen: SDG2: Ingen hunger, SDG6: rent vatten och SDG15: biodiversitet. Vi kommer studera synergier mellan dessa mål men också möjliga målkonflikter och olika typer av avvägningar.Basen för projektet är en region in sydvästra Etiopien där vi kommer välja ut 20 olika avrinningsområden (varje område är ca 200 km2) med olika markanvändning (t.ex. olika mängd skog, åker mm men även skillnader i avstånd till marknader, befolkningstäthet mm). I varje avrinningsområde kommer vi slumpmässigt välja ut sex hushåll, tre uppströms och tre nedströms. Eftersom alla avrinningsområdena ligger i en region med likartat makroklimat, artpool av växter och djur, politisk styrning etc. kommer vi kunna få tydliga resultat kring våra frågor om synergier och avvägningar både genom att jämföra gradienter mellan avrinningsområden men också att jämföra mellan områden uppströms och nedströms i de olika avrinningsområdena.Projektet är uppdelat i fyra delar. Följande data kommer samlas in: Delprojekt 1 –vattenanvändning, kunskap om vattenkvalitet, försörjningsförhållanden, hälsa, Delprojekt 2 - vattenkvalité, vattenflöden och bevattning, Delprojekt 3: biodiversitet i vattendrag. Delprojekt 4 handlar om att analysera datat från de tre första delprojektet när det gäller synergier och avvägningar i en kontext av modernisering och klimatförändringar. Ett exempel är möjligheten för bönder att plantera kaffe på högre höjd när klimatet blir varmare. Kaffe växter alltid tillsammans med träd och en ökning av mängden kaffeodling i ett tidigare avskogat landskap kan få stora positiva effekter på biodiversitet och vattenförhållanden samtidigt som inkomster ökar när bönderna kan sälja en populär produkt. Dock kan nya s.k. tvättningsanläggningar för kaffe som anläggs för att öka graden av industrialisering orsaka utsläpp i vattendrag så att vattenkvaliteten påverkas negativt. I delprojekt 4 kommer det också att handla om att sammanfatta, kommunicera och identifiera möjligheter till generalisering och implementering på lokal och global nivå. Vi kommer att samla in ytterligare kvalitativt data från workshops med olika avnämare inom detta delprojekt för att få en djupare förståelse av systemet men också för att initiera diskussioner om policy och implementering.Parallellt med projektets gång kommer vi samarbeta med avnämare, utbilda masterstudenter, genomföra olika typer av kommunikationsinsatser för att både lära oss själva men också förmedla kunskap och resultat från projektet. The worldview behind UNs sustainable development goals (SDGs) is characterized by ”modernity”. However, the fundamentals of modernity often lead to increased pressure on ecosystems and loss of ecosystem services. An important research task is therefore to uncover promising synergies across SDGs that focus on human well-being, environmental justice and sustainable ecosystems. It is expected that a particularly challenging confluence of high vulnerability to climate change with strong modernizing forces (policy and market driven) in agricultural landscapes in the Global South. We address these challenges with a project focusing on water with implications for livelihood conditions and biodiversity in a small-holder farmer landscape in SW Ethiopia. In this interdisciplinary project, we start with collecting empirical data on diverse livelihood conditions, land and water use, water quantities and qualities, ecosystem services and biodiversity in upstream and down-stream areas of 20 watersheds with contrasting land-use (e.g. forests and agriculture). Finally, we search for promising synergies and evaluate trade-offs among the different aspects related to livelihood conditions and biodiversity. One example could be the possibility to develop coffee agroforestry at higher altitudes when the climate gets warmer to improve incomes as well as water quality and biodiversity.
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Strengthening social accountability for improving health system in Tanzania: how can health facility governing committees fulfil their role? Stärka social ansvarsskyldighet för att förbättra hälso- och sjukvårdssystemet i Tanzania: hur kan lokala hälsokommittéer fullgöra sin roll? Social ansvarsskyldighet avser civilsamhällets och medborgarnas förmåga att hålla offentliga tjänstemän och myndigheter ansvariga för tillhandahållande av tjänster, inklusive hälso- och sjukvård. Social ansvarsskyldighet har framstått som ett viktigt medel för att stärka samhällsdeltagande och system, och som en nyckellänk mellan medborgare och tillhandahållande av offentliga tjänster. Specifikt inom hälso- och sjukvårdssystem har social ansvarsskyldighet snabbt blivit accepterad som ett sätt att ta itu med hälsosystemens ineffektivitet och förbättra grundläggande servicenivå, och därigenom att bidra till att uppnå allmän hälso- och sjukvård.Tanzanias regering har sedan 2017 ytterligare överfört makt, autonomi och auktoritet för att planera, budgetera och hantera de finansiella resurserna i lokala vårdinrättningar. Lokala kommittéer som till största delen består av representanter av lokalsamhället, de så kallade ”Health Facility Governing Committees” (HGFCs) har numera en central roll när det gäller att säkerställa social ansvarsskyldighet inom det tanzaniska hälsosystemet.Det övergripande syftet med forskningsprojektet är att förstå om, hur och under vilka förhållanden informerade och kompetenta HGFCs stärker socialt ansvarsskyldighet.Syftet kommer att uppnås med hjälp av deltagande metoder (soft systems methodology) för att engagera berörda (medlemmar av HFGC, managers, hälso- och sjukvårdspersonal, lokala ledare) att: 1) kartlägga och analysera utmaningar och möjligheter med den pågående decentraliseringsreformen; 2) utveckla en orsaksteori som föreslår en plan för att stärka HFGC i linje med de roller som beskrivs i den nuvarande policyn; 3) testa orsaksteorin genom att utveckla en handlingsplan; 4) förfina orsaksteorin genom flera cykler av deltagande lärande och slutligen 5) föreslå rekommendationer för att styra processer och åtgärder för att stärka den sociala ansvarsskyldigheten i det tanzaniska hälsosystemet.Detta forskningsprojekt kommer att anta en samhällsbaserad deltagardriven realistisk utvärdering. Detta tillvägagångssätt är relevant eftersom social ansvarsskyldighet genom HFGCs arbete innefattar flera aktörer inom hälso- och sjukvårdssystemet samt det lokala samhället.Denna forskning bygger vidare på ett pågående forskningsprojekt, finansierat av MRC (UK), mellan University of Dar es Salaam, Hälsoministeriet (Regional Administration and Local Government (PORALG)) i Tanzania och Umeå universitet i Sverige som syftar till att bättre förstå hur och om decentraliserade lokala myndigheter använder möjligheter med decentraliseringen för att stärka hälsosystemet. Preliminära resultat av vårt forskningssamarbete visar att vårdinrättningar (sjukhus, vårdcentraler och apotek) nu har fått ett stort beslutsutrymme för att identifiera prioriteringar, planering, budgetering och hantering av ekonomiska resurser. Det finns dock uppenbara variationer och utmaningar när det gäller att utnyttja det ökade beslutsutrymmen och stärka ansvarsskyldigheten. Vår forskning pekar på behovet av att diskutera och engagera de inblandade för att reflektera över det ramverk inom vilket HFGC agerar, inklusive kommittéernas roller, funktioner och styrning för att stärka deras roll.Studien kommer att bidra till att fylla kunskapsluckan om vilka mekanismer som främjar social ansvarsskyldighet i lokala hälsosystem. Kunskap inom detta område är avgörande för för att effektivt stärka HFGCs i Tanzania och liknande kontexter. Projektet kommer också att bidra till att främja utvecklingen av realistisk utvärderingsmetodik genom att ge möjlighet att utforska möjligheter och begränsningarna i ett deltagande tillvägagångssätt. Detta projekt ger verkliga möjligheter till handlingsinlärning och nära interaktioner mellan forskare, beslutsfattare och praktiker. Social accountability is important for improving the delivery of health services and empower citizens. The government of Tanzania has since 2017 further transferred authority to plan, budget and manage financial resources to the health facilities. Health facility governing committees (HFGCs) have therefore got a pivotal role in ensuring social accountability. While HFGCs serve as bridges between health facilities and their communities, efforts need to be made to reinforce their capacity. This project therefore aims to understand if, how, and under what conditions informed and competent (HFGC) improve social accountability. This will be achieved by using a participatory approach to realist evaluation, engaging members of the HFGCs, health managers and providers and community leaders to: 1) map challenges and opportunities of the current reform; 2) develop an initial programme theory that proposes a plan to strengthen the role of the HFGCs; 3) test the programme theory by developing a plan of actions; 4) refine the programme theory through multiple cycles of participatory learning and finally 5) propose a set of recommendations to guide processes to strengthen social accountability in the Tanzanian health system. This project is part of an ongoing strong collaboration between University of Dar es Saalam, and Umeå University providing true opportunities for action learning and close interactions between researchers, decision makers and practitioners.
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Evaluation of a vaccine against ETEC for use in low and middle income countries Utvärdering av ett vaccin mot ETEC för användning i låg- och medelinkomstländer Utvärdering av ett vaccin mot diarrésjukdom orsakad av ETEC-bakterier Den övergripande målsättningen med forskningsprogrammet är att utveckla ett effektivt vaccin mot enterotoxinbildande Escherichia coli (ETEC) bakterier för användning framför allt på barn i låg och medelinkomstländer. ETEC är en av de vanligaste orsakerna till diarre´ i världen och sådana bakterier har vistas ge upphov till ca 400 miljoner diarré-episoder och ca 300,000 dödsfall årligen hos barn under 5 år i utvecklingsländer och till 20 -50 % av alla fall av så kallad turistdiarre´. Vi har länge arbetat med att söka utveckla ett effektivt ETEC vaccin enligt samma principer som vi tidigare använt för att utveckla det drickbara koleravaccinet Dukoral®. Kolera och ETEC bakterier orsakar sjukdom på likartat sätt och vi har tidigare visat att en komponent i koleravaccinet, koleratoxin B subenhet (CTB), också kan ge effektivt, om än kortvarigt skydd mot vissa former av ETEC diarré. Vi har nu utvecklat ett nytt, mer komplett sk Tetravalent ETEC vaccin, som består av avdödade E. coli bakterier som genmodifierats till att uttrycka stora mängder av de proteiner, sk kolonisationsfaktor-antigener, på sin yta som är viktiga för att utlösa skyddande immunsvar. Det nya vaccinet innehåller också en toxoidkomponent som är mycket lik den som finns i koleravaccinet Dukoral, men vars struktur förändrats något för att ge upphov till starka immunsvar mot ETEC. I nyligen utförda och pågående studier på vuxna svenskar har vi visat att vaccinet är oskadligt och inte ger upphov till några nämnvärda biverkningar. Resultaten tyder också på att vaccinet ger upphov till starka lokala immunsvar, bl a i tarmslemhinnan, mot alla de viktigaste vaccinkomponenterna. Baserat på de lovande resultaten från studierna i Sverige planerar vi nu att testa det nya Tetravalenta vaccinet med avseende på oskadlighet och förmåga att ge upphov till immunsvar i Bangladesh, initialt på vuxna och därefter barn i sjunkande åldersgrupper, 2-5 år, respektive 6-23 månader, som är de viktigaste målgrupperna för ett ETEC vaccin. Vaccinet kommer att ges som en dryck i en bikarbonatlösning, och i olika doser, initialt i lägre doser på små barn, för att säkerställa att det är biverkningsfritt men ändå ger upphov till goda immunsvar. Studierna ska också söka identifiera olika faktorer som kan förklara varför drickbara vacciner fungerar mycket sämre hos barn i utvecklingsländer än hos barn och vuxna i västvärlden. Vi ska därvid bla utvärdera om olika kosttillskott, tex vitaminer och andra näringsämnen (Vitamin A och D, järn, zink mm), respektive om behandling mot olika parasiter före vaccination kan resultera i förbättrade immunsvar. Om pågående studier i Sverige visar att en immunförstärkande substans, sk adjuvans (dmLT) kan förstärka immunsvaren av oralt ETEC vaccin kommer vi också att testa detta adjuvans i studierna Bangladesh. Avsikten med de aktuella studierna är att få underlag för att testa det Tetravalenta ETEC vaccinet med avseende på skydd mot ETEC-infektion i en så kallad Fas III prövning i Bangladesh eller ett annat låginkomstland. Det aktuella forskningsprogrammet kommer att utföras i nära samverkan mellan forskare på Göteborgs universitet och forskare och personal på ett världsledande forskningscenter för utprövning av tarmvacciner, icddr,b, i Dhaka Bangladesh. The overall aim of this project is to develop an effective vaccine against one of the most common intestinal pathogens, i.e. enterotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (ETEC), especially for use in low and middle income countries. A new oral ETEC candidate vaccine developed by us, consisting of four recombinant strains of E. coli bacteria over-expressing the most important ETEC colonization factors and a toxoid (LCTBA) given alone and together with a mucosal adjuvant, dmLT, is presently evaluated for safety and immunogenicity in adult Swedish volunteers with promising preliminary results. We now plan to evaluate this vaccine in different dosages for safety and immunogenicity in Phase I/II studies in descending age groups; adults, children 2-5 years and young children and infants 6-23 months, in Bangladesh. The project also includes establishment of new methods and determination of optimal time points for assessing mucosal immune responses against the key antigens of the vaccine, in an immunologically primed population. We will also try to identify factors that may explain the lower efficacy of oral vaccines in children in developing countries and based on this identify interventions that may improve immunogenicity in this important target group.
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Konsekvenser av förändrat klimat på människors hälsa i Bangladesh Impact of climate change on human health in Bangladesh The purpose of the proposal is to establish a partnership for research around climate change (CC) effects on human health, built by three institutions: Environmental Science Discipline, Khulna University, Centre for Injury Prevention and Research Bangladesh (CIPRB), and Risk and Environmental Science, Karlstad University. The result will be applications for interdisciplinary research project, and to establish joint PhD education.Our research objective is to develop a deeper understanding of the consequences of CC on human health in Bangladesh. CC poses large and increasing risks to human health. Bangladesh is exposed to a large number of hazards, which already in today’s climate create a number of risks, both as short-term extreme events and long-term changes. Research on health effects is underrepresented in the CC research, and new methods to understand the climate-health relation is needed. Vulnerabilities among men, women and children is of central interest. Data on CC and health is limited in Bangladesh. There is a need for interdisciplinary research, e.g. between public epidemiology and environmental science.This project will address research questions about which climate risk factors that influence human health and how differences in spatio-temporal patterns for health consequences and climate risk factors can be analysed to deepen our understanding. Four workshops will take place in spring and autumn 2020 and 2021, in Bangladesh and Sweden respectively. Projektets syfteSyftet med denna ansökan är att skapa ett starkt nätverk för forskningssamarbete mellan tre institutioner i Bangladesh och Sverige. Forskningen ska handla om hur ett förändrat klimat påverkar människors hälsa. Samarbetet ska resultera i ansökningar om finansiering av tvärvetenskapliga forskningsprojekt. Ett annat specifikt mål är att skapa möjligheter för gemensam doktorandutbildning för att stärka forskningskapaciteten i Bangladesh och Sverige.ForskningsområdeKlimatförändringar skapar stora och ökande risker för människors hälsa. Ett förändrat klimat kan ses både som förekomsten av kortvariga extrema väderhändelser och gradvisa långsiktiga förändringar. Katastrofala situationer av extremväder orsakar fysiska skador och dödsfall på grund av t.ex. vind och vattenflöden som förstör och översvämmar bostäder, infrastruktur etc. Mer gradvisa förändringar av luft- och vattentemperatur, nederbörd, luftfuktighet och havsnivåer kommer att orsaka förändrade förutsättningar för människors försörjning, vattenresurser, jordbruk, fiske etc. En tredje typ av effekt beror på större och långsiktiga klimatkonsekvenser på ekonomi och utveckling. Man kan konstatera att frågorna om klimat och hälsa kopplar till flera av FN:s globala hållbarhetsmål, t ex målen om klimatåtgärder, hälsa, vatten och sanitet.Globala klimatförändringar påverkar de fattigaste länderna på ett orimligt sätt. Världshälsoorganisationen WHO har konstaterat att Sydostasien är särskilt på grund av den höga befolkningstätheten (26% av världens befolkning) och antalet fattiga (30% av världens fattiga). WHO uppskattar att klimatförändringar direkt eller indirekt orsakar 150 000 dödsfall varje år i denna region, främst beroende på svält och undernäring, översvämningar, diarrésjukdomar och malaria.Samtidigt som hälsoeffekter som beror på klimatförändringar i allt högre grad tas upp på global nivå, är forskning om hälsoeffekter underrepresenterad i klimatforskningen. Dessutom används endast en mindre del av de globala utgifterna för klimatanpassning till hälsorelaterade åtgärder. För att studera orsakssamband mellan klimat och hälsa måste det finnas data om hälsoeffekter som samlas in i samma geografiska skala och med liknande tidsupplösning som tillgängliga data över klimatet. Särskilt viktigt att studera är sårbarheter hos olika grupper såsom barn/kvinnor/män. Det behövs både nya typer av data liksom ny metoder för att analysera data för att bättre förstå sambandet mellan klimatförändringar och människors hälsa.Bangladesh är utsatt för ett stort antal klimathot; översvämningar, torka, skyfall, värmeböljor och cykloner är vanliga och har orsakat ett stort antal dödsfall tillbaka i tiden. En orsak till att Bangladesh drabbas av de tropiska cykloner och olika typer av översvämningar är landets låglänta topografi. Om havsnivån stiger en meter kommer ca 15 procent av landet översvämmas, vilket leder till 25 miljoner klimatflyktingar.Antalet dödsfall vid extrema väderhändelser har framgångsrikt minskat sedan 70-talet, delvis för att man byggt cyklon- och översvämningsskydd, men också på grund av förbättrad hälsovård och kapacitet att ta emot internationell hjälp. Exponeringen och sårbarheten som leder till mer indirekta och långsiktiga hälsoeffekter från ett förändrat klimat är emellertid mindre undersökta. Data om klimatförändringar och hälsa är begränsade.ProjektenDenna ansökan handlar om att bygga upp ett forskningssamarbete mellan ämnet miljövetenskap vid Khulna University, forskningscentret Centre for Injury Prevention and Research Bangladesh och ämnet risk- och miljöstudier vid Karlstads universitet. Samarbetet kommer att resultera i minst två ansökningar för att finansiera tvärvetenskapliga forskningsprojekt mellan parterna, och att skapa möjligheter för att 2-3 personer i Bangladesh ska kunna erbjudas forskarutbildning. Fyra workshopar kommer att genomföras under en tvåårsperiod för att etablera och utveckla samarbetet. Workshoparna som kommer att innehålla presentation och diskussioner, inlägg från inbjudna forskare och studieresor, kommer att växelvis hållas i Bangladesh och Sverige.De kommande forskningsprojekten kommer att inrikta sig på vilka klimatriskfaktorer som särskilt påverkar människors hälsa. Två distrikt i Bangladesh kommer att studeras; ett som ligger centralt i en översvämningsdrabbad region och en i söder som är särskilt drabbat av saltinträngning från havet.
