Daily report for 26 May 1993

ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS

The first item on the agenda was the accreditation of 173 NGOs, as listed indocuments A/AC.241/9 and Add.1. INCD Chair Bo Kjell‚n noted the large numberof NGOs that had applied for accreditation and was pleased with the interest ofthe NGO community. The Committee approved the list and Ranil Senanayake,Co-Executive Director of the Environmental Liaison Centre International, thankedthe Committee on behalf of the NGOs. The Committee also adopted documentA/AC.241/L.5, which granted observer status to the following fiveintergovernmental organizations: Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS); ArabMaghreb Union (AMU); Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development(IGADD); Southern African Development Community (SADC); and the PermanentInter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS).

INFORMATION SHARING SEGMENT

UNSO: The Committee began with a discussion on Tuesday's presentationby Moustapha Soumar‚ of UNSO. Mali mentioned the weaknesses indecentralization. Egypt cited a case study of land management of the great plainsin the United States, adding that when drafting the Convention, delegates shouldtake into consideration the need for national land management policies. SaudiArabia stated that the development of grazing land must take into account theamount of water available. Benin brought up three problems in planning systems:weakness or lack of adequate planning; land tenure; and the non-participationof the populace. Cape Verde mentioned the problem with duplication ofdevelopment plans. Senegal added that desertification control plans are oftendetermined by donors instead of recipient countries. Turkmenistan, Israel andKenya mentioned their experiences with projects to combat desertification. Iraqcited a number of problems with desertification in his country since the Gulf War.

SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DIMENSIONS

UNSO: The Committee began with a discussion on Tuesday's presentationby Moustapha Soumar‚ of UNSO. Mali mentioned the weaknesses indecentralization. Egypt cited a case study of land management of the great plainsin the United States, adding that when drafting the Convention, delegates shouldtake into consideration the need for national land management policies. SaudiArabia stated that the development of grazing land must take into account theamount of water available. Benin brought up three problems in planning systems:weakness or lack of adequate planning; land tenure; and the non-participationof the populace. Cape Verde mentioned the problem with duplication ofdevelopment plans. Senegal added that desertification control plans are oftendetermined by donors instead of recipient countries. Turkmenistan, Israel andKenya mentioned their experiences with projects to combat desertification. Iraqcited a number of problems with desertification in his country since the Gulf War.

PATTERNS OF BILATERAL AND MULTILATERAL ASSISTANCE

OECD: Dr. Marilyn Yakowitz examined a number of financial resourcetrends related to combatting desertification. Total financial resource inflows todeveloping countries have increased on average by over US$6 billion each yearduring the period 1986-1991. This amounts to an average annual increase of about5%. During this period, total net resource inflows to developing countriesincreased from US$73.2 to US$132.2 billion. She mentioned a number of economicfactors that affect sustainable development including capital exports, externaldebt, aggregate debt service payments, debt-for-nature swaps and capital flight.

On a regional basis, areas affected by desertification are receiving substantialshares of total ODA flows, although not just to combat desertification. At thesectoral level, precise data for financial flows cannot always be obtained sincethere are dozens of categories that might be associated with combattingdesertification. She added that the utility of data collection and analysis offinancial resources flows may be best directed to, or interwoven with planning,development and implementation as a management tool, rather than as anaccounting exercise alone.

In the discussion that followed, Egypt pointed out that of the US$7 billion spenton aid in Africa, US$6 billion is spent on expatriate work. Mali mentioned theneed to improve the percentage of GNP allocated for ODA. Benin emphasized theneed for coordination among donors to avert confusion and duplication andMorocco stressed the need for long-term funding mechanisms to combatdesertification.

NGOs: Dr. Vanaja Ramprasad of the Third World Network, on behalf ofAsian NGOs, presented a paper aimed at demonstrating the risk of desertificationin highly productive land. She pointed out that in 1987-88, Kerala, a state inIndia, with an average rainfall of 3200mm annually, was drought prone and theamount of rainfall fell drastically. She said that flooding and drought hadresulted from deforestation, damming of rivers, salination and irrigation activitiesin the region. She further explained that the Green Revolution is a key factorin this process. India's choice of Structural Adjustment Programmes and freetrade are causing changes in land use patterns in the region. The introductionof hybrid seeds, and export-led mono-crops that provide little or no groundcover have replaced large varieties of indigenous crops suitable for the region.She mentioned that the intellectual property rights and patenting of life formswould accelerate the loss of biodiversity.

Juan Palao Iturregui of the Consejo Andino de Manejo Ecolgico spoke on behalfof Latin American NGOs. He summarized how changing economic and landmanagement policies in Peru have diminished the productive potential of the landand the people. He cited how programmes aimed at increasing production of riceand sugar for export failed due to the high production costs and competitionfrom other countries like Malaysia and Thailand. These programmes also led todesertification of the Peruvian coast. He explained how NGOs have joined effortsin the region to find joint approaches and strategies to implement grassrootsprojects that are aimed at sustainable crop production.

Mamadou Lamine Thiam of FAVDO spoke on behalf of African NGOs. Hispresentation focused on a case study aimed at combatting desertification inSenegal. He provided the historical background, explaining how colonial and, afterindependence, national agriculture policies favored cash crops. This led to landdegradation, reduction in grazing lands, reduction in water holes, climate change,and drought. To combat desertification, NGOs have worked on a number ofprojects including reforestation and soil conservation. He spoke about a projectof the African Network for Integrated Development that distributed saplings tolocal people and thus encouraged people to find solutions to land degradation intheir communities.

In the discussion that followed, Chad asked about the legal status of the plotsreforested by the people and Guinea was curious about how the Senegal projectwas funded. Thiam responded that they got financial support from a British NGO,Christian Aid, and that the local people own the land and the trees they plant.Mauritania focussed on the need for partnerships between national andinternational NGOs. Australia brought up the need for community spokespeople inthe policy-making process.

EXPERIENCE WITH INTERNATIONAL, REGIONAL, SUB-REGIONAL AND NATIONAL PROGRAMMES TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION AND MITIGATE DROUGHT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

SADC: Bataung Leleka, the Director of the Coordination Unit of theSouthern Africa Development Community, spoke about the state of the southernAfrican region. He elaborated on the relationship between people, resources andthe environment. The region, with one of the fastest growing urban populationsin the world, is suffering from increased pressure on rangelands due to needsfor fuelwood, arable and grazing lands. Deforestation, soil loss, increased use ofmarginal lands, accelerated land degradation due to inappropriate agriculturalpractices and silting of rivers are visible consequences of population growth. Toredress the situation, SADC is developing programmes that facilitate sharing ofrelevant information, establishing relationships with and strengthening localinstitutions. He concluded that desertification and land degradation has its rootsmainly in socio-economic conditions rather than physical conditions.

A delegate from Botswana gave the example of a national programme to combatdesertification. The formulation of the national programmes is done at two levels:at the local level, local authorities are encouraged to make an inventory of theirresources and this forms the basis of the national plan; thereafter, districtsdevelop their own plans that are then translated into different nationalprogrammes. He explained that in the rangeland monitoring inventory programmes,land tenure and land reform are tackled. He concluded that the major problemfaced by the region is the lack of technology. In the discussion, Israel explainedthe need to preserve these transitional areas as they harbor biogenetic resourcesuseful in the rehabilitation of damaged ecosystems.

IGADD: Maina Karaba, of the Inter-governmental Authority on Drought andDevelopment, spoke on the region that covers Djibouti, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan,Uganda, Eritrea and Somalia. He said that what happens in the north also impactson the region. He pointed out that the interventions so far had focused on theproducers and failed to account for the activities of the consumers. He said thatthe resilience of the arid lands in the region evident after the rains suggeststhat the area can be productive with the proper input. The constraints tocombatting desertification in the region include the lack of long-term recordingperiods to assist in drought predictions, a poor distribution of simplehydrological and climatic information, and the shortage of satellite receivingstations. He concluded that institutions such as the OSS and UNSO should bestrengthened.