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Spridningsdynamik av Afrikansk svinpest i Uganda- ett pilotprojekt kring den afrikanska busksvinets (Potamochoerus larvatus) roll Understanding the dynamics and spread of African swine fever in Uganda-a pilot study on the role of the bushpig, Potamochoerus larvatus Uganda is an agricultural country where 85% of the population lives in rural areas. The country has the 2nd largest and most rapidly growing pig production in Africa. However, the pig sector in the country faces constraints such as infectious disease. African swine fever (ASF), is endemic in Uganda and one of the most feared animal diseases globally. The epidemiology is complex involving either the natural non-affected reservoirs of the virus: wild pigs and ticks, or a more recent cycle in which the virus transmits from pig to pig. Although warthogs are considered the main wild host of the virus, they are not the only wild African suids with a potential role in ASF epidemiology. The bushpig is a very elusive wild pig known to be susceptible to ASFV. Naturally infected animals have been reported from several countries, and like warthogs, infected bushpigs show no clinical signs. Bushpigs can transmit ASFV to domestic pigs horizontally and the interface between bushpig and domestic pig habitat is likely to be significant in many regions. With this in mind, this project will apply a molecular ecological approach to understand the role of the bushpigs in the epidemiology of ASFV at the wildlife-livestock interface. Whereas most of the research expenses are covered by research grants from other funding bodies, this proposed grant is aimed at creating added value through closer interaction between the applicants and through workshops and seminars with relevant stakeholders. Afrikansk svinpest i Uganda- ett pilotprojekt kring det afrikanska busksvinets roll för sjukdomsspridning: Grisproduktion är en av de snabbast växande animalieproducerande verksamheterna i Uganda, där den är en viktig källa till kött, inkomst och sysselsättning. Småskalig grisproduktion ger den stora landsbygdsbefolkningen goda möjligheter att tjäna pengar snabbt eftersom grisprodukter ger en bra förtjänst då de säljs i urbana områden. Uganda har den snabbast växande grispopulationen i östra Afrika med för närvarande >3 miljoner grisar, främst på landsbygden, på småskaliga gårdar som i huvudsak drivs av kvinnor. Förhoppningsvis skulle grisproduktion i Uganda kunna vara en viktig väg ut ur fattigdom! Men, infektionssjukdomar innebär ett allvarligt hot mot utvecklingen av grisindustrin och kan i värsta fall driva människor till kronisk fattigdom. Afrikansk svinpest är en ekonomiskt viktig och många gånger dödlig virussjukdom hos gris. Det är en av de mest fruktade infektionssjukdomarna hos tama grisar och den är mycket utbredd i de flesta länder i Afrika söder om Sahara. Afrikansk svinpest sprids antingen med hjälp av vilda vårtsvin och fästingar (sylvatisk cykel) eller mellan tamsvin med eller utan inblandning av fästingar. Att det finns en viktig reservoar bland vilda grisar bidrar till att afrikansk svinpest är svår att kontrollera och utrota i dessa områden. Denna forskningansökan fokuserar på busksvinet, Potamochoerus larvatus, en nattlevande vild gris känd som potentiell bärare av svinpestviruset, och genom sitt levnadsmönster med nattliga räder till jordbruksmark och gårdar dessutom möjlig smittkälla för tamsvin. Med hjälp av lokala jägare kommer busksvin i ett område i Uganda med regelbundna utbrott av Afrikansk svinpest hos tamsvin, att fångas, provtas och utrustas med sändare. Med moderna molekylärekologiska metoder kommer sedan busksvinen studeras avseende rörelsemönster och eventuell kontakt med tamsvin, avseende förekomst av virus, och avseende eventuella virus släktskap med virus påvisade från drabbade tamsvin. Dessa studier förväntas ge värdefull och unik information, direkt tillämpbar för förbättrade sjukdomspreventions- och kontrollåtgärder. Även om den största delen av dessa forskningskostnader är finansierade genom tidigare forskningsanslag skulle detta sökta anslag ge möjlighet till workshops, seminarier och ett intensifierat samarbete mellan nord-syd av ömsesidig nytta.
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The Everyday Practice of Paying Taxes in Sub-Saharan Africa Skattepraktik i Afrika söder om Sahara Why do citizens pay taxes? This question is surprisingly underexplored. Understanding when citizens pay taxes and why they find it relevant and purposeful is central for answering this question. Tax compliance is a major concern in developing countries and particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, in order to reduce dependency of foreign aid and increase state revenues for providing adequate health, educational and infrastructural services for their populations. In a nutshell, taxes are needed to build capable states that can provide for their citizens. Remarkably, taxation has not figured centrally on the agenda among scholars working on statebuilding in Africa or the African voter. Determinants of willingness to pay taxes in developing countries need to be scrutinized using an insiders' perspective of what it means to be a tax payer on an everyday basis across different socioeconomic groups. This project expands on current explanations through focusing on the social practice of taxes; when, how and where taxation occurs and how this practice forms part of the everyday for ordinary citizens. This is studied through an ethnographic study of the practices surrounding tax payment in three cases in Sub-Saharan Africa (Lesotho, Tanzania and Zambia), where the willingness to pay taxes and the relative tax burden vary. A comparative micro-study of citizens' experience with taxes, using interviews and observations, will reveal the room for building a tax paying culture. Skatteindrivning är centralt för statens kapacitet och legitimitet. Varför medborgarna tycker det är meningsfullt att betala skatt har dock fått ytterst lite uppmärksamhet, än mindre hur den vardagliga praktiken av att betala skatt ser ut i utvecklingsländer. För att förstå skatteviljan behöver vi förstå skattepraktiken: hur ser transaktionen ut; när sker den; var sker den; hur sker den; vem är inblandad? Skatteviljan är dock ett stort problem i utvecklingsländer, och särskilt i Afrika söder om Sahara. Samtidigt som dessa länder behöver minska sitt beroende av bistånd behöver de också öka statens intäkter för att kunna hantera framtidens utmaningar såsom klimatförändringar, fattigdom, bristande utbildning och ställa om till en hållbar utveckling. Skatter behövs för att bygga starka stater som kan förse sina medborgare med den hjälp och välfärd de behöver. Dock är skatteforskning inte på dagordningen när statsbyggnad i Afrika eller den afrikanska medborgaren studeras. Att rösta och att betala skatt är självklara medborgarhandlingar, men medborgaren som väljare har fått mer uppmärksamhet än medborgaren som skattebetalare. Forskning om skatter och beskattning i Afrika söder om Sahara har inte undersökt hur vanliga medborgare kommer i kontakt med skatt, eller hur man skapar mening kring skattebetalning trots att det är centralt för skatteviljan. Detta projekt utvecklar nuvarande förklaringar genom att fokusera på den sociala praktiken av skatt: i vilka sammanhang är skatt en del av vardagen, vilka lokala aktörer är inblandade och vilka symboliska filter aktiveras? Hur förstås skatteupplevelsen och vad motiverar medborgaren att betala skatt? Forskningen har tidigare utgått från västerländska förklaringsmodeller och idéer om staten. Vad som behövs är istället en teori som utgår från medborgarnas egna upplevelser och därmed byggs nerifrån och upp, med ett fokus på att förstå skatteefterlevnad snarare än skatteflykt. Genom en jämförande mikro-studie av medborgarnas skatteupplevelser i tre länder (Lesotho, Tanzania och Zambia) bidrar detta projekt med en ökad förståelse för hur dagens skattepraktik ser ut i dessa tre länder, men också i Afrika söder om Sahara mer generellt, då dessa länder representerar en bredd av skattesystem och olika typer av ekonomier. Skatteviljan och skatteuttaget varierar nämligen mellan dessa länder. För att genomföra en systematisk och jämförande studie av skattepraktiken i dessa länder, föreslår vi ett fokus på två typer av skatter (inkomstskatt och moms), vissa socioekonomiska grupper samt specifika platser. Datainsamlingen består av tre faser: 1) intervjuer med personal på de olika ländernas skatteverk; 2) fokusgruppsintervjuer kring skattepraktiken (var, när, hur, varför och med vem), samt 3) deltagande observationer på platser där skatt betalas eller är en del av vardagen. På så vis kommer projektet ge ett inifrånperspektiv på vad det innebär att vara skattebetalare i dessa länder. Datainsamlingen sker på samma sätt i alla tre länder. Med hjälp av intervjuer med skatteverken identifieras typiska grupper av skattebetalare av vissa skatter (moms och inkomstskatt). Troliga grupper är självförsörjande jordbrukare, lärare, tjänstemän samt personer som jobbar inom detaljhandeln, gruvindustrin och fabriker. Därefter genomförs fokusgrupper med just dessa yrkesgrupper. Fokusgruppsintervjuerna identifierar sedan vilka platser som är särskilt relevanta för skattepraktiken (som t.ex. den lokala skattemyndigheten, skatteindrivarens kontor och bankkontor i fråga om inkomstskatt och lokala marknadsplatser och butiker när det gäller moms) för att därefter genomföra observationer på dessa platser. Projektet kartlägger och beskriver skattepraktiken och därigenom hur skatteviljan formas. På så vis kan teorier om skattevilja som utgår från medborgarnas egna upplevelser utvecklas. Genom en kvalitativ studie av skattebetalning belyser det här projektet hur stater byggs upp i utvecklingsländer och bidrar till en bä
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Cirkulär nomadism: ungdom och arbete i efterkrigens Liberia och Sierra Leone Circular Nomadism: Youth and Labor in Post-War Liberia and Sierra Leone This project is picking up where many current studies on African youth have left off: at wars end. Where demographic studies simply use abstract statistics to identify youth bulges and give woeful predictions of renewed conflicts driven by armies of disenfranchised youth, this study will concretely investigate how young people make a living in some of the poorest countries in the world. Youth in Sierra Leone and Liberia fought ten years of civil war. Socio-economy remains much the same in both countries after the war - poor remain poor. But does it mean that history will repeat itself, or will youth benefit from the new African growth - so much talked about. Through in-depth studies and long-term engagement we answer questions such as: How are labor structures manifested, and how do they change? How do young people find work in post-conflict landscapes and what does this mean for the societies they are part of? In particular, what impact do labor market experiences and the mechanisms for finding employment have on longitudinal relationships of dependence? This project aims to explore youths´ navigation of employment trajectories, and more particularly the role of young labor migration in the functioning of labor markets in Liberia and Sierra Leone. As such, it is an urgent study of a contemporary phenomenon in Africa; combining the fashionable topic of youth unemployment with the under-researched area of post-conflict labor markets and circular migration within countries. Hur hittar unga människor arbete i Liberia och Sierra Leone? Det här forskningsprojektet tar vid där många studier om unga afrikaner slutar: i efterkrigsmiljö. Flera samtida studier har sammankopplat ungdomsarbetslöshet med social oro, våldsamheter och förnyade konflikter. *Cirkulär nomadism: ungdom och arbete i efterkrigens Liberia och Sierra Leone* blickar bortom statistik och siffror. Istället undersöker vi mekanismerna bakom dessa förhållanden genom att kartlägga unga liberianers och sierra leoners strategier för att hitta arbete. Ett stort antal unga män och kvinnor deltog i över tio års inbördeskrig i de båda länderna. Krigen sågs av många unga som en revolt mot de äldre generationerna och mot ett samhälle som hindrat dem från att förändra och förbättra sin livssituation. Tyvärr finns sociala och ekonomiska orättvisor i stor utsträckning kvar efter krigens slut. Makt och pengar i två av världens fattigaste länder är fortfarande i händerna på en liten elit. Fattiga unga män och kvinnor i Liberia och Sierra Leone utkämpar en hård kamp för att överleva och arbetsmarknaden utgör allt som oftast ett hinder för deras möjligheter till att förbättra sina liv. Betyder detta att ländernas våldsamma historia riskerar att upprepa sig, eller kommer dessa unga att få ta del av den nya afrikanska tillväxten? Det är svårt för unga i Liberia och Sierra Leone att hitta arbete idag. Formella och stabila anställningar hör inte till vanligheterna och unga män och kvinnor måste därför vara mobila och flexibla. Forskning pekar på att unga ofta har flera olika inkomstbringande aktiviteter samtidigt och att de hittar arbete genom informella nätverk bestående av familj och vänner. Många gånger måste de flytta för att få jobb - till staden från landet - eller från staden till gruvområden och plantager. Anställningarna är osäkra, tidsbegränsade och inkomsterna är skrämmande små. I städerna är unga män och kvinnor försäljare på marknaden, taxichaufförer eller mekaniker. De har nästan alltid också ansvar för hem och hushåll samt hjälper till att försörja både släkt och vänner. Väldigt få har råd att vara arbetslösa när inget välfärdssystem finns och alla är beroende av varandra för att klara dagen. Samtidigt hindrar arbetsmarknaden såsom den ser ut idag unga från att integreras formellt i samhället. Med detta som bakgrund undersöker projektet ungdomars väg till arbete genom att titta på hur och var unga hittar arbete inom de två länderna, de informella nätverk genom vilka jobb oftast förmedlas, samt arbetsmarknadernas struktur. Studien utförs med hjälp av etnografisk metod; djupstudier och direkt umgänge under långa perioder för att på så sätt nå djupare och mer detaljerad kunskap om ungdomarnas situation. Forskningsprojektets resultat kommer fördjupa kunskapen om unga och arbete i Liberia och Sierra Leone, men även producera generaliserbar data. Det kommer skapa förståelse för hur unga män och kvinnor får ekonomin, och därmed även livet, att gå runt. Resultaten kommer vara betydelsefulla, i akademisk kontext, men också i mer policyinriktade sammanhang. Vi utvecklar ett teoretiskt ramverk som är användbart för att undersöka ung arbetsmigration i postkonfliktmiljöer med särskilt fokus på informella strukturer. Projektet kommer tillföra ett välbehövligt empiriskt material om ungas arbetssituation i postkonfliktområden. Ungdomssysselsättning är idag ett prioriterat område, inte bara i de två länder som projektet undersöker, utan även i ett större afrikanskt sammanhang av efterkrigsmiljöer med stora, unga befolkningar. Resultaten kommer bidra med kunskap till svenskt utvecklings- och biståndsarbete. Studien kommer ge upphov till en fördjupad dialog mellan forskning och praktik. Genom att anlägga ett genusperspektiv och fokusera särskilt på unga kvinnors erfarenheter på arbetsmarknaden ger projektet även plats åt en samhällsgrupp som ofta exkluderas i ungdomsstudier i Afrika.
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Climate sensitivity and reforestation of tropical trees Tropiska träds klimatkänslighet och skogsåterplantering Tropiska regnskogar är jordens mest artrika och produktiva ekosystemtyp (biom) och spelar en viktig roll för vår planets biodiversitet och klimat. Trots det vet vi förhållandevis lite om deras känslighet för pågående klimatförändringar. Ökad dödlighet under ovanligt varma och torra år (s.k. El Niño-år) tyder på att tropiska träd är mycket klimatkänsliga, men kunskapen om vilka processer som styr detta är begränsad. I många tropiska områden har stora arealer skog försvunnit och omvandlats till odlings- och betesmark. Detta leder till problem med erosion, biodiversitetsförlust, och ett varmare och torrare klimat. På många håll försöker man därför återplantera skog. Det finns då flera fördelar med att använda naturligt förekommande arter eftersom dessa oftast konsumerar mindre vatten och har högre biodiversitet och lägre risk för sjukdomsangrepp än exotiska snabbväxande arter (ofta Eucalyptus). En osäkerhetsfaktor som hämmar hållbar plantering av inhemska tropiska trädarter är att vi vet så lite om deras klimatkänslighet. Det övergripande syftet med detta projekt är att ta reda på vilka egenskaper och mekanismer som styr hur torrare och varmare förhållanden påverkar vitalitet och överlevnad hos olika tropiska trädarter. Baserat på denna kunskap kommer vi att ta fram kartor med rekommendationer för vilka inhemska trädarter som är lämpliga för plantering i olika delar av Rwanda, ett tätt befolkat och fattigt land där skogsåterplantering måste ske i samklang med jordbruket. I det här projektet studerar vi 5400 träd tillhörande 20 tropiska trädarter som naturligt växer i bergsregnskog eller i övergången mellan regnskog och savann i Rwanda, ”the land of thousand hills”. Vi använder planteringar på tre platser med stor variation i höjd över havet (1300-2400 m), nederbörd (850-1750 mm) och temperatur (14-21 °C). De högst belägna platserna ligger i bergsregnskog medan de lägsta ligger i områden som naturligt domineras av buskvegetation och som är varmare och torrare än de utvalda trädarternas naturliga miljöer. Ett steg nedåt i höjd för en viss art representerar ett möjligt framtida klimatscenarium (global uppvärmning). På tre platser kommer vi att manipulera vattentillgången genom att bevattna och/eller skärma av nederbörd; detta för att kunna separera effekter av temperatur och nederbörd. På alla platser kommer vi att plantera både så kallade pionjärarter (arter som snabbt kan kolonisera nya områden) och klimaxarter (arter som dominerar i skogar utan störningar). Vi kommer att studera 16 strukturella, hydrauliska, fysiologiska och biokemiska egenskaper som potentiellt styr hur trädens vitalitet och överlevnad påverkas av minskad vattentillgång och ökad temperatur. Trädens förmåga att anpassa dessa egenskaper till ett förändrat klimat kommer att bestämmas. Utifrån signifikanta samband mellan olika funktionella egenskaper och trädens känslighet för låg nederbörd och hög temperatur kommer en modell att tas fram som kan förutsäga tropiska träds klimatkänslighet utifrån kunskap om deras funktionella egenskaper. Modellen kommer att utvärderas med hjälp av oberoende mortalitetsdata från planteringar med större träd i olika delar av Rwanda. Eftersom modellen är egenskaps-baserad kommer den att kunna appliceras på andra arter än de som ingått i detta projekts planteringar. Inom projektet kommer modellen därför kunna användas för att ta fram kartor med rekommendationer för vilka inhemska trädarter som är lämpliga för plantering i olika delar av Rwanda. Projektet är ett samarbete mellan Göteborgs Universitet, University of Rwanda och Rwanda Agriculture Board som sedan flera år har ett samarbete inom skogsforskning, där även lärarutbyte och handledning av doktorander och studenter ingår. Projektet kommer att ta fram ny kunskap om olika tropiska trädarters klimatkänslighet och vilka underliggande trädegenskaper och mekanismer som styr denna. Dessutom kommer projektet att generera kartor med rekommendationer över vilka trädarter som är lämpliga för plantering i olika delar av landet. Dessa kartor kommer att levereras till relevanta Rwandiska avnämare, såsom ”Rwanda Forest and Water Institute” och ”Ministry of Natural Resources”. De kommer även att kommuniceras till avnämare i andra länder i regionen. Ett annat viktigt mål för projektet är att fortsätta bygga upp kompetensen inom skogsforskning i Rwanda, vilket gynnar forskningsbaserad och långsiktig klimatanpassning i ett fattigt land i Afrika. Is climate change pushing tropical trees towards climatic limits beyond which their vitality and survival decline? The present project addresses this important and unsolved question, with the overall aim to define the sensitivity of tropical tree species to heat and drought and to provide maps with tree plantation recommendations to relevant stakeholders in Rwanda and beyond. We will determine the functional tree traits (structural, hydraulic, physiological, biochemical) controlling tree vitality and survival in multi-species plantations established at three sites in Rwanda, “the land of thousand hills”. The sites exhibit large natural variation in precipitation and temperature, and experimental manipulations of water supply (irrigation, rainfall exclusion) will be imposed at each site. A multi-trait model of drought- and heat-induced tree mortality will be derived based on data from the experimental sites, and evaluated using independent data from additional sites with larger trees. Based on this model, we will produce and deliver maps with tree plantation recommendations to relevant stakeholders in Rwanda and the region. The scientific significance of the project is to address critical knowledge gaps regarding the causes of drought- and/or heat-induced mortality in tropical trees. The proposed project contributes to capacity building at Rwandan institutions, which will promote science-based and sustainable climate change adaptation in a low-income African country.
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Klimateffekter på pelagiala mikroorganismer: hur påverkas potentiellt giftiga fytoplanktonarter och patogena bakterier i kustnära vatten Climate induced changes in the pelagic microbial communities: assessing the response of harmful algae and pathogenic bacteria in coastal water of Växtplankton är viktiga komponenter i hav och sjöar, dels för att de utgör basen för akvatiska näringskedjor, men också för att de fixerar koldioxid genom fotosyntes. Mängden CO2 som fixeras av växtplankton är faktiskt större än den mängd som fixeras av alla jordens skogar. Bakterier är också viktiga i dessa ekosystem för att de bryter ner organiskt material och bidrar till återanvändning av näringsämnen. I de flesta fall är tillväxt av växtplankton positivt för akvatiska ekosystem och vattenbruk, men under vissa förhållanden blommar skadliga arter och bakterier. Dessa blomningar är en hälsorisk för människor och kan orsaka stora ekonomiska förluster för fiskeri-, vattenbruk- och turistnäring. Man räknar med att ungefär 100 marina algarter producerar gifter. Gifterna från alger och bakterieceller ackumuleras i filtrerande organismer, som t.ex. musslor. När vi äter dessa musslor så blir vi sjuka och kan i värsta fall dö. Andra gifter har haemolytisk verkan som kan skada ömtåliga vävnader hos fisk och marina ryggradslösa djur. Giftet som orsakar haemolys gör mest skada på arter som hålls i fångenskap, exempelvis odlad fisk och skaldjur. Dessa odlade organismer kan ju inte fly från algblomningen. Bakterier infekterar fisk och skaldjur med skadlig utgång antingen för djuret direkt, eller för människan då hon äter djuret. På Sri Lanka, och i flera andra kustsbelägna utvecklingsländer nära ekvatorn, är akvakultur och fiskerinäring en viktig inkomstkälla för miljontals människor. Dessutom utgör exportindustrin av odlade akvatiska organismer, t.ex. jätteräkor, en viktig del av landets finansiella intäkter. I denna delen av världen är musslor och ostron den huvudsakliga proteinkällan för många fattiga människor som lever längs kusterna. Under senare år har man haft mycket problem med marint vattenbruk. Sjukdomsalstrande bakterier, virus och algtoxiner har angripit de odlade räkorna. Följden har blivit att man matar djuren med antibiotika som ger antibiotika resistens på sikt, eller behandlar vattnet i dammarna med kemikalier som är skadliga för omgivningen. Sri Lankesiska myndigheter förespråkar därför mussel och ostronodling som ett miljövänligt alternativ som genererar protein till befolkningen och exportinkomster till företag och nationen. Men för att detta ska fungera så krävs övervakning, med fokus på utbredning och tillväxt av giftiga växtplanktonarter. Klimatmodeller för det kommande seklet förutspår ökad temperatur och nederbörd. Teoretiska modeller förutspår att effekterna av dessa förändringar blir som störst i tropiska områden som redan idag får stora mängder nederbörd. Sri Lanka är ett sådant område. Ett framtida scenario för regionen är ökad nederbörd och avrinning, högre närsaltsbelastning och skarpare språngskikt i vattenpelaren mellan salt marint vatten, och sött vatten från land. Detta är scenarion som experimentellt har visat sig mycket gynnsamma för dinoflagellater, som är alggruppen som innehåller många toxinproducerande arter, jämfört med kiselalger, som är den största gruppen primärproducenter i den marina pelagialen och som innefattar mycket få arter som producerar toxiner. Ett sötare ytvatten och varmare temperatur är dessutom faktorer som gynnar tillväxten av marina patogena bakterier av exempelvis släktet Vibrio, där Vibrio cholerae, bakterien som orsakar diarrésjukdomen kolera, är den mest fruktade. Följaktligen så förutspås att intensiteten och frekvensen av skadliga alg- och bakterieblomningar längs Sri Lankas kuster kommer att öka. Avsikten med vårt projekt är att undersöka om detta är riktigt. Och, om så är fallet, undersöka vilken eller vilka arter som kommer att gynnas under dessa framtida förhållanden. Vi har tidigare analyserat övervakningsmaterial som spänner över flera decennier och identifierat de variabler som är de viktigaste determinanterna för det mikrobiella plankton samhället. Det visar sig att i dessa tropiska vatten som är relativt näringsfattiga så är temperatur och salthalt de viktigaste The project aims to understand how climate-induced changes in hydrography will affect species of harmful algae, pathogenic bacteria and the inter-relation between those. This will be done by initially isolating relevant species from Sri Lankan coastal water. Thereafter we will conduct manipulated experiments in Sri Lanka in which we look at the fitness of the selected species under ambient and future oceanographic settings. In Sweden we will conduct yet another manipulated experiment where we will study the expression of functional genes of the same species under increased and ambient temperature, decreased and ambient salinity, and increased and ambient pCO2. The two PIs will jointly be responsible for all the scientific experiments. The rational for using our sets of variable for the manipulated experiments are based on IPCC climate projections, and on our own analyses of long-term hydrographic monitoring data set from the region. Our intention is to build a strong collaboration between Sweden and Sri Lanka, to generate good and relevant scientific results and to publish our findings in high ranked international scientific journals. Our results will contribute to sustainable development in tropical countries dependent on export of marine products. We will promote focused microbial monitoring of coastal water, which will ensure safe bivalves-an environmental friendly protein source.
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Förbättrad diagnostik av Chagas sjukdom i endemiska områden i Bolivia Improved diagnostics of Chagas disease in endemic areas of Bolivia Chagas sjukdom är en viktig och spridd orsak till hjärtsjukdom, förstorad matstrupe och förstorad tjocktarm i Latinamerika, där den parasit som orsakar sjukdomen, Trypanosoma cruzi, sprids via insekter. Medan parasiten ofta orsakar akut sjukdom, märker många inte av sjukdomen förrän efter flera år eller till och med årtionden, då många utvecklar kroniska symptom. Flera miljoner människor lider idag av sjukdomen. Antiparatitiska läkemedel är bara delvis effektiva för akut sjukdom och fungerar inte alls för den kroniska fasen. Förutom människor, kan T. cruzi infektera många andra däggdjur, och många av dessa fungerar som reservoirer för smittan som gör den svårare att bekämpa. Sjukdomsfall har rapporterats i framför allt hundar och apor. Det finns säkert många andra djur med sjukdomen, men detta är mycket underrapporterat. Chagas sjukdom sprids vanligtvis av en typ av blodsugande skinnbaggar (triatomines, kissing bugs). Dessa insekter och derar spillning kan också kontaminera mat och dryck, tex frukt juicer, vilket ofta resulterar i livshotande utbrott av akut Chagas sjukdom. I Syd- och Centralamerika går parasiterna fram och tillbaks mellan insekter och vilda djur och tamdjur. Visa triatomin-arter lever enbart utanför städer och byar, medan adra har anpassat sig till att leva i eller nära bebyggelse, speciellet i områden med låg standard på husen. Insekterna hittar där sprickor och andra ställen att gömma sig på under dagen, och dom kommer fram under natten för att suga blod. Kampanjer för att förbättra hus och för att minska mängden insekter nära bebyggelse, tillsammans med ökad testning för parasiter har gradvis minska spridningen av sjukdomen i många områden i Syd- och Mellanamerika. Chagas sjukdom har mer nyligen blivit et större problem också i andra länder, pga ökad migration. I dessa länder känner läkare ofta inte igen symptomen och behandlig finns inte tillgänglig.Chagas sjukdom är fortfarande mycket vanlig i Bolivia, på grund av fattigsom och brist på resurser. Ett stort problem är bristen på efftektiva test för att se om människor är infekterade. Det finns kommersiella test, men dessa är utvecklade för stammar av parasiten som inte finns i Bolivia och testerna är därför inte pålitliga. Vi planerar att samarbeta för att karakterisera parasiter från Bolivia och använda informationen för att utveckla bättre tester. Under projektes gång kommer yngre forskare från Bolivia att utbildas i de senaste forskningsmetoderna för att stärka detta område inför framtiden. Bolivia has the highest burden of infectious disease in Latin America. Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, is a major public health problem there and it is also increasing in other parts of the world. At present, Bolivia has the highest rate of vector and congenital transmission, and the old rural profile of the disease is changing rapidly into urban. Recent epidemiological data indicates that all the capital cities of the 9 Bolivian departments still have new cases of Chagas disease in children under fifteen. in Bolivia, there is active vector transmission of the parasite, as well as vertical or congenital transmission from infected mothers to their children, during pregnancy, blood transfusions and oral transmission, via food contaminated with triatomine feces. Despite vector control efforts, there is still a high number of seropositives, cases of congenital Chagas disease and cases of sudden death through cardiac compromise. The diagnosis of Chagas diseases is performed using commercial kits, but, these are problematic, since they are not specific, for the parasite strains that occur in Bolivia. By starting this network, we will combine clinical skills from Bolivia with molecular parasitologists from Brazil and comparative parasite genomics from Sweden to carry out a large field study, combined with comparative genomics and identification of new antigens for diagnostics of Bolivian strains. This will result in improved treatment and monitoring of the disease.
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A One Health approach to strengthening capacities for detection of emerging zoonoses in Asian wildlife and people Förbättrad övervakning av zoonoser hos asiatiska elefanter, apor och människor - One Health Sjukdomar som kan spridas mellan djur och människor (zoonoser) och antibiotikaresistens är stora problem som påverkar folk- och djurhälsa, livsmedelsförsörjning och ekonomisk tillväxt. Risken för spridning av zoonotiska smittämnen ökar med hög befolkningstäthet och nära kontakt mellan människor, boskap och vilda djur. Många zoonoser och nya smittämnen har sitt ursprung hos vilda djurpopulationer. Men det vilda djurlivet är också en viktig tillgång för lokalbefolkningen i många låginkomstländer där naturbaserad turism är en betydelsefull inkomstkälla som ökar starkt. Det behövs utökad forskning och kännedom om övervakning och diagnostik av smittämnen och antibiotikaresistens i vilda djurpopulationer och hos lokalbefolkning i nära kontakt med vilda djur. Kunskapen om förekomst av zoonoser hos vilda djur i Asien är otillräcklig. Vid sjukdomsövervakning av vilda djur krävs vanligen immobilisering (sövning; narkos) för att kunna samla in biologiska prover och garantera säker vilthantering för både djurens och människornas skull. Dock saknas effektiva och säkra immobiliseringsmetoder för många vilda djurarter. Det övergripande målet med detta fyraåriga projekt är att förbättra övervakningen och stärka beredskapen mot zoonotiska infektionssjukdomar hos asiatiska elefanter, apor och människor. Provinsamling från vilda djur och människor som jobbar med vilt på Sri Lanka kommer ske för analys av specifika virus och bakterier, samt nya smittämnen. Fokus kommer att vara på sjukdomar som har stor betydelse för djur- och folkhälsan och med socioekonomisk påverkan. Den nya kunskapen som genereras genom forskningen kommer bidra till en hållbar fattigdomsbekämpning och stödja bevarandet av global biodiversitet.Forskning utförs inom fyra sammanlänkade projektdelar:1) Förekomst av tuberkulos hos asiatiska elefanter och människor. Prover samlas in från föräldralösa elefantungar på rehabiliteringscenter och i djurpark, från vilda elefanter i nationalparker och från personal som jobbar med vilda djur, såsom elefantskötare och viltveterinärer. Antibiotikaresistens kommer undersökas.2) Zoonoser hos apor. Provinsamling från makaker och langurer som befinner sig nära människors bostäder, i tempelområden och i nationalparker. Laboratorieanalys inkluderar förekomst av rota- och hantavirus, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Leptospira, samt antibiotikaresistens hos identifierade bakterier.3) Utveckling av säkra och effektiva immobiliseringsmetoder för asiatiska elefanter och apor. Vid provtagning som kräver immobilisering kommer nya sövningskombinationer utvecklas för säker hantering. Protokoll för behandling av komplikationer såsom syrebrist kommer etableras för att minska riskerna för de sövda djuren. Förbättrad hantering av vilda asiatiska djurarter bidrar till bevarandet av biologisk mångfald.4) Kartläggning av smittor hos vilda gnagare. Förekomst av hantavirus och Leptospira undersöks genom provtagning av vilda gnagare. Metagenomisk analys kommer utföras för att identifiera eventuella nya smittämnen. Projektet utgår från en ’One-Health’-strategi både på lokal, regional och global nivå, med en tvärvetenskaplig grupp med experter inom veterinärmedicin, humanmedicin, mikrobiologi, bioinformatik och viltvård. Samarbetspartners inkluderar Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet (SLU), Karolinska Institutet (KI), Totalförsvarets Forskningsinstitut (FOI) och Kolmårdens djurpark i Sverige. Medverkande på Sri Lanka är University of Kelaniya, University of Peradeniya och Department of Wildlife Conservation. Kompetensuppbyggnad avseende laboratoriemetodik och viltimmobilisering sker genom forskarutbyten för internationella samarbetspartners och SLU, KI och Kolmårdens djurpark i Sverige. Under projektets gång arrangeras workshops för kunskapsuppbyggnad och spridning av resultat, vilket också sker på internationella konferenser och genom vetenskapliga publikationer. Projektet kommer förse myndigheter med information om förekomst av zoonotiska och eventuellt nya smittämnen Emerging infectious diseases threaten global biodiversity and public health. Our project goal is to enhance the capability for detection of zoonotic and emerging pathogens in Asian wildlife and people. Samples will be collected from wild animals and people working in the animal-human-ecosystem interface for analysis of selected viral and bacterial pathogens and antimicrobial resistance. The 4-year project will include surveillance and screening of elephants and wildlife workers for tuberculosis, along with sampling primates and rodents for other zoonotic pathogens. Safe and efficient immobilization techniques will be developed to enable optimal sample collection and to ensure human safety and animal welfare during handling of wildlife. Cutting edge technologies will be used for evaluation of physiological functions to prevent complications during immobilization, and for identification of novel pathogens. A strong emphasis will be put on strengthening individual and institutional capacities in conjunction with the research activities. With an emphasis on the One Health approach, contributing collaborators are from complementary fields of veterinary and human health, microbiology, metagenomics, bioinformatics, and wildlife conservation at scientific and governmental institutions. Our research on emerging pathogens and wildlife immobilization is of direct relevance for local livelihoods (health and poverty alleviation), wildlife resource management and biodiversity conservation.
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Innemiljö och utemiljö i skolor, bostäder, förskolor och kontor i Malaysia: Epidemiologiska studier över hälsosamband Indoor and outdoor environment in schools, homes, day care centres and offices in Malaysia: Epidemiological studies of health associations Huvudsyftet med samarbetet är ett ömsesidigt utbyte av kunskap och forskningsmetodik inom området miljömedicin, särskilt rörande samband mellan hälsa och exponeringar i inomhusmiljön. Eftersom skolmiljön är en viktig miljö för barn, kommer vi att fokusera på studier av hälsoeffekter av skolmiljön i Malaysia. Dessutom kommer vi att inkludera epidemiologiska undersökningar om hemmiljön, förskolor och kontorsmiljöer i Malaysia. Vi mäter viktiga föroreningar från källor inomhus och utomhus, inklusive allergen från husdammskvalster, tropiskt förrådskvalster, kackerlacka och pälsdjursallergen, mögel-DNA (en markör av mögel), mikrobiella komponenter från mögel och bakterier, formaldehyd, flyktiga organiska ämnen (VOC) och kvävedioxid (NO2). Utomhusmätningar genomförs parallellt av vissa luftföroreningar. Vi studerar även förekomst av astma, astmasymtom och andra luftvägssymptom, och allergier hos eleverna, och sambanden mellan dessa hälsoparametrar och exponeringen i skolmiljön, hemmiljön och förskolemiljön. Dessutom mäter vi NO i utandningsluft, en klinisk markör för astma och tårfilmens stabilitet (BUT), en markör för ögonirritation. Projektet är viktigt eftersom det finns få tidigare studier om miljön i skolor, förskolor och kontor i Malaysia, och hur miljöfaktorer påverkar hälsan i Malaysia. Samarbetet kommer att omfatta workshops med malaysiska och svenska deltagare, utbildning av malaysiska masterstudenter och doktorander i Sverige, och ett antal vetenskapliga publikationer kommer att skrivas tillsammans.. The main aim is mutual exchange of knowledge and research methodology in environmental medicine, in particular on associations between health and indoor exposures. Schools is an important environment for children, and we will focus on studies on health effects of the school environment in Malaysia. In addition we will include epidemiological studies on the home environment, day care centres and the office environment in Malaysia. We measure key pollutants from indoor and outdoor sources, including house dust mite, tropical storage mites, cockroach and furry pet allergens, fungal DNA (a marker of mould), microbial components from moulds and bacteria, formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds (VOC) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Outdoor measurements will be performed in parallel. We study the prevalence of asthma, asthmatic symptoms and other respiratory symptoms, and allergy among the pupils, and associations between these health parameters and the exposure in the school environment, day care environment and the dwelling. Moreover we measure NO in exhaled air, a clinical marker of asthma and tear film break up time (BUT), a marker of eye irritation. The project is important since there is few previous studies on the school, day care centre and office environment in Malaysia. The co-operation will include workshops with Malaysian and Swedish participants, training of Malaysian master and PhD students in Sweden, and a number of collaborative scientific publications are planned.
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Invisibility Amidst Existence: Understanding Power, Agency, and Voice of the Severe Poor Osynlighet Mitt i Tillvaron: Att förstå makt, handlingsfrihet och inflytande hos extremt fattiga Syftet med det här projektet är ge ökad förståelse om makt och handlingsfrihet hos de mest extremt fattiga i deras livssituationer. Projektet uppnår syftet genom att kritiskt undersöka olika policys och utvecklingsprogram som fokuserar på dessa extremt fattiga. I detta arbete kommer projektet att problematisera dels de kunskapsbilder om extremt fattiga som dominerar inom utvecklingsforskning, dels det arbete som utförs i utvecklingsprojekt. För att problematisera kunskapsbilder och utvecklingsarbete kommer projektet att utgå från begreppet epistemisk orättvisa (”epistemic injustice”). Detta begrepp ger projektet möjligheter att identifiera tillfällen när mottagare av budskap (forskare och praktiker) nervärderar sändarnas (extremt fattiga) förmåga till förståelse av sina livssituationer eller trovärdigheten i deras berättelser om sina livssituationer. Fokus kommer att vara på hur forskning och utvecklingsprojekt lyssnar på, representerar och tilltalar de mest extremt fattiga. Empiriskt kommer projektet att särskilt uppmärksamma tre grupper som förväntas uppleva särskilt svåra konsekvenser av extrem fattigdom i sina livssituationer: etiska minoriteter, personer med funktionsnedsättning och äldre personer. Projektet kommer att analysera unikt material från nya databaser i Bangladesh för att undersöka individuella, sociala och institutionella maktprocesser som påverkar de extremt fattigas möjligheter till handlingar. Genom att fokusera på epistemisk orättvisa kommer projektet att ge teoretiska och empiriska bidrag till de alltmer intensiva diskussionerna om dekolonialiserad utveckling, vilket är en idé som tidigare har uppmärksammats mer inom utvecklingsteori än praktiskt utvecklingsarbete. Sammantaget kommer projektet att direkt bidra till arbetet med hållbara utvecklingsmål (Sustainable Development Goals) genom kunskapsbidrag som utvecklar alternativa modeller för inkluderande utvecklingsarbete bland extremt fattiga. The purpose of the research is to understand the power and agency problematic within the lived spaces of the ‘severe poor’ and critically examine the role and position of development policies and practices in addressing their poverty. Subsequently, the research problematises the notion of ‘epistemic injustice’ prevailing in the field of development, challenging ‘the way of knowing’ the severe poor and ‘the way of doing’ development with them. This entails a close examination of how the severe poor or marginalised are listened to, represented and targeted both by researchers and practitioners. Empirically, the research focuses on the bottom 2% of the extreme poor targeting the three most vulnerable groups (i.e. ethnic minority, disabled and older persons) who are prone to experience severe poverty more than others. Relying on four different novel and unique datasets from Bangladesh, the research will examine the individual, social and institutional processes of power that condition the agency of the severe poor. By focusing on ‘epistemic injustice’, the proposed research will contribute to emerging discussions and debates about decolonising development, an idea that has so far gained more traction in development theory than research practice. Overall, the research will make a direct contribution to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by advancing our knowledge to foster an alternative model of development that leaves no one behind.
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Låg kostnad interventioner för att bekämpa Chikungunya feber Low cost, scalable interventions to combat chikungunya fever Chikungunya fever is a painful condition mainly characterised by fever and joint pain but also headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, and rash. The aetiologic agent, chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is transmitted by mosquitos of the Aedesgenus and is prevalent in tropical regions. Although mortality is low (approximately 0.1%), the burden of disease in low- and middle-income countries is high: The virus is endemic in the majority of the countries on the DAC list of low-income countries. Currently, no vaccine or antiviral treatments are available. In this proposal we plan to explore two promising strategies to develop low-cost, scalable interventions to treat this disease. Our first aim is to use the combined expertise of the McInerney and Tomar groups to identify and develop compound(s) that target an essential and conserved alphavirus interaction with host molecules. Our research has identified an Achilles’ heel of the Old-World alphaviruses and our recent data suggests that targeting this complex is feasible and expected to be broadly anti-alphaviral. In a second approach, we propose to develop, screen and test, camelid-derived single domain antibody fragments against the CHIKV spike complex and test them in a virus replication inhibition assays in vitro and in a mouse model for alphavirus disease. Although both approaches are at the experimental stage, both represent potentially low cost and very scalable strategies to combat chikungunya fever in low income countries. Alfavirusen är en virusgrupp som har orsakat ett antal allvarliga sjukdomar hos miljontals människor under de senaste decennierna. Virusen överförs av myggor i världens tropiska regioner, inklusive Syd- och Centralamerika, Subsahariska Afrika, indiska subkontinenten och Sydostasien. Många av de berörda länderna är låginkomstländer med redan överbelastade hälsovårdssystem. Ett särskilt viktigt exempel är chikungunya virus, orsakssambandet till chikungunya feber, som kännetecknas av symtom som svår ledsmärta, feber, utslag och artrit. De flesta infekterade individer återhämtar sig, men i vissa fall kan smärta vara kvar i flera månader eller till och med år, så effekterna av utbrott på arbetssamhällen kan vara förödande.För närvarande har inga antivirala terapier eller vacciner godkänts för alfavirusinfektion, vilket tyder på det nödvändiga behovet av mer grundforskning om virusfamiljen såväl som målinriktad utveckling av antivirala läkemedel. Nuvarande kontrollåtgärder med inriktning på att hämma myggöverföring och behandling av patienter är begränsade till lättnad av symtom. Framsteg i utvecklingen av antivirala läkemedel för dessa infektioner har varit långsam av flera orsaker. Eftersom tidpunkten och platserna för virusutbrott är oförutsägbara och att de tenderar att förekomma i länder och regioner med begränsade resurser har intresset från läkemedelsföretag varit begränsat. Hämmande utveckling av terapier är också bristen på strukturella data på det virala replikationskomplexet och interaktioner med värdcellproteiner.Ny forskning från McInerney-laboratoriet vid Karolinska Institutet har identifierat en svaghet i tillväxtmekanismerna hos alfavirus som vi föreslår kan utnyttjas för att utveckla en eller flera molekyler som kan hämna infektionen och bota infekterade patienter. Virusproteinet nsP3 binds till ett cellulärt protein som heter G3BP och använder det i replikationen av virala genomerna. Utan denna interaktion kan viruset inte föröka sig. Tillsammans med Tomar-laboratoriet vid Indiska Tekniska Institutet föreslår vi att använda rationella strukturbaserade metoder för att utforma läkemedel som skulle hämna viral replikation genom att blockera viral proteininteraktion med värdcellproteinet G3BP. Vi förväntar oss att sådana läkemedel skulle verka för att blockera infektion med chikungunyavirus och de andra i alfavirusgruppen. De bäst fungerande molekyler kommer att användas som mallar för att designa förbättringar i en andra generation av molekyler.Alpackor har ett väldigt speciellt immunsystem där de har antikroppar som är mycket mindre än dom konventionella antikroppar som andra däggdjur har. De är snabbare att ta fram och enklare att jobba med. Och mest viktigt, eftersom de är så pass mindre, så kan de binda till olika strukturer på viruspartikeln och på detta sätt hindra viruset. Vi kommer ta fram en mängd olika alpackaantikroppar och testa de för förmågan att hindra chikungunya viruset för att komma in i cellen och föröka sig.En anti-alfaviralt läkemedel skulle vara en enorm fördel för global hälsa, särskilt i regioner med låginkomst. Vår forskning har gett oss en stor fördel i jakten på en specifik, potent och säker behandling.
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Kronisk njursjukdom av oklar orsak i Centralamerika och Asien - är det samma sjukdom? Chronic kidney of unknown etiology in Central America and Asia - is it the same disease? Bakgrund Under de senaste decennierna har en hög förekomst av kronisk njursvikt av okänd orsak, (CKDu) rapporterats från landsbygdsområden i Centralamerika, Sri Lanka och Indien. Rapporterna från de olika områdena har mycket gemensamt, sjukdomen drabbar ofta fattiga jordbruksarbetare som bor och arbetar i varmt klimat och är inte kopplade till traditionella riskfaktorer för kronisk njursjukdom såsom högt blodtryck eller diabetes mellitus. Det stora antalet patienter med CKDu orsakar stora påfrestningar på de redan begränsade sjukvårdsresurserna i regionerna och många njursjuka patienter får inte den vård och uppföljning som behövs, vilket resulterar i ökat lidande och sjukdomsbörda för patienten och försämrad socioekonomi för regionen. Ännu är orsaken till CKDu i de olika regionerna inte helt klarlagd. I Centralamerika är den ledande hypotesen att orsaken kan vara upprepade uttorkning (vatten och saltförluster) orsakad av tungt fysiskt arbete i varmt klimat. Denna hypotes har de senaste åren fått mer stöd från både experimentella studier och studier av lantbruksarbetare under arbete. I Sri Lanka har forskare främst föreslagit olika miljötoxiner såsom tungmetaller och bekämpningsmedel som orsak till CKDu. Trots de stora likheterna mellan CKDu-epidemierna i de olika regionerna finns det i dagsläget inga definitiva bevis på att de är samma sjukdom, främst på grund av en brist på jämförande studier av patientergrupper och vävnadsprover från njurarna, s.k. njurbiopsier. Målsättning: Det övergripande målet för detta projekt är att skapa ett nätverk mellan läkare och forskare i drabbade områden och forskningsaktiva inom detta fält. Syftet är att långsiktigt stödja och utveckla forskning för att förbättra prognos, diagnostik, behandling och prevention av CKDu i Centralamerika och Sydostasien. Projektplan: Vi kommer att noggrant undersöka utvalda patientgrupper med CKDu i drabbade områden i El Salvador, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka och Indien för att se om patientgrupperna i dessa länder har liknande biokemiska förändringar i blod och urin samt liknande bild vid avancerad mikroskopisk undersökning av njurbiopsier. För att stärka samarbetet kring sjukdomen kommer vi även att skapa och etablera ett nätverk av njurläkare, patologer och forskare från de olika regionerna vilket kommer att förbättra den lokala kapaciteten vad gäller diagnostik och vidare forskning inom CKDu. En workshop planeras i Sverige för deltagare i nätverket där resultaten från de jämförande patientstudierna att presenteras och diskuteras. Vidare kommer ett protokoll utarbetas för att på ett systematiskt sätt kategorisera och bedöma njurbiopsier, d.v.s. de mikroskopiska njurförändringar som ses vid CKDu. Betydelse: Om vi inom detta projekt finner en nära likhet mellan patientgrupperna från de olika kontinenterna, tyder det på att sjukdomarna har samma orsak och detta kommer att vara viktig information i sökandet om vad som orsakar CKDu. Att finna orsaken bakom CKDu är av största vikt för att kunna förebygga och behandla sjukdomen. De gemensamma diagnoskriterier för förändringar i njurbiopsierna som tas fram vid den workshop som beskrivs ovan kommer att kunna användas för diagnostik på njurbiopsier, men även för vidare viktiga studier inom CKDu, framför allt kommer det vara viktigt i kommande prevalensstudier. Genom samarbetet inom nätverket kommer nya frågeställningar att kunna identifieras och fler projekt kunna initieras vilket driver forskningen om CKDu vidare. Kronisk njursvikt oavsett ursprung i en redan missgynnade befolkning ger förödande konsekvenser för den sjuka individen, vilket också undergräver socioekonomiska situationen för familjen. Barn kan behöva lämna skolan och tvingas till barnarbete att för att upprätthålla familjens inkomst. I de mest drabbade områdena med många drabbade och många CKDu-relaterade dödsfall påverkas hållbarheten i lokalsamhället allvarligt och sjukvårdssystemen är överväldigade och kan inte möta varken befolkningens nuvarande eller f The general aim of this research links project is to enforce knowledge-based prevention, diagnostic and treatment of chronic kidney disease of yet unknown origin (CKDu) in Central America, Sri Lanka and India. This will be achieved by creating a network of researchers, nephrologists and pathologists in the different regions enabling the implementation of a comparative study of detailed described cohorts with emphasis on the renal morphology, biochemical findings and clinical data. Two detailed cohorts are already available from Central America and a third study in Sri Lanka will be initiated this year. A fourth study will be planned and executed during the study period. The findings will be presented and discussed at a joint workshop where a diagnostic scheme for evaluating renal biopsies from affected patients will be developed. A summarizing workshop will be held to evaluate the diagnostic scheme and plan for further collaborations. Results will be compiled in joint scientific publications. The outcome will have significant impact of the research field of chronic kidney disease of unknown cause, an emerging health problem worldwide. Furthermore, this study will strengthen the local capacity among nephrologists and pathologists to evaluate patients with chronic kidney disease of unknown cause and also create a platform for further studies on the endemics.
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Personalbidrag till EU:s delegation till Albanien Secondment of personnel to the Delegation of the European Union to Albania Enligt regleringsbrevet ska Domstolsverket rekrytera och ställa personal till förfogande för EU:s fredsfredsfrämjande insatser men även bidra mer personal till de internationella organisationernas högkvarter. Domstolsverket har en utsänd sekonderad nationell expert som under två års tid kommer att arbeta inom området rule of law vid EU:s delegation till Albanien i Tirana. The Swedish National Courts Administration has an assignment to recruit personel to be seconded to EU intsruments in the field of civilian crisis management. Although Albania is not a post conflict area it is one that needs to build strong insitutions and show progress in order to join the European Union in the future. Domstolsverkets utsända ska bidra med sin expertis inom rättsstatsbyggande och härigenom bidra till utvecklingen av politiska och ekonomiska förbindelser mellan EU och Albanien för att hjälpa Albanien på dess väg mot integration i EU. The seconded personnel will contribute with expertise within rule of law and through this facilitate the development of political and economic relations between the EU and Albania in the framework of the Stabilization and Association Process (SAP), which is the strategy for helping Albania in its path towards integration into the EU.
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Allmän hälso- och sjukvård och sjukförsäkringsreform i Zambia: utvärdering av effekter på reproduktiv- och mödrahälsovård Universal health coverage and national health insurance reform: Evaluating the impact on reproductive and maternal health services in Zambia Low-income countries continue to develop ways to achieve universal health coverage (UHC). UHC is defined as a situation where all people have access to the health services they need, when and where they need them, without financial hardship . In order to reduce the risk for people suffering financial hardship as a result of ill health, health financing systems need to fulfill the two functions of pre-payment and pooling of funds. Zambia has recently launched a national health insurance scheme (NHIS) to enhance service provision and reduce catastrophic health payments. The inconclusive evidence of impact of social health insurance reforms as a means to improve financial protection, improving access to health care and increase health care utilization, in particular for the poor, illustrates the need to carefully evaluate large scale insurance reforms to ensure that desired effects are reached.The aim of this research project is to evaluate the impact of the NHIS and the process of implementation. The project will adopt a quasi-experimental research design and use a nationally representative household survey to evaluate the impact of the reform initiative on financial protection for reproductive and maternal health (RMH) service users and on the equitable utilization of RMH care. A process evaluation of implementing the NHIS will contribute to an understanding of the levels of enrollment, service utilization and financial protection. Zambia beslutade 2018 att hälso- och sjukvårdsystemet skulle reformeras genom införandet av en nationell hälso- och sjukvårdsförsäkring. Det finns starka argument för en allmän försäkring. Tidigare forskning har visat att kostnader för hälso- och sjukvård i Zambia är en viktig bidragande orsak till att många inte söker eller får den vård de behöver. Detta gäller särskilt fattiga och utsatta grupper och de som bor på landsbygden. Försäkringsreformen i Zambia genomförs som en del av en bredare ansats i att uppfylla det globala åtagandet kring universal health coverage (UHC – ung. allmän hälso och sjukvård). UHC innebär att alla ska ha rätt till den vård de behöver, när de behöver den, och att denna vård ges till en rimlig kostnad för att undvika att människor kastas in i fattigdom som en följd av sjukdom. En central del av reformen är tillgång till specialistmödravård. Komplikationer i samband med förlossningar är vanliga i Zambia och mödradödligheten är hög, 252 per 100,000 födslar (vilket kan jämföras med Sveriges omkring 4 dödsfall per 100,000 födslar). Förbättrad tillgång till mödrahälsovård är därför en viktig komponent för att minska mödradödligheten.Flera andra länder i regionen som befinner sig på en liknande inkomstnivå som Zambia har genomfört liknande hälsoförsäkringsreformer med varierande resultat. Eftersom evidensen för hur effektiva hälso- och sjukvårdsförsäkringar är från länder i regionen spretar är det viktigt att de utvärderas ordentligt. Vi föreslår därför ett forskningsprojekt som syftar till att utvärdera effekterna av hälsoförsäkringsreformen i Zambia. Mer specifikt kommer vi att studera hur försäkringen påverkar tillgången till mödrahälsovård samt om kostnaderna för den som söker vård blir lägre genom att vården finansieras gemensamt genom en försäkringslösning. Effekter kommer att mätas genom en survey-undersökning där intervjuer genomförs med försäkrade, respektive icke försäkrade hushåll i ett urval av distrikt i Zambia. Genom statistiska urvalstekniker kan vi generera resultat som går att generalisera på nationell nivå och därigenom ge en övergripande bild av effekterna. Utöver effektutvärderingen kommer vi också att genomföra en processutvärdering av genomförandet av försäkringsreformen. Processutvärdering utgör ett viktigt komplement till effektutvärderingen. Effektutvärderingen kommer att kunna visa på vilka skillnader mellan försäkrade och icke-försäkrade grupper vad gäller tillgång till vård och kostnader den vården, men kommer inte kunna ge förklaringar till resultaten. Processutvärderingen å andra sidan kommer att analysera själva genomförandet och därmed kunna bidra med förklaringsmodeller för de effekter, eller avsaknad av effekter, reformen har lett till. Denna breda ansats ger förutsättningar för en djup förståelse av försäkringsreformens effekter och utgör ett unikt bidrag till kunskapsunderlaget vad gäller hälso- och sjukvårdsförsäkringar i låg- och lägre medelinkomstländer.Projektet är ett samarbete mellan Lunds Universitet och University of Zambia. Det inkluderar också forskare från Dalarnas universitet, Karolinska Institutet och Uppsala Universitet. Sammantaget förväntas vår föreslagna forskning tillhandahålla evidens av relevans för den globala utvecklingsagendan. God hälsa är ett av de övergripande globala utvecklingsmålen (mål 3) i Agenda 2030. Att skapa bättre tillgång till god hälso- och sjukvård är också ett av de explicita undermålen (mål 3.8). God hälsa är också en förutsättning för att eliminera extrem fattigdom (mål 1). Ökad kunskap om hur försäkringslösningar inom hälso- och sjukvården kan bidra till bättre tillgång till hälso- och sjukvård på lika villkor är därför av brett intresse och relevans för utvecklingsforskning, utvecklingsbistånd och framtida nationella hälso- och sjukvårdsreformer i låg- och lägre medelinkomstländer.
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Support of non-proliferation research at Odessa university Stöd till icke-spridning forskning på Odessa universitet Stöd till icke-spridning och kärnsäkerhetsforskning vid universitetet i Odessa. I det bilaterala samarbetet med Ukraina strävar Sverige efter att ha en helhetssyn på projekt som handlar om kärnsäkerhet, fysiskt skydd och icke-spridning. Detta är ett fruktbart sätt att främja investeringar i mänsklig kapacitetsuppbyggnad genom att bättre förstå vikten av säkerhet och skydd för kärntekniska och radioaktiva material, vilket bidrar till att bevara en säker miljö. Support of non-proliferation and nuclear safety research at Odessa university. In bilateral co-operation with Ukraine, Sweden strives to have a holistic approach to projects dealing with nuclear safety, security and non-proliferation. This is a fruitful way of promoting investments in human capacity building through better understanding the importance of security and safety of nuclear and radioactive materials contributing to keeping the safe environment. Stöd till forskningsrapport om Ukrainas kärntekniska historia samt förstärkning av den nya generationens forskningskapacitet. Implementation of a research project to survey the history of the Ukrainian nuclear sector. Building of reseach capacity among the young non-proliferation community.
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Children with HIV on antiretroviral therapy through home-based care: possibilities and challenges in Ethiopia Barn med HIV i hembaserad vård - möjligheter och utmaningar i Etiopien In collaboration we aim to reveal knowledge and understanding of the possibilities and challenges of home-based care for a child living with HIV/AIDS and enrolled to antiretroviral treatment (ART) in Ethiopia using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Such knowledge can foster the development of sustainable implementation modalities suitable to local contexts, and serve as base for further planning of care and informed decision making in the area. In studies in Sweden and Denmark we have found that home-based care with support of staff in different areas in paediatric care activates the family´s own resources, decreases the strain on the family, maintains normality and an ordinary everyday life and fulfills the need for safety and security to lower costs. Ethiopia is one of the low income countries in sub-Saharan Africa highly affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic and its devastating socioeconomic effects since more than two decades. The health care delivery system is constrained by chronic shortage and high turnover of health professionals as well as poor access to- and substandard quality of the service. One of the strategies currently adopted by the country is task-shifting, whereby family care givers play a significant role in the provision of long-term care and follow-up of treatment. Our research may lead to an increased access and adherence to antiretroviral treatment, and an enhanced care and support in the care for children with HIV. Barn med HIV i hembaserad vård - möjligheter och utmaningar i Etiopien Detta forskningsprojekt riktar sig mot några av de mest utsatta människorna i Etiopien. Barn med HIV och deras vårdare är inte bara utsatta när det gäller dålig ekonomi utan även i form av dålig hälsa, utbildning och socialt stigma vilket ibland även medför socialt utanförskap. Barn med HIV har ofta förlorat en eller båda sina föräldrar i HIV och tas omhand av syskon och släktingar. Bördorna för barnet och familjen är tunga vilket medför att ett stort antal barn aldrig påbörjar behandling och/eller avslutar pågående behandling. Vår forskning utgår från barnet och på deras vårdgivare. Målet är att fylla det kunskapsgap som finns inom området hembaserad vård för barn med HIV genom ett samarbete mellan forskare med en unik kunskap om hembaserad vård i Sverige och forskare med långvarig erfarenhet av barn med HIV i Etiopien. Genom att undersöka möjligheter och utmaningar för barn med HIV och som får sin behandling i hemmet och deras familjer erhålls kunskap och förståelse som i ett nära samarbete med företrädare för hälso- och sjukvård i Ethiopien kan bilda en bas för att utveckla framtida riktlinjer, planering och beslutsfattande inom vården för barn med HIV. Dessutom främjas utvecklingen av vårdrutiner och stöd för familjer där ett barn behandlas för HIV som är till gagn för barnets behandling, stöd till familjen och möjliga inom ramen för den lokala hälso- och sjukvården. Specifika mål är att: 1) Genom kunskapsöverföring utbyta information inom områddet hembaserad vård för barn med HIV, 2) Etablera en forskningsbaserad kunskap i ett multi-kulturellt sammanhang, 3) Belysa vårdgivares upplevelser när ett barn med HIV vårdas och får behandling i hemmet, 4) Beskriva familjens utmaningar när ett barn i familjen behandlas för HIV, 5) Bedöma hur barn fullföljer antiviral behandling (compliance) och vilka faktorer som påverkar när barnet avslutar sin behandling.
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Att minska ekonomiska barriärer för tillgång till vård Reducing financial barriers to access: Providing evidence from a conditional cash transfer and a voucher based program for maternal mortality red Detta projekt är ett forskningssamarbete mellan Sverige och Indien inom mödrahälsovård. Syftet är att studera två stora innovativa finansieringsprogram som avser öka efterfrågan på vård och minska mödradödligheten genom att främja institutionella förlossningar för kvinnor som lever under fattigdomsgränsen i Indien. Indien står för 20 procent av den globala mödradödligheten, 26 procent av befolkningen lever under fattigdomsgränsen, och fortsätter att ha en av den högsta mödradödligheten (MMR) i världen. Därför krävs framstegen i Indien för att nå Millennieutvecklingsmål (MDG) 5 till 2015. Ett program innebär villkorlig kontantöverföring till fattiga kvinnor när de föder på ett offentliga sjukhus, medan det andra programmet innebär statlig kompensation till obstetriker vid privata kliniker som förlöser fattiga kvinnor, dvs. ett kupongsystem. Alla betalningar görs av staten. Programmen finns i provinserna Madhya Pradesh (70 000 000 personer) respektive Gujarat (60 000 000 personer). Programmen är baserade på liknande koncept, dvs. finansiella incitament för tillhandahållande av, och användning av hälsovård. Däremot finns stora skillnader som påverkar önskade resultat av mödrahälsa; kontext, finansieringsmekanismer, modell av betalningsleverantör, incitament, och olika nivåer av privata sektorns inblandning. Det övergripande målet är att granska effekten av och jämföra dessa två storskaliga program inom mödrahälsa i Indien gällande a) hälsoeffekter (speciellt mödradödlighet) b)incitamentsstrukturens påverkan på hälsoeffekter c)den fördelade effekten av programmen d) privata hälsosektorns bidrag till hälsoeffekterna. Kvantitativa och kvalitativa metoder kommer att användas. En kostnadseffektanalys är även planerad. Fältarbetet utförs i Indien men den svenska samarbetspartnern kommer att bidra med studiedesign, epidemilogiska metoder och analys. Ingen utvärdering av liknande storskaliga finansieringsprogram som avser öka efterfrågan på vård har tidigare gjorts. Fältet är relativt nytt och nyligen publicerad forskning rekommenderar robusta utvärderingar för att fylla kunskapsluckan när det gäller effekten av liknande interventioner. Denna handlingsplan behandlar den kunskapsluckan. This project is maternal healthcare research collaboration between Sweden & India. It aims to study two large innovative demand side financing programs to reduce maternal death by promoting institutional delivery among women living below poverty line in India. One program is a conditional cash transfer to poor women on delivering in a state hospital. The other is a reimbursement by the state to private sector obstetricians for deliveries of poor women that they have performed i.e a voucher scheme. The programs operate to scale in Madhya Pradesh & Gujarat provinces of India respectively. While both programs are based on similar concepts, i.e. financial incentives for the provision and utilization of care; there are differences in contexts, financing mechanisms, payment models, levels of private sector involvement; all of which influence maternal health outcomes. Overall aim is to assess impact of & compare the two maternal health programs in India, in terms of a) maternal outcomes b) influence of incentive structure on outcomes c) quality of care d) allocative efficiency e) private sector contribution to outcomes. Quantitative & qualitative methods will be used. No evaluations of such large scale demand side financing programs for maternal health have been carried out before. The field is fairly new, recent scientific literature has recommended robust evaluations to fill the evidence gap with respect to the impact of such interventions. This proposal addresses this gap.
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Methods for evaluating and comparing maize as a forage crop for livestock Metoder att utvärdera och jämföra majs som en fodergröda för boskap I detta projekt kommer förutsättningarna för odling av ensilagemajs att jämföras mellan Sverige och Nicaragua. I fältförsök i båda länderna kommer tillväxten noga mätas för att kunna kalibrera en tillväxtmodell för majs. När detta är gjort kommer modellen att användas för att beräkna hur framtida klimatscenarier påverkar majsens tillväxt i Sverige och Nicaragua under detta sekel. Klimatpanelens scenarier A1B och B2 utnyttjas. Scenario A1B innebär en snabbare tillväxt och befolkningsökning än B2, vilket leder till mer utsläpp av växthusgaser och en större temperaturökning. Alla beräkningar skall hjälpa lantbrukare att i framtiden anpassa sin produktion av majs till klimatförändringar. Det är viktigt att säkra den framtida produktionen av bra foder till nötboskap, därför kommer även studier att göras av samensilering av majs och en viktig lokal proteingröda. I Nicaragua används trädet Moringa och i Sverige åkerböna som proteinfoder. Projektet skall utveckla ett fodernätverk mellan forskare vid lantbruksuniversiteten i Sverige och Nicaragua och i detta projekt planeras tre regelbundna arbetsmöten mellan forskare från Sverige och Nicaragua för att planera och genomföra fältexperiment, kalibrera en tillväxtmodell och använda den för att göra framtida beräkningar. Även deltagande i internationella konferenser för att inhämta ny kunskap ingår i nätverket. Produktion av kött och mjölk från nötboskap viktig i Nicaragua och Sverige, och står för en viktig del av omsättningen inom jordbrukssektorn. Det finns tre miljoner boskap i Nicaragua, vilket är det största antalet bland Centralamerikas länder. Mjölksektorn växter snabbt i Nicaragua och har blivit en viktig inkomstkälla för lantbrukare och för exporten i landet. Avkastningen är låg per ko är låg, mycket beroende på dålig kvalitet på fodret och dålig tillgång på foder under torrtiden. I Sverige är lönsamheten ett stort problem och då kan en effektiv lokal foderproduktion anpassat för framtiden på varje gård vara ett viktigt bidrag. The aim of this project is to compare the conditions for growing forage maize (Zea mays L.) in Sweden and Nicaragua by calibrating the growth model MAISPROQ for maize. After that the model will be used to simulate how the maize production will be affected by the future climate scenarios A1B and B2 in Sweden and Nicaragua. An important outcome is to start a forage network between UNA (agricultural university in Nicaragua) and SLU (agricultural university in Sweden). This will be done by research meetings each year, attending international conferences, conduct experiments with a common protocol and work with crop modelling together. Other research institutions working with forage crops will be invited to participate in the network. There is an urgent need to enhance the efficiency of forage use in livestock production in order to reduce the impact on the environment. One part will be determined the energy efficiency for the maize crop. Small silage experiments, mixing forage maize with a local protein crop, will be conducted in Sweden and Nicaragua. Local protein sources such as faba bean and Moringa (Moringa oleifera) will be studied.
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Mental illness and substance abuse in Uganda- the hidden pandemic Psykisk ohälsa och missbruk i Uganda- den okända pandemin Psykisk ohälsa och alkoholproblem har ökat i spåren av COVID-19 pandemin men information saknas om hur situationen egentligen ut i låginkomstländer i Afrika där det redan före pandemin fanns begränsade resurser för att förebygga och behandla dessa stigmatiserade tillstånd och där det råder stor brist på större tillförlitliga populations-baserade studier. Detta trots att många kända sociala riskfaktorer för psykisk ohälsa och alkoholproblem såsom fattigdom, matbrist, begränsade livschanser, arbetslöshet och våld i hemmet är betydligt vanligare i ett land som tex Uganda jämfört med Europa.De humanitära, sociala och ekonomiska konsekvenserna av COVID-19 pandemin och de påföljande restriktionerna har varit mycket stora i hela världen. Studier om hur dessa påverkat risken för psykisk ohälsa börjar nu komma från höginkomstländer, men hittills saknas motsvarande studier från låginkomstländer i Afrika där orsakssambanden liksom åtgärderna kan se annorlunda ut.Syftet med detta forskningsprojekt är dels att studera förekomst och andelen nyinsjuknade i depression och ångest (de två vanligaste orsakerna till psykisk ohälsa) och alkoholproblem före, under och efter pandemin i Uganda, men även att undersöka riskfaktorerna och föreslå anpassade inventioner för att minska stigmat kring psykisk ohälsa och förbättra vården.Vi använder intervju och hälso-data från ett stort representativt urval i både rurala och urbana Uganda med över 11, 000 individer 13-80 år data regelbundet samlas in genom noggrann surveillance före (2018), under (2020–2021), och efter pandemin (2022-2025)Det övergripande målet med forskningen är att möjliggöra tidiga och effektiva insatser vad gäller psykisk ohälsa och alkoholproblem i Uganda och liknande låginkomstkontexter, liksom att minska stigmat kring psykisk ohälsa. I samarbete med våra ugandiska kollegor kommer vi att använda våra resultat till policyrekommendationer och att sprida dessa till vårdgivare, liksom nationella och globala beslutsfattare. Mental and alcohol use disorders in Africa are seriously understudied and underfinanced but have a huge impact on the burden of disease, human suffering and progress towards goals of leaving no-one behind and Agenda 2030. During COVID-related lockdowns, mental distress has increased in high-income settings but primary data from Africa and appropriate interventions are lacking. However mental health is closely interlinked with school closures, lost life opportunities, poverty, food insecurity. This large population-based study in Uganda aims to analyse the occurrence of the most common mental disorders (depression, anxiety) and alcohol abuse, and interactions with poverty, age, gender, reproductive health (HIV), urbanicity, food insecurity and partner violence. We will validate tools on stigma against mental illness and care seeking, and, assess the influence of the pandemic on access to care and prevention for mental and alcohol use disorders. This 3-year project will use longitudinal data from a cohort of 11,000 individuals aged 13-80 years before, during and after the pandemic. Based on our results we will suggest new policy guidelines for health care and community interventions to mitigate the impact of mental disorders and change prevailing discriminatory views of mental health in general. We build on a strong collaboration between Karolinska and AMBSO research organisation in Uganda overall aiming to optimize capacity for operational research in low-income contexts.
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Multi Donor Trust Fund for Forced Displacement The overall purpose of the Trust Fund is to identify and address opportunities for improving the Bank's contribution to an enhanced development response to forced displacement, that supports economically and socially sustainable solutions.
In consultation with Bank regional / country management units and international partners, the trust fund will facilitate and support research, preparation and implementation of operations, promote learning and partnership development with international and local actors to better address forced displacement as a development challenge. The MDTF will encourage concerned development actors, including the bank, to be engaged from the outset of the crisis that induces displacement, to ensure that the development dimensions of recovery are addressed and an effective transition from recovery to development.
The activities under the TF will be consistent with the Bank's mandate and articles of agreement, and in accordance with the priorities of developing country and international agency partners.
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Mejoramiento de la Investigaci n Pesquera Interdisciplinaria para la Pesca Responsible en los Pa ses del Istmo Centroamericano Los pa ses centroamericanos est n conscientes de la necesidad de contar con investigaci n pesquera interdisciplinaria confiable y de alta calidad para obtener el asesoramiento tecnico imprescindibles dados los objetivos comunes que se han fijado en materia pesquera. Los pa ses de la regi n est n preparados para desarrollar tareas que les permitan reforzar sus capacidades regionales y nacionales de investigaci n con el apoyo tecnico y financiero internacional.
Los Objetivos de desarrollo del proyecto son aumentar la contribuci n de la pesca a la oferta de alimentos y a la seguridad alimentaria en los pa ses de la regi n de America Central a traves de su desarrollo sostenible con base en pr cticas responsables de pesca, de acuerdo con el C digo de Conducta para la Pesca Responsable
Se espera llegar a mediano plazo a mejorar las habilidades de las administraciones pesqueras de los pa ses participantes relacionadas con la investigaci n pesquera interdisciplinaria (evaluaci n y monitoreo del estado de las pesquer as de camar n y de peces de fondo en los mbitos nacional y sub-regional) de forma que puedan contar con la mejor informaci n cient fica y el asesoramiento permanente en materia de pol ticas y estrategias de ordenaci n de las pesquer as.
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"Resiliencia y aseguramiento de una respuesta oportuna a la SAN ante riesgo sequia en la R.D." La intervenci n busca fortalecer las capacidades tecnicas y el funcionamiento de las instituciones miembros de la CNE (Comisi n Nacional de Emergencia). Esto se har a traves de una plataforma de coordinaci n con las partes interesadas desde el nivel nacional al local para la gesti n integral de la sequ a, la difusi n de informaci n relacionada con la SAN, el CC y RRD. Por otra parte, la propuesta est orientada a mejorar los procesos de generaci n y sistematizaci n de informaci n relacionada con los riesgos agroclim ticos y alimentar con datos oportunos los planes de acci n municipales y nacionales. La reducci n de la vulnerabilidad a nivel municipal incluir la protecci n de los medios de vida y el acceso a los servicios WaSH mediante la incorporaci n de buenas pr cticas que puedan ser replicadas en diferentes comunidades. Como parte de la intervenci n, tambien se preven acciones para hacer que la voz de los representantes de las comunidades sea escuchada en los foros nacionales.
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Fortalecimiento del Sector Algodonero por medio de la Cooperaci n Sur-Sur 3.1 Impacto
Contribuir con el desarrollo sostenible de la cadena de valor del sector algodonero de los pa ses socios. br 3.2 Resultados y productos
Resultado
La institucionalidad publica de los pa ses socios tienen sus capacidades y niveles de coordinaci n (p blico y p blico/privada) ampliados, para apoyar al fortalecimiento y la organizaci n general de la cadena del algod n, y los sistemas de producci n algodoneros de la agricultura familiar. br Producto 1. Proyectos-pa ses dise ados e implementados, orientados a fortalecer la cadena de algod n y el marco institucional de apoyo a la agricultura familiar del sector algodonero. br
Producto 2. Herramientas de pol ticas p blicas y la toma de decisiones para los pa ses socios orientadas hacia la agricultura familiar productora de algod n. br Producto 3. Mecanismos, instrumentos y metodolog as de gesti n compartida de la cooperaci n Sur-Sur Trilateral en el marco del Proyecto Regional identificados, analizados, sistematizados y documentados. br
Producto 4. Buenas pr cticas en Brasil y de los pa ses socios intercambiadas a traves de la cooperaci n Sur-Sur Trilateral en el marco del Proyecto Regional y de los proyectos pa ses, identificadas, sistematizadas, documentadas y difundidas. br
Producto 5. Una estrategia de comunicaci n y posicionamiento estrategico del Proyecto Regional que le permita proyectar a
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Poverty Reduction in St. Lucia through Livestock Development The objective of this development initiative is to create an enabling environment to increase the production and market access of safe quality livestock products through the establishment of appropriate infrastructure, adaptation of relevant technologies and the provision of sustainable support systems.
? Establish the Beausejour Agriculture Station as a national centre of excellence, where the appropriate technologies and best practices in livestock production and livestock management can be demonstrated and transferred to clients and stakeholders;
? To improve existing bloodlines of livestock on the island leading to increased production and productivity on livestock farms;
? To provide support for the development of functional and effective livestock producers? organizations;
? To facilitate sustainable livelihood opportunities in the sector through the establishment of strategically located communal production facilities and the establishment of pastures for grass and fodder production;
? To provide requisite training and capacity building in livestock development and increase the competence and skill of extension officers and livestock farmers
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Eradication and Surveillance of Amblyomma Variegatum in the Caribbean This project focuses on the final stages of the eradication of Amblyomma variegatum, commonly known as the Tropical Bont Tick (TBT), in the English-speaking CARICOM countries (Aguilla, St. Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, Antigua, Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Barbados). The Caribbean Amblyomma Programme (CAP) also assumed responsibility for the eradication activities on St. Maarten/St. Martin during the period 1999 to 2002. b Special attention will be focussed on the three remaining TBT ? infested islands of Antigua, Nevis, and St. Maarten/St. Martin. /b The main other regional duties of the RCU staff will be the harmonization of TBT surveillance activities, the maintenance of the database TickINFO, and overall liaison with the French West Indies TBT eradication programme. br br
Under this project, FAO will work with the relevant sections of the Ministries of Agriculture and Departments of Hygiene to meet national objectives. Specifically, the project will build upon current successes in which six islands have been certified as provisionally free from the Tropical Bont Tick.
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Support to the Secretariat of WECAFC for an effective Implementation of Priority Actions Launching of selected regional IYAFA2022 events;
Establishing and promoting an award winning/excellence platform for identified champions (policy makers, small-scale fisheries and aquaculture actors, academia/researchers, civil society actors) and good practices that advance and maximize the resources management and development and the contribution of small-scale fisheries and aquaculture to the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals;
Supporting the participation of selected champions to a global event or an exchange visit to highlight the importance and contributions of SSF and SSA to sustainable livelihoods and food and nutrition security, at events in other regions or regional/international multi-stakeholder fora;
Support continued development and dissemination of a guidance document on the establishment/strengthening of resilient fisherfolk organizations. Key elements to be considered would be centred on sustainable financing and involvement of women and youth in leadership; building/strengthening sustainable small-scale fisheries value chains; using information communication technologies (ICT) tools in governance, marketing, etc.; and improving fisherfolk organizations? participation in fisheries governance and management, including providing catch, effort and other fisheries related data, advocacy for social protection and inclusion of the SSF/A guidelines
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Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutricional para la Ni ez y el Hogar Salvadore o (SANNHOS) 1. Establecer el marco normativo y presupuestario conducente al aseguramiento de la alimentacion y nutricion adecuada incorporando el enfoque de genero. br 2. Fortalecer la articulacion y coordinacion intersectorial efectiva y eficiente en el dise o, ejecucion y monitoreo de planes y programas dirigidos a la SAN con participacion de la sociedad civil y comunidades. br 3. Establecer condiciones para que la sociedad salvadore a ejerza buenas practicas de alimentacion, nutricion y cuidado de la salud, incluyendo salud sexual y reproductiva, con especial atencion para la ni ez menor de 5 a os, mujeres embarazadas y mujeres en edad reproductiva. br 4. Impulsar sistemas alimentarios sostenibles e inclusivos, que funcionan eficazmente a nivel local asegurando ademas acceso a mercados y encadenamientos productivos eficientes. br 5. Fortalecer el acceso a la ni ez y mujeres embarazadas a servicios de salud y nutricion, al consumo de alimentos nutritivos y fortificados y a micronutrientes de acuerdo al ciclo de vida y etapa de gestacion. br 6. Mejorar la resilencia comunitaria en las zonas de influencia para su adaptacion al cambio climatico y reduccion de vulnerabilidades en la produccion de alimentos. br 7. Validar y extender la aplicacion de los sistemas de informacion en favor de la SAN local.
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Estrategia de Seguridad Alimentaria y Econom a Rural para la Regi n Central de Colombia IMPACTO: Fortalecer la capacidad tecnica e institucional de la RAPE Regi n Central en materia de seguridad alimentaria y econom a rural, as como de los tomadores de decisi n en la materia en los territorios socios.
RESULTADO 1: Estrategia de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutricional y Econom a Rural para la Regi n Central dise ada, como un ejercicio participativo en el cual se facilite la construcci n de consensos y la toma de decisiones entre los principales actores de la regi n.
Producto 1. Documento que contiene el marco estrategico de actuaci n en materia de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutricional y Econom a Rural, elaborado
Producto 2. Documento con el an lisis situacional de la Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutricional, elaborado
Producto 3. Documento con el marco program tico en seguridad Alimentaria y Nutricional, elaborado
Producto 4. Documento con el marco operativo en materia de Seguridad Alimentaria, elaborado
RESULTADO 2: La Regi n central dispone de herramientas para gestionar recursos ante el sistema General de regal as
Producto 5. Proyectos de impacto regional formulados en temas de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutricional y Econom a Rural para la Regi n Central, en el marco de la estrategia propuesta.
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Proyecto para la Promoci n de la Energia Derivada de la Biomasa El Proyecto contribuir a (EFECTO) incrementar la producci n de energ a derivada de biomasa a nivel local, provincial y nacional para asegurar a la sociedad un creciente suministro de energ a renovable, limpia, confiable y competitiva.
El resultado de la intervenci n del proyecto es el incremento de la participaci n de la biomasa como fuente de generaci n de energ a en la matriz energetica provincial y nacional.
Con la finalidad de alcanzar dicho resultado el proyecto trabajar durante su per odo de ejecuci n en la obtenci n de tres productos principales:
1. Estrategias bioenergeticas a nivel provincial alineadas con la pol tica nacional del sector energetico, agropecuario y medio ambiental con sus respectivos planes de acci n y capacidades institucionales fortalecidas para promover el establecimiento de empresas bioenergeticas de tal manera que permitan lograr los resultados del proyecto.
2. Sistema establecido para la evaluaci n, selecci n, ejecuci n, supervisi n y monitoreo de proyectos bioenergeticos sostenibles en l nea con las estrategias provinciales y sus planes de acci n
3. Estrategia de sensibilizaci n dise ada e implementada para funcionarios, administradores, profesionales, tecnicos (del sector p blico y privado) asimismo como el p blico en general acerca de los alcances, las ventajas y los inconvenientes derivados de la producci n de energ a derivada de biomas
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Fortalecimiento de las pol ticas agro-ambientales en pa ses de America Latina y el Caribe a traves de dialogo e intercambio de experiencias nacionales Efecto: Contribuir al fortalecimiento de pol ticas p blicas agroambientales como una herramienta para la reducci n de la pobreza rural y la inseguridad alimentaria en pa ses de la Regi n. br Resultado: br Pol ticas, planes y programas agroambientales en pa ses de la Regi n se han enriquecido mediante el conocimiento adquirido a partir de la sistematizaci n de experiencias exitosas y el intercambio de lecciones aprendidas entre actores que participan de la formulaci n y aplicaci n de las pol ticas y estrategias de desarrollo rural y ordenamiento de recursos naturales en America Latina y Caribe br
Producto 1: Diagn stico sobre casos ejemplares de pol ticas que promueven la agricultura con base ecol gica en pa ses de America Latina e Caribe elaborado y publicado. br Producto 2: Espacios de di logo sobre pol ticas, planes y programas agroalimentarios entre gobiernos y expertos de diversos sectores, nacionales e internacionales programados y desarrollados con conclusiones y recomendaciones sistematizadas br Producto 3: Documentos de difusi n enriquecidos, publicados y difundidos para diferentes p blicos (academicos, pol ticos, periodistas, sociedad civil) br Producto 4: Difusi n y foros de debate e intercambio de conocimientos y experiencias sobre pol ticas agroambientales exitosas generados y desarrollados en los pa ses participantes.
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The National Forest Programme Consolidation Project Recovery and Conservation of Degraded Ecosystems
- Recovery models for degraded ecosystems defined in each biome, using watersheds as a planning unit.
- Monitoring system for the Brazilian forest cover created and structured.
Sustainable Forest Production
- Use of innovative technologies to help reduce deforested areas in Brazilian biomes and allow monitoring of their development studied and disseminated
- Planting of native and exotic species for purposes of timber or non-timber products promoted
- Rules for harvesting, production and commercialization of forest seedlings reviewed.
- Forest production with added values and alternative uses increased throughout the production chain.
Institutional Strengthening and Funding of Production
- Policies and legal frameworks for the sustainable use of forest resources in all biomes reviewed or formulated.
- Studies on sustainable forest development conducted.
- Information on forest sector organized and structured in databases.
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Del Huerto Escolar a la Alimentaci n y Salud Escolar -Mejoramiento de la calidad en la alimentaci n y nutrici n br -Alimentaci n escolar mejorada en calidad (valor nutritivo) y variedad br -Huertos Escolares, con hortalizas, especies menores y frutales ubicados en Centros Escolares, con comercializaci n del 20% de su producci n para su sosteniblidad. br
-Agricultura familiar y actividades productivas locales suministran alimentos al programa de alimentaci n escolar, br -Generaci n de capacidades en la escuela y comunidad br -Docentes y estudiantes han mejorado sus conocimientos en SAN br -Madres, padres y comunidad han mejorado sus conocimientos en SAN br -J venes capacitados como facilitadoras de SAN, br -j venes capacitados como ?extensionistas escolares comunitarios.
Fortalecimiento Institucional br -Convenios interinstitucionales establecidos y funcionando
-Marco normativo y principios rectores definidos br -Capacidades institucionales fortalecidos y gobiernos locales involucrados en la implementacion de las unidades productivas en la escuela.
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Programmatic Adjustment Loan 2 (PAL 2) PAL-2 continues the PAL Program support to the government's medium term program. The main objectives are the achievement of average annual growth rates of 4.5-5.0 percent during 2002-05, the reduction of the poverty rate by half by 2005 compared to 2001, and the reduction of the unemployment rate from 18.1 percent in 2001 to 12-14 percent in 2005, while making substantial progress towards EU accession, which it is hoped will occur in 2007. The medium-term program balances a strategy of private sector-led growth with reducing social exclusion and increasing empowerment to ensure wide participation in growth. The program consists of five complementary pillars: · Sustaining structural reforms in the enterprise sector with emphasis on completion of privatization and on the restructuring of the energy, railway, telecommunications, and water sectors; · Establishing a market-friendly business environment, focusing on reducing entry constraints, accelerating exits, securing deregulation and reducing regulatory costs, improving the delivery of public services to business, and improving the competitive environment, including through continuing labor market reform; · Deepening the financial sector, improving the legal framework for lending, completing banking reform, and developing financial markets; · Improving public sector governance, strengthening public administration capacity, improving service delivery, reducing corruption, strengthening accountability and transparency, strengthening public expenditure management, and increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the judicial system; · Investing in human capital and strengthening social programs, improving quality, access and efficiency in education and health, continuing pension reforms, increasing social assistance effectiveness, providing for better integration of the disabled and reducing institutionalization of children.
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MX Access to Land for Young Farmers The project development objective is to support the access of young rural sujeto agrarios with entrepreneurial potential to land and other productive assets within selected states, through the establishment of a beneficiary-driven, efficient land transaction model, while at the same time facilitating the access of senior landholders to social welfare schemes. To achieve this, the project will support the GOM in piloting mechanisms that will: (i) on the one hand, allow landless young rural entrepreneurs to receive training and technical assistance, to acquire or rent underutilized and potentially more productive land, and implement productive and environmentally sustainable on- and off-farm investment projects that significantly increase their income and welfare, and (ii) on the other hand, help older ejiduturios or comuneros who transfer their lands to access social welfare schemes. Once these mechanisms have been successfully piloted and refined throughout project implementation, they will be scaled up to reach a broader group of beneficiaries in the social sector.
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Private Sector Development Project (APL #1) The development objective of the PSD proje ct is to increase competitiveness of the Ukraine enterprise sector. In line with this objective, the project is aimed at laying the groundwork for the development and expansion of the private sector in Ukraine by: a. Creating constituencies for reform and demand for res tructuring at the enterprise and oblast levels, and responding to this demand by creating sustainable institu tional capabilities, creating a market for managerial expertise and developing local capabilities to utilize and supply this market; b. Demonstrating the economic pay-offs resulting from po sitive restructuring by assuring the sufficient supply response to reforms (including increased sales, export s, investments, FDI of pilot enterprises); and c. Providing incentives to oblast administrations to improve the local business environment and reduce administrative costs of doing business b y measurable results in these areas as a precondition for receiving assistance. This approach is intended to demonstrate the benefits that can be expected from successful enterprise restructur ing, training of managers and consultants, and improvements in the legal and regulatory environment for busin ess activities.
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Decentralization and Community Development Project The Decentralization and Community Development Project (DCDP) will consolidate a framework in four entire Provinces and two Districts in a fifth Province, to boost the emergence of a dynamic local economy, through communities who are empowered to lead their own development process under an effective local government. This is a key plank in the national poverty reduction strategy and is underpinned by the Government.s decentralization policy. The project therefore contributes to Rwanda.s long term goal for decentralization and a realigned mandate for central government, through the empowerment and improved accountability of local governments and communities. The short term objective is for the DCDP to scale out validated project experience in the country, particularly by extending the community-driven development (CDD) strategy of the precursor Community Reintegration and Development Project (a LIL), from 11 to 39 Districts. The specific development objectives are to: (i) strengthen District capacity to lead a process of planning and consultation with local communities, translating their development priorities into sub-projects which are incorporated into Districts. strategic development plans; (ii) develop a matching grants system to finance the sub-projects; (iii) validate procedures for decentralized project cycle management and financial management, through implementing the sub-projects, to replicate as basic operating procedure in Rwanda.s overall decentralization program; and (iv) introduce and promote public awareness programs.
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ID-Umbulan Springs The Greater Surabaya region comprises the City of Surabaya and three adjacent regencies, Gresik, Sidoarjo, and Pasuruan. Its population reaches some 6 million of whom 4 million urban and 2 million rural. Their water supply has long been grossly inadequate. All cities suffer from intermittent service, which permits groundwater, contaminated by seepage from the cities. septic tanks, to infiltrate into the pipes. As a result close to half of all water samples in the distribution system test positive for bacteriological pollution. About half of the Greater Surabaya urban population are estimated to be connected to the public water supply (PDAMs). The remaining half . comprising the lowest income groups . draws water from polluted shallow wells or streams, or buy water from communal stand posts or water vendors, paying tariffs per cubic meter that range from 8 to 30 times what better-off connected households pay. However, PDAMs are reluctant to expand coverage because their production and distribution capacity is insufficient to cope with present demand, let alone serve additional households. The urban water systems have become a drag on the region.s economic development and a grave threat to public health, which unduly falls on the poorest population. The Project aims at improving water supply to Greater Surabaya through the operational strengthening of their water utilities (PDAMs), rehabilitating their distribution systems and water treatment plants, and by increasing water production from Umbulan springs through the Public-Private Partnership for building and operating the Umbulan pipline and its system. Progress in achieving these objectives will be evaluated annually on the basis of increasing number of people with access to piped water supply, number of connections for the poor, and number of people with access to improved sanitation.
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Provincial Health & Nutrition (REAL TTL=HEYWOOD, BACKUP TTL=MARZOEKI) The project aims to assist the Government of Indonesia and other key stakeholders to develop, pilot and implement sustaibable systems for prevention and control of micronutrient deficiency, in a decentralized environment, with a clear multi sectoral policy framework and coordinated planning mechanisms. It is expected to support selected key micronutrient interventions, identified through analysis and consultation during the preparation process, including: advocacy, communication and social marketing, fortification and supplementation in different settings, monitoring and surveillance, capacity building and institutional development and policy support. Indonesia is now going through a program review relevant to this project, and will also prepare a micronutrient malnutrition control strategy as part of its preparation of a proposal for access to global funds for improving fortication of food with selected micronutrients. The Bank has been invited to participate in these activities and plans to use Canadian CTF for TA for situation analysis, evaluation of past experience in the sector and identification of the appropriate scope , content, and parternships for Bank support through this project
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Urban Upgrading & National Sanitation Program DON'T PUB DROPPED The objective of the proposed program is to support the efforts of the Government of India (GOI) to implement a more effective strategy and delivery mechanism for the financing of urban slum renewal and sanitation provision in underserved areas. In particular, the program will focus on (a) refining the national policy framework for the renewal of urban slums and sanitation in underserved areas in India; (b) working with the states and various beneficiaries to establish a methodology which measures program performance of both the GOI and the states, and identifies concrete monitorable steps that can be taken to improve this performance; (c) developing appropriate monitoring mechanisms to enable the evaluation and modification or redesign of the programs which would improve the transparency, efficiency, administrative simplicity, and targeting of the assistance; and (d) developing funding schemes for slum renewal and sanitation that could provide incentives so that resources are used more effectively and the program reach expanded. In doing so, the program will: (i) contribute to poverty alleviation in the poorest urban areas in India; (ii) strengthen human capital in poor neighborhoods by increasing community participation in planning, delivery and maintenance of public works and services; (iii) improve the efficacy of the use of more than $400 million of annual government expenditures on these programs. This program will help the Government achieve the goals delineated in 10th Five-year Development Plan concerning slum renewal and poverty alleviation in urban areas.
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Mekong Regional Health Support Project The project aims to improve health services in the Mekong region and to enhance access to and coverage of these services, especially for the poor through: (i) strengthening the health financing policy framework and increasing the financial accessibility of health services for the poor and near-poor; (ii) improving the availability and quality of curative care, including responsiveness to changing disease patterns; (iii) increasing the capacity of preventive health activities; and (iv) building the capacity of the health workforce. The project therefore blends support for demand for health care services among the poor and near poor with outlays that address supply-side opportunities and needs while building physical and human resource capacity. Key outcome indicators include: Percentage of poor and others using and expressing satisfaction with the provision of different levels of health services, including hospital care Percentage of poor and near poor to whom health insurance cards have been issued in project provinces Improvement of quality of hospital care in the project hospitals
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Utility Restructuring Credit The proposed operation is designed to support the Governments implementation of an integrated financial recovery plan for the energy, drinking water, irrigation, electric urban transport, and district heating sectors. The Objective/s would need to be explicitly linked to CAS objectives of poverty alleviation and economic growth: (1) mitigating the impact on consumers, particularly the poor, of high utility tariffs which will result if the full costs of past inefficient operating and financial (debt-accumulation) practices are passed through to consumers; (2) enhancing the financial viability of the targeted public utility services through their systematic commercialization (phased adjustment of tariffs to reasonable cost-recovery levels), and phasing out of fiscal and quasi-fiscal operating subsidies; (3) underpinning financial recovery measures with efficient regulatory, governance, management and market structures for each utility service (#the institutional framework#); and (4) ensuring that existing social protection systems can adequately address any adverse impact of tariff and service quality changes resulting from the integrated financial recovery plan.
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Gas Recovery and Reuse from Closure of Three Delhi Landfills (Carbon Finance) Objective of the project The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will be closing four uncontrolled MSW dump sites over the next four years. The objectives of the project are to rehabilitate and close these sites in an environmentally sustainable manner including control of methane gas emissions to take advantage of Carbon Finance opportunities. Project description and proposed activities MCD has four active dumping sites at Gazipur, Bhalaswa, Bhalswa Crossing and Okhla, which at present do not have any infrastructure to collect landfill gas emissions. The year of start and the projected year of closing of these four landfill sites are as follows: - Okhla: 1996, 2006 - Gazipur: 1984, 2008 - Bhalswa: 1992, 2005 - Bhalswa Crossing: 1998, 2005 All the 4 sites mentioned above fall under the category of uncontrolled solid waste disposal facility. Many of the tip faces are steep and unstable and methane generation in the uncovered waste piles is spontaneously igniting causing smoldering surface fires. The proposed project plans to stop uncontrolled dumping on the site, control fires and re-contour and stabilize slopes so that a final cover can be installed and landfill gas emissions brought under control. There is evidence that leachate from the landfills are contaminating surface waters in the vicinity of the sites and will be brought under control through the project. Although a significant portion of the material in the dumps has already decomposed or has burned, it is estimated that considerable amounts of biodegradable material remain, which will continue to generate methane after dumping at these sites has been halted. Appropriate closure of the dumps with capture and destruction of methane can produce major reductions in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from the sites. Closure plans will therefore be designed and implemented specifically to reduce methane emissions. With the assistance of consultants, MCD have prepared a draft Master Plan for MSW treatment and disposal in Delhi and the neighboring regions of the State of Delhi . This Master Plan includes a number of assumptions about waste quantities, composition and gas generation potential that should be reviewed and refined in order to optimize the Plan for GHG reduction and earning Carbon Emission Reduction (CER) credits. It is proposed to undertake this work concurrently with the current project, which would then form the basis for a potential second carbon credit application to implement the final Plan over the short (5 yr) and medium term (10 yr). Technology to be employed Options that will be considered and analyzed for closure/rehabilitation of the landfills will include conventional waste capping and gas collection systems as well as an alternative Evapo-transpiration Cover (ET)/bio-filter approach (see Annex 1). The later approach, which is coming into increasing use in the US and Europe, is based on the provision of a layer of organic material, up to 1m thick, over the final waste contours. This layer supports the growth of methanotropic bacteria which oxidize the methane to simpler products. Available information indicates that inclusion of a high portion of compost material in this layer greatly enhances its performance. Afforestation of closed landfills with native timber species is also part of ET landfill cover design. Some of the compost plants (with solid waste as input) owned or contracted by MCD are running under capacity due to various reasons (See Annex 2). In case the later technical option is preferred, these plants could provide the additional compost required for capping the landfills. Alternatively establishment of additional composting facilities may be considered if the demand or location considerations warrant. These plants could provide compost for future landfill capping or be used for daily cover material. However, only the additional production to be brought on-stream under the project would be considered for carbon credits. Consideration will also be given to improving source separation of biodegradable wastes in order to improve the performance of the composting plants. Moreover, the higher the percentage of biodegradable material in the feed source for these plants the higher the carbon credit generated per tonne of waste treated. A detailed techno-economic feasibility study will be undertaken to select the preferred technical option.
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Access to Land Pilot (PACTA) The PDO is to support the acquisition of land and the formation of sustainable farm enterprises by self-organized landless and land-poor peasant families. As a pilot program, the Land Access Pilot Project (PACTA) tests a public-private partnership strategy with interested private sector lending institutions for land purchase and the use of public sector funds, through the project, supporting complementary investments, and technical assistance to improve the productivity of the newly acquired properties. If successful, the Government would consider scaling up the pilot to a national fund mechanism for land purchase in several years. The concentration of the best lands among a small percentage of landholders (less than 4% of farms have more than 50% of total land) in Honduras makes it extremely difficult for family scale producers to participate effectively in the land market. Private land is available to the smallest producers, since they do not have the needed collateral and cannot bid on the larger size productive plots that more often enter the market. PACTA is therefore designed to provide an economy of scale to small rural producers who wish to purchase land for productive activities. Such transfers would be likely to result in more intensive land uses. While individuals can also be beneficiaries, the majority of the participants are expected to be groups of producers who collectively identify land for sale, develop a business plan for that land, and assume collective responsibility for investment and repayment until the loan is paid off, and they can exercise their individual rights over their own parcels. Key performance indicators: (i) Volume of lending leveraged from private financial institutions for land purchase -,,Financial institutions develop appropriate methodology to deliver credit products for land purchase by target population; and devote at least US$2.5 million to this purpose. -,,At least seventy-five percent of families identifies as eligible by the Unidades Tecnicas Locales receive private financing for land purchase. (ii) Quality of the loan portfolio -,,At least eighty-five percent of groups participating in the project are able to pay off land purchase loans and maintain viable enterprises (participant families negotiated land purchase, established legal structure, entered into credit contracts, and expanded new enterprises). (iii) Increase in income of participating families -,,At least 15% increase on family income through land productivity and output in acquired lands. (iv) Validation of a decentralized model for land access -,,Pilot evaluation leads to endorsement of expansion of program and PACTA is established as a national program operating in conformity with the tested implementation model. (v) Local social accountability and constituency building around the program -,,The functions attributed to the Consejo Directivo de PACTA have been absorbed by the Redes Regionales de Apoyo (the Regional Support Networks) to provide the constituency that would support the transformation of PACTA from a pilot project to a national program. The Regional Support Networks provide an articulation of operative local and national alliances, strengthen the project?s policies and procedures, enrich its norms and operational manual, and provide a social accountability for the use of funds.
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Debt Strategy Project seeks to help the authorities manage better their debt liabilities which has been a major constraint to public expenditure management over the past few years. The purpose of this technical assistance to the Ministry of Finance (MoF) is to (a) strengthen the Debt Reporting System and (b) reinforce and further develop debt Management Capacity Building. The grant has not yet been signed. Recently, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) has officially proposed to concentrate on debt management capacity building, mainly on risk management, and to drop the debt reporting system activities which have been already completed. Discussion with the MoF are currently in progress to formulate an appropriate response to their proposal or cancel the grant and define a more appropriate support to the Debt Department. => Following discussions with the MoF the grant will be canceled. The letter has been prepared and is now waiting the signature of the CD. (last modified: 11/20/2000) Debt PHRD: AIS sign -off => 05/03/1999 03/29/2000=> Grant agreement sent by CD to Minister of Finance for signature March 2001=> Grant agreement to be signed by the Minister of Finance TA implementation period: April 2001=> April 2002 (note that we will have to request an extension). Final activities=> April 2002
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India - Biomass for Sustainable Development The objective is to particularly promote environmental, health and other social benefits for rural households and communities. The project's development objectives are: - Promote environmental, health and other social benefits for rural households and communities - Improve utilization of local natural resources for household cooking and productive uses of energy in a cost-effective manner - Contribute to growth of rural incomes and improved quality of life through improved access to clean biomas-based energy - Facilitate an enabling environment for growing commercial market of clean energy services based on local resources - Test and promote a demand-based, community-driven approach to meeting village needs for clean and convenient energy The project global environment objectives that can be supported by GEF and/or PCF or other CDM grant resources are: Ø Remove barriers and reduce implementation costs for productive and household use of renewable energy in support of sustainable rural development Ø Reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions The project will fall under a GEF strategic priority of promoting productive uses of renewable energy for sustainable rural development The program will provide financial resources and technical assistance (TA) to test, develop and scale-up sustainable institutional, financial and business models for a demand-driven, decentralized approach to using local biomass resources to help meet the needs of rural communities in clean cooking and other household or village-based energy. The following principles are proposed to guide developing the project: · Increase demand for clean energy technologies and services through awareness raising and social marketing activities with greater involvement of NGOs, Self-Help Groups and local bodies; · Promote community-driven approach to village energy solutions, e.g. involve communities in the development of the village energy plans, with guidance and assistance from technical experts; ensure community contribution to capital cost and full coverage of O&M cost; - Identify and support viable and sustainable business models for biomass-based technologies within a broader policy framework for decentralized, demand-based rural energy service provision by the private sector and rural micro-enterprises
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Poverty Reduction Strategy Credit In line with the new Country Assistance Strategy for Madagascar, a series of single tranche Poverty Reduction Support Credits (PRSCs), provided in the form of budget support, is envisaged to support implementation of key components of the new Madagascar PRSP called the Madagascar Action Plan (MAP). The focus of the series is centered on: (i) governance and budget management reform and (ii) improved systems for service delivery in education, health, nutrition, water and sanitation. The new PRSC series will continue to support the Government to implement its comprehensive governance reform program. A key priority will be the consolidation of the reforms initiated under the first PRSC series (PRSC 1, 2 and 3), mainly to further refine the regulatory and institutional governance framework which has been developed since 2003, to close existing gaps, and to improve impact of governance related activities. Additional support will be given to governance reforms, in particular governance challenges in selected entities such as the revenue agencies and in sensitive sectors such as the forestry and the mining sectors. Reforms in these areas will provide an important test for the efficiency and effectiveness of the existing governance framework. Regarding basic service delivery, the objective of the series is to accompany the process of institutional strengthening and quality improvements underway in the sectors. More specifically, the PRSCs will complement the Bank#s existing investment portfolio by reinforcing institutional rationalization and strengthening in nutrition and by supporting the implementation of sector-wide approaches in health, education and water supply.
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AGRICULTURE POLICY MONITORING AND EVALUATION CAPACITY BUILDING PROJECT The project's development objective is to strengthen M&E capacity and systems as elements of evidence-based agriculture policy analy sis and formulation. This is in line with the broad objective of the PRIME window of the Japanese PHRD technical assistance grants program which is to enhance the use evidence-based decision making in government systems, by strengthening the M&E systems of recip ient ministries in priority sectors. Agriculture has been selected as a priority area for grant support, along with health, nutritio n, population and urban development. Armenia's Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) is viewed as a strong candidate for support due to itsd emonstrated commitment to policy reform, its awareness of the need to improve its capacity for policy analysis and policy formulatio n, and its recent efforts to strengthen its capacity for monitoring and evaluation. Strengthened government ownership of the policyp rocess is viewed as an important further outcome of grant support.
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GATEWAY PROJECT As stated above, the PDO has not been changed. However, it is useful to note the following. The Project, which was originally conceived as an APL, was also meant to prepare the APL 2 whose development objective was to consolidate the Free Zone (FZ) fun ctions and financing, and secure managerial and financial autonomy for GIPFZA. T his phase [would have] also deepened the production linkages of the FZ with the local economy. However, the idea of an APL 2 was dropped from the Country Assis tance Strategy since this instrument no longer corresponds to the country's need s in terms of growth and competitiveness. While the PDO is maintained, a first order restructuring was completed including : (i) formally close component 3: Support to the Gambia Divestiture Agency and reallocate the funds of this underperforming component to a new component; (ii) formally close component 4: Capacity Building, to further focus the project#s sc ope; (iii) add a component: Preparatory work for the Divestiture of the Groundnu t sector, to meet an urgent Government request to help improve the performance o f the groundnut sector; (iv) restructure the Results Framework so that it is mor e focused, simpler and easier to use as a monitoring and evaluation tool; and (v ) funds are reallocated across categories.
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AGRICULTURAL SERVICES AND PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS PROJECT The proposed the project will be the first phase of the long-term Program (11 years). The project would support the Government of Benin to develop and widely share agricultural growth. In this regard, the project will (a) increase agricultural productivity through improved research and extension and adequate access to necessary inputs, (b) diversify export market opportunities, add value to agricultural products and develop agro-processing, (c) improve rural infrastructure, consolidate and expand the mobilization of financial resources and credit activities, (d) provide training, communication means, technical and organizational support to Agricultural Producer Organizations (APO) in order to assist them in providing services to their members and strengthen their capabilities to organize, manage, negotiate and have financial means to : (i) provide services to producers, help them access inputs, credit or marketing; (ii) participate in adaptive research; (iii) disseminate information on technologies on production and marketing; and (iv) be effective partners in the agricultural technology and transfer system through their capacity to diagnose, aggregate, prioritize, and articulate their members needs and constraints. The project will support three key activities: a) strengthening of the capacity of the Ministry of Rural Development (MDR) at national and central level; b) support to agricultural producer organizations; and c) support to agricultural research and extension and soil fertility.
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Social Investment & Employment Promotion Project (SIEP) To improve the standard of living of people who are locked in persisting “pockets” of poverty in Bulgaria, concentrated regionally, among the long-term u nemployed, and among specific ethnic minorities (Roma, Turkish). Because these targeted vulnerable groups su ffer from multiple disadvantages (e.g., exclusion, weak social capital, poor access to markets and basic serv ices, low employment, low income), the project will achieve its objective through complementing the existing, relatively good social protection system by offering a range of instruments, all focused on building the ass ets, individual and communal, of poor and vulnerable people living in these pockets. The Community Infrastructure for Development Initiative (CIDI) component will address issues related to empowerment and integration of targeted communities and of inadequate access to basic infrastructu re and services, by allowing communities to identify and to manage, themselves, development investments of gr eatest local priority. It is expected that the investments will also lay the groundwork for improved market access and human capital development—preconditions to enhancing employment opportunities and reducing poverty . The Bulgarian Active Labor Market Initiative (BALMI) component will identify me dium-term economic and labor trends information and provide active labor services to assist economically disa dvantaged individuals in poor communities to extend and use their human capital productively, particularly in the context of changing economic and labor market conditions.
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CARIB-GEF-Implementation of Adaptation Measures in Coastal Zones The project development objective is to support efforts by Dominica, Saint Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines to implement specific (integrated) pilot adaptation measures addressing primarily, the impacts of climate change on their natural resource base, focused on biodiversity and land degradation along coastal and near-coastal areas. This will be achieved through: (i) the detailed design of pilot adaptation measures to reduce expected negative impacts of climate change on marine and terrestrial biodiversity and land degradation; and (ii) the implementation of pilot daptation investments. Reducing these impacts will primarily result in protection of biodiversity and prevention of land degradation but will also induce economic benefits in the tourism, fisheries, agriculture and forestry sectors, help maintain the resource base upon which these economic activities rely and promote climate resilient sustainable development. More importantly, the experience gained through these local level activities will assist and inform the policy decision making process and is expected to influence the enactment of climate resilient sustainable development policies.
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Enterprise Incubator LIL A number of interlocking institutional rigidities in the labor market, educational system and business environment are hindering the development of Armenia's human capital and hence constraining the country's growth potential. The Enterprise Incubator (EI) project is an entry point to start unlocking these rigidities in the IT cluster - a tiny, yet very dynamic pocket of vitality in an otherwise stagnant economy. The project will pilot innovative private-public mechanisms for providing business development services to nascent enterprises and continuous education and training to IT professionals. The project is expected to have a powerful demonstration effect, triggering reforms in other sectors of the economy. The project has three objectives: (i) Employment creation/productivity. To provide a demonstration effect of company formation in an inhospitable business environment . This will be implemented and monitored among the beneficiary population of start-up firms (around 50 enterprises). (ii) Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). To provide a demonstration effect of the positive impact of FDI in IT industry. (iii) Continuous skill upgrading. To pilot demand-driven mechanisms of continuous upgrading of IT skills of professionals, third year students, and work force and enterprise managers and employees.
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Panama Canal Watershed Management Project Project preparation has been delayed by 6 months due to problems in getting the preparation grant effective. The grant legal agreement was provided to GOP in May 2002 following a two month delay while the Bank completed it's internal dialogue on setting the Standard Disbursement Percentage (SDP) for Panama and the application of SDPs to PHRD grants. Subsequently, the issue of financing of taxes with GOP funds resulted in a lengthy approval process on the part of Panama's Ministry of Finance. It has only been as of mid-November 2002 that Finance has approved the grant agreement for signing and has committed to sign prior to December 15, 2002. During the delay, the Ministry of Agriculture made substantial advances on the policy and institutional fronts such that conditions for finalizing the design and project documents are good. An all out effort to finalize preparation and bring the project to the Board will be made during the second helf of FY03. A December 2002 WB/FAO Investment Center mission to Panama has assisted to establish the conditions locally to finalize the preparation.
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Romania Shelterbelts and Sustainable Agriculture Biocarbon Fund Project The Romanian government promotes the establishment of forest shelterbelts near settlements, on crop land and along irrigation systems, as a way to improve microclimates and control droughts, which have become more prevalent over the recent decades. These objectives are among those of Law No. 289 .Forest Shelterbelts. (May 15, 2002), Governmental Resolution No. 547 (May 17, 2003) on the establishment of a national system of shelterbelts, and the draft .National Strategy and Action Programme Concerning Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought Prevention and Control. (2000). To support these objectives, and also mitigate global climate change, the BioCarbon Fund would purchase ERs generated by 2,000 ha of forest shelterbelts (windbreaks) in eight counties (Calarasi, Constanta, Dolj, Galati, Giurgiu, Ialomita, Olt, Teleorman). In order to establish these 2,000 ha, about 67,000 ha of agricultural land must be found, since these shelterbelts, ranging from 10 meters to 30 meters in width, typically cover 3 percent of agricultural land. Shelterbelts protect against wind and soil erosion. In addition, shelterbelts increase moisture retention, enhance biological diversity, and improve microclimatic conditions. Ultimately shelterbelts improve soil productivity and agricultural yields. Shelterbelts are an effective store of carbon as they build dense strips of vegetation, while they do not take land away from production. Depending on the preferences of local communities on whose land the project would be implemented, measures could also be supported that enhance carbon sequestration through better agricultural techniques such as reduced tillage, while also achieving other environmental benefits. Species planted would include trees, e.g. Robinia pseudoacacia, Gleditschia triachantos, Prunus cerasifera, Prunus avium, Juglans regia, Eleagnus angustifolia, and possibly Quercus sp., and shrubs, e.g. Rosa canina and Crataegus monogyna. Compared to the PCF afforestation project, the cost of establishing shelterbelts is expected to be lower per ha: (1) the land is less degraded than the land afforested under the PCF project; and (2) more carbon would be sequestered per ha, increasing reimbursements to the financier. Financing Financial resources to plant the shelterbelts would be found from a variety of sources, including, possibly, the national budget through the Ministry of Agriculture, Forests, Waters and Environment.s Land Reclamation Fund, the World Bank.s loan to the Irrigation Rehabilitation and Reform Project, the Global Environmental Facility (GEF).s grant for the Agricultural Pollution Control Project, and local communities themselves. The proceeds of the sales of ERs to the BioCarbon Fund would then reimburse the financiers on an annual basis proportionally and to their share of the project costs and depending on the level of carbon sequestration realized by the project. No Bank budget would be involved in the preparation or the supervision of the project. A part of the preparation costs would be borne by the PHRD Grant and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forests, Waters and Environment, while the balance of these costs and the supervision costs would be borne with the BioCarbon Fund. Institutional Arrangements This project will need a different implementation arrangement than the first PCF Afforestation project to the extent that communities are more involved in this new project, primarily because they will decide whether to establish forest shelter belts on their own land, not state-owned land as in the PCF project. The project may benefit from implementation arrangements piloted by various previous projects, in particular the Irrigation Rehabilitation Project and the Agricultural Pollution Control Project. For instance, the communities and budget resources could finance establishment of the shelterbelts with technical assistance from the National Forest Administration (NFA). The ER purchase agreement could be signed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forests, Waters and Environment, who would serve as intermediary between the BioCarbon Fund and local communities.
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Colombia Programmatic Financial Sector Loan II To contribute to a well capitalized, well regulated, supervised, stable, and efficient financial system that effectively intermediates savings and provides credit, capital, and other financial services and products to Colombian investors, consumers, and home-owners, including those currently underserved. In order to achieve this, the operation will support the modernization of bank, non-bank and securities market norms on capital adequacy and strengthen the ability of financial market participants to absorb market and credit risks, and macroeconomic shocks. The operation will help implement alternatives for the provision of funding including the expansion of the housing finance market, through a diversified financial services industry which meets standardized and transparent reporting methods and harmonized asset valuation standards across sectors. It will support the disclosure of risks and volatility of managed investments and credit portfolios, across the banking, mutual funds, insurance, and pension funds industries, applying uniform capital and provisioning standards for equivalent risks, thus engendering competition and rationalization in the system.
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MINERAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT CAPACITY BUILDING PROJECT The overall objective of the proposed Mineral Resources Management Capacity Building Project (MRMP) is to provide technical assistance to the Government of Mozambique (GOM) for : (i) institutional development and regulatory reform designed to encourage the expansi on of private investment in mining in a socially and environmentally sound way; and (ii) targeted interventio ns to alleviate poverty in areas of strong incidence of small-scale and artisanal mining. Specific project ob jectives include: (a) improving the legal and regulatory reform to help establish an enabling environment to promote private investment into mining, while ensuring real and sustainable contribution to economic growth; (b) institutional capacity building to develop capabilities to effectively enforce laws and regulations, admi nister mining titles, and monitor the sustainable development of small-scale mining; (c) development of a dat a bank and geological maps to strengthen the Government's capacity to make essential geoscientific and natura l resources information available to potential investors; (d) institutional strengthening to establish capaci ty in the country for environmental management, and to develop the understanding of and the capacity to addre ss social impacts from mining; and (e) identify and adopt appropriate mechanisms to increase revenues and imp rove the quality of life in selected areas of strong concentration of artisanal miners, through the establish ment of legal rights for their activity and the provision of extension services to improve the social, welfar e, health and environmental conditions of artisanal miners.
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National Environmental Action Plan The development of the National Environmental Action Plan in Turkmenistan started in October 1999. UNDP had an ongoing program of assistance at the time (the National Environment Program of Turkmenistan - NEPT), focusing on a range of activities which included, among others, development of the State of Environment report and the 2nd edition of the Red Data Book of Turkmenistan. The NEAP was started within the framework of the NEPT, and its offices in the Ministry of Nature Protection (maintained by UNDP) were used for staffing a small core team. The World Bank joined the process in March 2000 by providing a PHRD grant to the Ministry for Institutional Capacity Building in Environmental Management. The grant was used partly to support local experts in preparing a national environmental strategy, and partly to finance an international firm to carry out a legal, regulatory and institutional needs assessment. The Bank also received consultant trust funds from the Swiss government to assist with the review of the draft NEAP and provide quality assurance. The PHRD grant funds and the Swiss assistance were indeed very useful. With the help of the grant funds, the NEPT office in the Ministry could be considerably expanded to establish teams of local experts who prepared several background reports on the key environmental issues. The UNDP also provided assistance to the Ministry in organizing eight workshops and several smaller group discussions and trainings. The NEAP started with fairly extensive consultations. The first compilation of issues was done through written communications between the Ministry of Nature Protection and representatives (nearly one hundred) from sector ministries and regional government bodies, and academic and research institutions. NGOs participated in the process to a limited extent. Private sector participation was virtually absent. The early proposals from the stakeholders were consolidated and combined under seven thematic topics and discussed at several national and Velayet (provincial) level workshops. Multidisciplinary teams of local experts working groups analyzed the environmental issues and drafted the thematic reports. Bank staff and consultants reviewed the draft reports and provided comments. The thematic reports were edited by an editorial committee chaired by the Minister of Nature Protection. The final edited version of the NEAP document was compiled by this committee. Overall the process was a rather difficult one, with consultants and Bank staff struggling to work with local expert groups to pull together a document that could identify and evaluate the country's most significant environmental problems. The final document had to be consistent with existing policy from the "top" and approved by the President, so there was little margin to be too critical or to prioritize issues in any manner that would contradict existing policy. This presented considerable difficulty for the Bank team in being able to engage with the Ministry in any meaningful way. In course of time, progress was made and the Ministry completed the NEAP which in its final form presents, on the one hand, a fair degree of analysis on some key issues, and on the other, some fairly questionable proposals (such as the President's plan to build the Turkmen drainage lake). All these factors notwithstanding, it can be concluded that the NEAP has provided a better understanding of issues in the country and some capacity was developed during the process in getting working groups together to talk about issues.
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CO BOGOTA URBAN SERVICES 2 DON'T PUB DROPPED Based on the experience of the Bogota Urban Services I, it is proposed that the project would be composed of the following components: A. Improved mobility. This component includes actions for continued expansion of the second phase of the Transmilenio system and continued improved access to public transport. It comprises the following activities: (i) construction of busways, (ii) construction and rehabilitation of feeder routes which connect neighborhoods to the Transmilenio system as part of an integrated system; (iii) construction of bicycle paths and sidewalks as part of non-motorized transport facilities; and (iv) measures for improving public transport, road safety and traffic administration in the city of Bogotá. B. Urban upgrading. This component is designed to support the activities of the Programa de Mejoramiento Integral de Barrios (PMIB), which is the District's urban upgrading program derived from the POT and PD. CVP is the institution in charge of coordinating the infrastructure works and social activities in selected low-income areas located in 12 UPZs. The infrastructure works comprise: (i) planning and neighborhood plot legalization; (ii) construction of storm water drainage systems, water and sewerage systems (iii) construction and rehabilitation of access roads; (iv) resettlement of population located in high risk areas, including flood plains; (v) construction and rehabilitation of public space and community services; (vi) improvement of environmental conditions; and (vii) technical assistance for home improvement and land tittling activities. The social activities associated with the physical works include: (i) promoting citizen culture; (ii) strengthening social organizations; and (iv) assisting vulnerable population. C. Institutional strenghtening and Technical Assistance. This component is aimed at improving the performance of the institutions in delivering urban services through activities that will guarantee the social, environmental and financial sustainability of the works undertaken by the proposed project. The activities include technical assistance for District institutions working in areas ranging from transport, housing and environmental management sectors, to planning and financing urban development activities. Specifically, this component will support equipment, training and consulting services.
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Mexico Education Quality The proposed project aims to improve public school management through strengthen ing and expanding the Government's Quality Schools Program (Programa Escuelas de Calidad, PEC) now being implemented on a pilot scale by SEP. PEC is designed to empower the school community, and promote school autonomy and accountability, e ncouraging parents, teachers and directors to design and carryout school improve ment plans that respond to the needs of the school and its students. The PEC awa rds a grant to finance the improvement plans in selected schools; these grants a re jointly financed by SEP and state governments. The program is open to all pub lic basic education schools that apply on a voluntarily basis, but priority is g iven to disadvantaged schools located in poor urban areas, as these schools have the most need and also tend to benefit more from the program. The federal inves tment in the program leverages approximately half as much in state contributions and in donations from local school communities, where schools mobilize parents, municipal governments and private organizations to support their school improve ment plans.
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Upper Egypt Integrated Governorates Development The objective is to reduce disparities in access to basic services between Upper and Lower Egypt and to increase employment opportunities and income in rural areas. The project will reduce disparities in acccess to basic services between Upper and Lower Egypt and to increase employment PHRD grant in the amount of $730,000 has been approved. 03/01/07. High level dialogue with the Government related to overall borrowing envelope vis-a-vis timing of delivery is ongoing. 03/12/07. Task Team Leader changed from Ayat Soliman to Frank Bousquet (AFTU2) effective today. 7/12/07. PHRD not yet approved to date. 9/14/07. Email from TTL to E. Mbi on 9/14/07 informing that the project has been FY09S (Board date: 5/29/08)as we have been waiting for the GOE's letter related to the change of the project implementing agency and the PHRD. This letter was finally received on 09/10/07. We can therefore commit to a timetable for project preparation and project delivery to the Board (i.e. 9/30/08). This proposed timetable is in line with the procurement plan of the preparatory studies (which could not be initiated without the letter from the GOE). 12/12/07. Task Team Leader changed from Frank Bousquet (UPI# ) to Julian Lampietti (UPI#73596) effective 12/1/08. PHRD Grant about $750K ongoing. As of 12/1/08, actual expenses totalled $389,498 (BB: $383.5K; BBFAO: $6.1K). 7/20/09. According to Sector Manager, Project preparation continues financed by a PHRD which is scheduled to close in December 2009. While project does not appear to be moving forward it is kept in the system to enable supervision of the PHRD until the closing date in December. 11/19/09. Task Team Leader has requested to be replaced. 1/20/10. The CMU decided to extend the PHRD Grant for the fourth and final time on 12/31/09 to June 30, 2010. No further extension is possible. If no project request is forthcoming in the next few months, the project will be dropped by June 30, 2010. 03/02/10: As per SMs instructions, TTL changed from Julian Lampietti (UPI#73596) to Serdar Yilmaz(UPI#177898).
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Madagascar Education for Growth The objective is to introduce governance and financing reforms in the education system to: (a) make it more demand oriented and encourage employer participation; (b) modernize the curricula and teaching methods to meet labor market needs; and (c) encourage innovation and increase equitable access to post-primary education. The project will support the objectives of the Madagascar Action Plan in reforming higher, secondary and technical/vocational education to support economic growth. Its main aims are to introduce governance and financing reforms in the education system to make it more demand oriented and encourage employer participation, modernize the curricula and teaching methods to meet labor market needs and encourage innovation and increase equitable access to post-primary education. The project will finance (i) investments to expand access and improve quality of post-basic education; (ii) technical assistance to create policy frameworks for promoting public-private partnerships and external partnerships in higher education and technical/vocational training and establish new governance mechanisms and (iii) capacity building of the Ministry of Education and other government agencies.
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Third Lao PDR Poverty Reduction Support Operation Grant Jointly prepared by the Government and IDA in collaboration with other donors, the Third Poverty Reduction Support Operation (PRSO3) supports the implementation of Lao PDR's Poverty Reduction Strategy called National Growth and Poverty Eradication Strategy (NGPES). The financial support provided through PRSO3 will help finance the costs of implementing key elements of these strategies, together with other domestic and external financing available to Government. The next proposed programmatic series of PRSO4-7 will support the Sixth National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP) which successfully incorporates the key principles of an effective Poverty Reduction Strategy and is being submitted as such at this time. The last in a program of three PRSOs, PRSO3 focuses on three broad policy areas consistent with the goals and strategies identified by Government in its Poverty Reduction Strategy, and reflected in IDA#s Country Assistance Strategy: (i) public resource management; (ii) public expenditure policy; and (iii) sustainable growth.
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School Construction Study The study reviewed and analyzed the school construction component of 250 projects implemented by African governments with World Bank and other donors support during the past three decades. The study addresses a broad spectrum of related topics, including: planning, norms and standards for school construction; construction technologies; implementation and procurement arrangements; decentralization; role of communities; corruption; donor hrmonization. It pays particular attention to implementation issues, including a range of outsourcing options for school construction, from top-down centralized approaches to bottom-up decentralized ones. It also analyzes the roles, responsibilities and performance of all the entities involved in the school construction chain, from the Ministry of Education to local governments, non-governmental organizations and other agencies involved in building schools, and local communities. The study draws several robust lessons which are based on an these analysis.
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CM-Community Development Program Support Project The Community Development Program Support Project (PAPNDP) is the first phase of the program. Its objective is to assist the Government of Cameroon in setting up and implementing a decentralized financing mechanism to ensure participatory community development in rural areas. It would (i) establish a system for channeling funds to rural communities to finance prioritized collective infrastructures, (ii) strengthen the capacity of communities and local governments to plan and manage their own development, and (iii) improve the legal and regulatory framework for decentralized rural development. Communities and communes would be engaged in a participatory appraisal of their needs, culminating in the implementation of subprojects cofinanced by the project. Efforts would be made to clarify procedures and build local governance capacity for communes so that resources and local development responsibilities could be transferred to them. Special efforts will be undertaken for enable marginalized people (indigenous communities, nomads, women, etc.) to participate in the project.
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ELEMENTARY EDUCATION PROJECT The project's objective is to assist the Government of India in its implementation of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) Program which aims to achieve universal enrollment in and completion of elementary education (Grades 1 to 8) for the 6-14 age group by 2010. As a part of the process of attaining the Program's goals, the project's development objectives from June 1, 2004 to June 30, 2007 are: (i) To reduce out-of-school children by at least 9 million in the 6 to 14 age group, with an increase in enrollment,thus moving towards universal elementary education; (ii) To narrow existing gender and social gaps so that enrollment of girls will be near parity with boys, enrollment of children of SC and ST will be near parity with that of the other groups; and enrollment of children with disability will increase; and (iii) To enhance the quality of education of all elementary school students so that learning levels will be improved and transition rates from primary education (Grades 1-5) to upper primary education (Grades 6-8) will increase.
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GT COMPETITIVENESS PROJECT The purpose of the Guatemala National Competitiveness Program (PRONACOM), a public-private partnership under the Comisionado de Inversion y Competitividad and the Ministry of Economy, is to advance the nation's international competitive standing and accelerate its economic growth. The Project aims to advance the Programs objective as well as those of the nation's Peace Accords Especially the two Accords on the Identity and Rights of the Indigenous People (March 31, 1995, Mexico City) and on Socioeconomic Aspects and the Agrarian Situation (May 6, 1996, Mexico City), by helping primarily small and micro businesses to generate higher income and reduce high rates of poverty in Guatemala. To do so, the proposed Project supports a diversified and mutually reinforcing set of initiatives on two levels: (a) in the business environment, seek to increase the competitiveness of product and factor markets via regulatory changes and new public-private institutional partnerships in the areas of: (i) domestic competition, (ii) foreign investment, (iii) in-firm skills training and information; and (iv) product quality infrastructure; and (b) at the firm level, aim to broaden micro- and small business participation in national economic growth by (i) promoting increased investment in firm-level pre-competitive learning and innovation, (ii) piloting service and delivery innovation in information technology-based business development services (BDS), and (iii) expanding business development clusters and social responsibility.
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Cambodia Environment and Protected Areas Management Project The objective is to strengthen and expand the Cambodian government#s ability to manage emerging environmental issues through an integrated program. The development objectives of the project are (1) to strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Environment to plan, implement and monitor an effective system of national protected areas in Cambodia, and; (2) to enhance its capacity for systematic environmental planning and management. The proposed project builds upon the experience of the on-going BPAMP, and is designed to improve the policy and regulatory environment and strengthen institutional capacity for systematic and participatory management in protected areas (benefiting the globally-important flora and fauna and local communities living in and around these areas). At the same time, the project will support broader environmental management agenda through strengthening of EIA process, refinement and enforcement of environmental regulations, environmental monitoring and promoting good practices for pollution control.
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Gabon Natural Resources Management Development Policy Loan The objective of the operation is to support the Government's efforts to improve transparency, governance and law enforcement for natural resource management. In synergy with other development partners, the DPL will support the implementation of Gabon's PSFE program and EITI initiative. The DPL covers four policy areas: (1) forest; (2) biodiversity-environment; (3) fisheries; and (4) mining-oil. With regard to forest and biodiversity, the DPL will capitalize on the recent wave of reforms to ensure that they take hold and are deepened. With regard to fisheries, mining and oil, it will help open the door for similar reform process that is starting to emerge. It will support the implementation of the EITI in the oil and mining sector. This operation will help improve the investment climate by leveling the playing field and providing clear rules of the game in favor of more socially and environmentally responsible investors. By linking lending to the implementation of reforms, this operation will strengthen the voice of reformers within government and civil society, and increase their capacity to overcome inertia and resistance from vested interests. Using the Government's budget procedures, the proposed operation will also pilot reforms in financial management system.
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Poverty Reduction Support Credit 2 (PRSC 2) Project Development Objective (Note: will be disclosed in the MOS) The PRSC supports the implementation of Albania.s National Strategy for Social and Economic Development (NSSED, the Government.s designation for its .Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper.). The NSSED is a comprehensive and cross cutting program, and an NSSED Progress Report is being reviewed by the Board along with this operation. The program aims to: (i) promote sustainable growth and support private sector development, by improving the business environment, and improving the enabling environment for rural development; (ii) strengthen capacity to monitor and evaluate the policy agenda, by establishing systems for regular quantitative and qualitative surveys, and strengthening analytical capacity and institutional arrangements to feed information into policy decision-making; (iii) improve service delivery and social safety net effectiveness, by addressing chronic under-funding of education and healthcare, improving quality of expenditures, strengthening the fiscal sustainability of the pension system and social assistance targeting, and ensuring funding of NSSED priorities such as immunization programs; and (iv) improve core public sector functions and institutional arrangements, by improving policy formulation, strengthening human resource development, improving public sector accountability, and improving intergovernmental fiscal relations. Board Schedule Comments
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Cavite-Laguna Tollway Project The objectives are to: (a) improve road access to the country's premier industrial belt by reducing traffic congestion through construction of the North-South Expressway; and (b) assist in creating an enabling environment for private sector participation through public-private partnerships. The CALA North South Expressway (NS Way) was identified as a potential candidate for Bank support due to its impact on improving road access to the country's premiere industrial belt by reducing traffic congestion along Aguinaldo Highway and Coastal Road, and for providing an alternative north-south artery to the CALA region. The NS Way project includes the construction of a six-lane 27.2 km expressway connecting Bacoor and Dasmarinas, and linking the Manila-Cavite Coastal Road (R-1 Expressway), in the north to the proposed East-West Cavite-Laguna Expressway, in the south. The objectives of the proposed World Bank-supported NS-Way project would be: a) to improve road access to the country's premiere industrial belt by reducing traffic congestion through construction of the Cavite North-South Expressway (NS Way); and b) to assist in creating an enabling environment for private sector participation through a public-private partnership (PPP) scheme. The project would include a comprehensive assistance package that would combine investment lending for the construction of NS Way with credit enhancement and technical assistance to create an enabling environment for private sector participation in road infrastructure.
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Forest Landscapes Development and Conservation The objective is to enable forest products and the ecosystem services that forests provide to make significant contributions to economic development and environmental protection. Mongolia Forest Landscapes Development and Conservation Project The Context Despite data deficiencies on forests and forestry-related issues, indications are that both are rapidly approaching a crisis situation for which the Government and communities seem largely unprepared. For example: In the northern coniferous forests " both forest cover and forest quality is declining; " the present estimated levels of forest harvesting are unsustainable; " harvesting licenses are awarded annually rather than as long-term use rights, thus giving no incentive for sustainable management by communities or companies; " between 36 and 80% of total harvest is illegal; GoM receives no royalties or taxes on this and it severely distorts domestic prices for both construction wood and fuelwood; " fuelwood currently constitutes between 65 and 80% of total wood harvest and is used by many poor rural and urban households for both cooking and residential heating; " it is estimated that if current levels of forest depletion continue unabated and alternative sources of domestic fuel are not developed, serious fuelwood shortages will begin to be experienced in urban areas by the end of this decade. " the forest area zoned for utilization is inadequate to support a viable domestic wood-based industry or to attract the investment capital it needs to modernize for greater efficiency; " until now, instead of dealing constructively with the primary problem of unsustainable resource exploitation, GoM has tended to focus on peripheral issues, such as an forest inventory system, fire control, insect and disease control, and (largely unsuccessful) reforestation for which neither an ecological nor an economic rationale is apparent; and " top-down enforcement of regulations has been ineffective. Southern saxaul forests " saxaul, once commonly seen as belts of 10 m tall trees across a landscape of fragile soils, are now found primarily as fragments of shrubby growth interspersed with exposed, friable soils; " saxaul's hard wood make it a hot and slow-burning fuel favored by people living in the Gobi; " cutting for fuelwood and excessive grazing by goats and camels are reducing a valuable resource to the point of local extinction causing hardship to nomadic and settled people in the region; " the degradation and loss of this forest landscape is a major factor causing the dust storms which originate in the Gobi desert and which each spring plague communities and cities in Mongolia, its neighbors and beyond. Thus Mongolia's forests are under severe threat and there are currently no mechanisms in place which would encourage communities or commercial timber companies to give attention to their sustainable management. If Mongolia is going to enjoy the economic and environmental benefits of their forests, and if communities in the forest landscapes are to engage in meaningful sustainable management, then action is required by both the government and donors. A two-pronged strategy involving gradual expansion of community forest management and strengthening of the existing Government enforcement regime seems to offer the best possibility to reduce illegal harvesting and other threats. Donor Interest The World Bank's Mongolian Forestry Sector Review (2003) recommended that the Government take action in six areas in order to resolve current difficulties before the forest resources of Mongolia are so severely degraded that options for future management are foregone: " Community-based management of forest resources " Market-based instruments to encourage more efficient use of wood resources and alternatives to wood consumption " Sustainable forest management and enforcement of regulatory compliance " Forest zoning " Resource assessment and information management " Wood and non-wood forest product industry development The Review also suggested four possible areas where the World Bank could make a significant contribution to Mongolia's forest sector: " Community forest management " Capacity building in regulatory control, monitoring, and compliance " Fuel-efficient stoves and alternatives for reducing fuelwood consumption " Donor coordination. The donor community has been actively engaged in forest management issues over the last decade. The largest donor-funded forestry projects have been executed by GTZ and have covered forest fire management, pest management, community-based approaches, forest conservation etc. FAO/UNDP assisted with the Mongolia Forest Strategy (2001), with fire and pest management and has recently been very active in seeking to develop a legal environment in which participatory approaches to forestry could be executed. In addition, the ADB had a $0.5 million GEF-MSP on the prevention and control of dust and sandstorms in Northeast Asia to promote establishment a regional cooperation mechanism for prevention and control of dust and sandstorms, and to encourage and facilitate coordinated interventions of all the stakeholders at a regional level. Case studies on Mongolia were published which stressed the importance of community-based approaches. The World Bank's own Sustainable Livelihood project seeks to manage risk in pastoral livestock production, set up a community investment fund etc. but is concentrating on Mongolia's pastoral areas. The above initiatives have generated important pilots in the area of community-based forest resource management. A more comprehensive, larger-scale approach has however been absent till now. Preliminary discussions with the donor community indicate that a multi-donor program of support in the area of community forestry could be developed. The Proposed Project The goal of this project is to support the Government's vision of sustainable management of its important forest landscapes which would allow Mongolia's timber and non-timber forest products, and the ecosystem services provided by the forest landscapes, to make significant contributions to economic development, and environmental protection. The proposed project would assist in the combating of 'desertification', protecting permafrost (and the carbon sinks within it), conservation of national, local, and community protected areas, and would thus support Mongolia's obligations under both the UNCCD and CBD. The project would seek to build on and scale up from some existing initiatives which have yielded positive results, in order to ensure sustainable management of Mongolian forest landscapes, in both the coniferous forests in the north and the saxaul 'forests' in the south. This would be facilitated by helping to create the legal, institutional, and capacity conditions to encourage investment. Desired Outcomes " The Mongolian forest estate is stabilized and improved in quality " Mongolia Forest Policy and Forest Law actively encourage sustainable management of the forest landscapes " Relevant institutions are dynamic, effective and count with strong human resources " Professionalism of forestry management, inspection, research and operation improves, especially in local forest units " Long-term concessions are available to community groups and the private sector " Enforcement of relevant laws and regulations are greatly improved at national and local levels " Illegal logging is no longer the dominant source of construction timber and fuelwood " Simple forest management plans are developed and used by forest user groups Component 1. National- and Local-level Strategic Frameworks This component would cover the development of appropriate laws and regulations on cross-sectoral coordination , zoning criteria, decentralization approaches, reforestation procedures, institutional organization and responsibilities, and concession systems for private-sector and community-based operations such that their engagement in sustainable forest management will be encouraged. There are currently two government initiatives to review forest legislation: one coordinated by the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Environment, and one led by MNE. Some international support to the overall process of reform will probably be necessary. The component would: " make the necessary changes to legal provisions such that the investment will be improved and the private sector and communities are prepared to invest in Mongolian forest landscapes " make the necessary changes to institutional frameworks at both national and regional levels, clarifying their mandates, responsibilities and obligations " assist Mongolia in delivering on its commitments under the Europe and North Asia Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (ENA-FLEG) " assist in the refinement of cross-sectoral policies on land use, land tenure, licensing, rural finance and local governance which can sometimes act against the interests and traditions of the rural poor " build capacity for sustainable forest management at regional/local levels both for community-based and private sector led activities " build capacity for regulatory control and compliance " develop effective enforcement frameworks and training " facilitate the provision of appropriate levels of rural finance that would allow communities to invest in hardware necessary for small-scale forestry operations " monitor timber stocks, rural incomes, conflicts, enforcement, community involvement, biodiversity abundance, etc., thereby feeding into an adaptive management approach within the project. Component 2. Community-based Approaches to Forest Landscape Development and Conservation This component would cover the participatory planning and execution of sustainable resource management in both the northern and southern forest landscapes. It will build on experience already gained through bilateral projects in Mongolia (especially those of GTZ) on participatory, people-centered, process-oriented support recognizing traditional knowledge and resource management systems as well as local communities as rights-holders to local resources. The component will work closely with aimag and soum governments and communities. Piloting of approaches in other types of forest landscapes (e.g. riparian willow woodland) not covered by other initiatives could also be supported. " promote and disseminate participatory management rules and regulations within the selected forest landscapes to gain acceptance of community-based natural resource management " provide community-to-community training and capacity building, knowledge-sharing activities " provide guidance on appropriate planning for sustainable forest management " provide appropriate training in marketing and entrepreneurship to communities in the forest landscapes " develop opportunities for adding value to sustainably-produced raw forest resources (timber and non-timber) rather than encouraging trading in roundwood " develop carbon-financed activities " provide assistance with the identification of markets, including specialized niche markets, for goods produced " promote fuel-efficient or alternative energy stoves.
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BCEAO REGIONAL PAYMENT SYSTEMS PROJECT The primary objective of the project is to establish and install an appropriate set of regional payment mechanisms to satisfy the ev olving needs of all market sectors in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) - consumer, retail, industrial, commerc i al, government, financial markets, and international - for making payments in a safe, sound, secure and timely manner with certainty and at an acceptable cost. A secondary, but nevertheless equally important objective, is that the new payments systems satisfy inte rnationally accepted standards and core principles and thus ensure a high level of user confidence in the WAEMU financial systems. A well-functioning payments, clearing and settlement system is key to an efficient financial sector, and plays an important role in reducing credit, liquidity and systemic risks in the system. By supporting the implementation of a state-of-the-art payment system for the entire WAEMU region, the project would contribute to the development of non-cash transactions, the strengthening of banks, the deepening of the financial sector, and, more generally, increased regional integration and the expansion of trade and investmen t among and within member countries. To achieve these objectives, the project has five components: (i) project support; (ii) a real time gross settlement system (RTGS, r enamed STAR-UEMOA: Système de Transfert Automatisé et de Règlement); (iii) a low value clearing system (COMPENS), renamed SICA: Syst ème Interbancaire de Compensation Automatisé); (iv) an inter-bank card system; and (v) a common telecommunications and computer infr astructure based on BCEAO's facilities. (i) global project support which includes developing the legal framework and administrative support; (ii) The RTGS component includes the establishment of a RTGS at the regional level which would be open to banks and other financial instruments. (iii) The low value clearing component would upgrade existing systems at the national and regional levels to make them more efficien t. It will be designed to meet the daily low-value payment needs of a braod spectrum of users and will cover a variety of payment in struments (checks, automatic debits and credits, payment orders, card payments, etc) (iv) The inter-bank card system would develop a common bank card product, enabling any bank customer to use it at any automatic tell er machine (ATM) or participating merchant's facility (point of sale - POS) in the sub-region (v) For all three payment systems, the BCEAO telecommunications satellite network would be used to effect transactions with a high d egree of security and at a low cost. Local networks would have to be built and secured for connecting banks' local branches and ATM and POS facilities.
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Nepal Pilot Project for Seismic School Safety in the kathmandu The overall objective of the proposed program is to reduce Nepal’s risk from earthquakes and especially the vulnerabilities of publi c schools by strengthening the capacity of the Government of Nepal to implement school retrofitting programs. This objective will be achieved through (i) the development of capacity to assess the structural integrity of schools; (ii) training of local engineers, foremen and masons in seismic safe construction techniques; (iii) support to contingency planning, and (iv) sensitization of local officials and communities.Key Outcome Indicators:(i) Increase in the school population housed in structurally safe buildings;(ii ) Increased capacity of public officials and local engineers to assess structural integrity of public buildings;(iii) Increased num ber of local engineers, foremen and masons trained in seismic safe construction techniques;(iv) Increased number of communities wit h contingency plans;(v) Increase in awareness of seismic safe standards among local officials and at the community level.
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MN - Sustainable Livelihoods This four-year Project (APL) is the first phase o f a 12-year Sustainable Livelihoods Program. The ove rall Program purpose is: "vulnerability reduced and secure and sustainable livelihoods achieved by targeted poor and vulnerable near-poor households and individuals nationwide". The Program development objective is: "target groups and individuals adopt improved livelihood strategies that build and maintain human, social, financial, physical, and natural capital while reducing vulnerability to shocks ". The development objective of this Project (Phase I of the 12-year Program) is: "an effective approach to promoting improved, secure, and sustainable liveliho od strategies developed, demonstrated, and validated in selected areas, and institutional capacity created so that these strategies can be replicated and scale-up in Phase II of the Program". The outputs that in combination will contribute to achieving the Project development objective are: (a) Pastoral risk management: an integrated strategy developed, piloted, and adopted in eight selected aimags (provinces) for managing covariant risk in livestock production, with a primary emphasis on risk preparedness. In combination with other project components, this component would aim to assist in addressing the underlying causes of vulnerability to drought and dzud ('winter disasters'); (b) Micro-finance outreach: the ou treach of financially and institutionally sustainable micro-finance services to targeted poor and vulnerable non-poor households and individuals in rural areas of selected aimags achieved, including micro-credit and index-based livestock insurance; (c) Local initiatives fund: efficient, socially inclusive, and transparent community-driven mechanisms identified and established to facilitate community prioritization, selection, co-financing, and execution of investments in basic infra structure and social services provision in rural areas, combining local resource mobilization with government grants based on clear and transparent criteria for inter-governmental transfers; and (d) Project management: a decentralized project management framework realized through the progress ive devolution of project management responsibilities to aimag and sum (rural district) levels within local g overnments, while retaining overall coordination, monitoring and evaluation, and fiduciary oversight at natio nal level.
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Flared Gas Utilization from Guneshli Field The objective of the project is provide an incentive to private sector to invest in utilization of an associated gas from Deep-Waters Guneshli off-shore oil field in an environmentally sound manner, and to ensure that gas processing and distribution are carried out in way that maximized the potential for gas replacement of heavy oil uses in local industry, power generation, municipal service, and household. The Guneshli Oil Field was discovered in 1958, and the first oil produced in 1980. The oil and gas extraction is based on 12 operating off-shore platforms, from 9 wells producing only gas, and 125 wells that produce oil and associated gas. Due to the decreased well pressure of the gas, there is about 1mln cubic meters of associated gas vented into air a day from 78 wells, and it is expected that once the pressure drops in remaining wells, the volume of gas vented into air would equal 3mln cubic meters. The Project Developer is preparing a Guneshli Associated Gas Utilization Project for collecting, compressing, and transporting the associated gas from Shallow-Water Guneshli Gas and Oil Field that is currently vented to the shore for distribution and sale in the domestic market for various uses. Carbon Financing is essential as a catalyst for this operation. The size of the carbon financing, and the nature of a potential World Bank project shall be determined during the detailed project preparation.
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Western Java Environmental Management Project The objectives of APL1 are: (a) to lay the strategic framework which will form the institutional and community foundation for sustainable environmental waste management among the participating local and provincial governments; (b) to prepare detailed designs fo r the investments to be implemented mostly during APL2 and APL3; and (c) to form the basis for reducing Gree nhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by establishing commercial scale compost production. The objectives of the 3-tranche Western Java Environmental Management Pro gram are: (a) to strengthen institutionally and economically the local, provincial an d regional institutions responsible for waste management and environmental control; (b) to develop local environmental strategies and plans within the national strategy; (c) to increase community awareness and participation in environmental management both at the local government and community levels; (d) to improve waste collection and disposal as well as support activities directed at waste reduction, reuse and recycling; (e) to improve the environmental conditions of a number of specific, high priority localities; and (f) to assist in developing a commercial level composting industry through a grant from the GEF.
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