CILSS: Fatou Ba presented a paper based on the experience of the CILSS.She pointed out that the first response of the Sahel countries in tackling seriousdrought was to address the economic and social balance. CILSS has adopted aregional desertification control strategy that is based on the total commitment ofthe people. This strategy incorporates a redefinition of the role of nationalservices, training and follow-up, and increased coordination between CILSSmember countries. She explained that during the implementation of the programmesome difficulties were experienced, including land tenure issues, decentralizationand duplication of efforts. Thus, there needs to be integrated national policiesand a review of the rules and regulations governing land resource management.CILSS has an environmental monitoring institute, an early warning system, anda population research institute that provide data and information useful incombatting desertification. She said that the success of the programme is due to:the possibility of finding common approaches; being within reach of the peasantcommunity; its combination of economies of scale and experiences of differentcountries; and its replicability. She warned that the Convention would only bemeaningful and effective if farmers found markets for their produce, terms oftrade are improved, the drier arid and semi-arid areas are integrated intonational economies, answers are found to land tenure problems and activities arebetter coordinated.

PATECORE: Dr. Helmut W”hl, principal technical advisor for rural regionaldevelopment at Germany's GTZ, discussed technical cooperation between BurkinaFaso, CILSS and Germany in the Patecore Project. He described the high plateauecosystem and the context within which desertification occurs. He outlined theexperiences of two local NGO projects in improving local land use and noted boththe problems faced and the solutions found. For example, there was a lack ofcoordination between the plan and the resource users, so a planning method wasdeveloped that adjusted to the farmers' abilities and knowledge of thesurroundings. Lessons learned as a result of problems faced by NGOs included:control of man-made desertification must have a socio-economic emphasis; projectsneed integration for sustainable resource management at the community level; thecapacity of resource users must be strengthened; there must be a short-termeconomic benefit; a framework for solving land tenure problems must be created;traditional knowledge must be incorporated in planning and implementation;country capacity building has to be intensified by ensuring availability ofknowledge at all levels; and population-related aspects have to be included in theplanning process.

UMA: Mustapha Tlili described the characteristics of the Arab Maghreband highlighted a number of UMA programmes currently underway, includingfixing dunes by planting trees, conducting campaigns to prevent landslides, andimproving rangelands through seeding. The methodology used to implement theseprojects includes: incorporating the participation of the grassroots and the army;consolidating legislation to protect the environment; and developing programs toprotect threatened areas. He stressed the need for regional cooperation andadded that the Maghreb must realize its interdependence with Europe and thetwo regions must work together to combat desertification.

Kallala Abdessalem of the Tunisian Ministry of the Environment and LandManagement highlighted characteristics of desertification in Tunisia. He mentionedthat projects must be cost-effective or else they will not be acceptable topeasants. He said that desertification is an economic problem and there is a needto involve the people, including women, in combatting desertification. Heconcluded by pointing out that desertification should be seen as something tobring the North and South together.

World Bank: At the end of the day, the representative from the WorldBank responded to a question asked earlier by Tanzania about the GEF. He saidthat he would distribute documentation about the criteria for the GEF onThursday. He read part of a document on the operational phase of GEF beingdiscussed at the GEF meeting in Beijing. He added that the GEF is currentlyundergoing restructuring and that some desertification projects have beenconsidered under the biodiversity activity.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR TODAY

PLENARY: Amb. Kjell‚n announced yesterday that this morning's sessionwill begin with election of the remaining three positions on the bureaus of theworking groups. Discussion will then begin on the presentations made yesterdayon the North African experience. Following this discussion, time will be allottedfor other African states to present their experiences in combatting desertification.The next speaker will be Mahmoud Shidiwah, Director of the DesertificationControl Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of Yemen.Following him will be Narain Singh, Inspector General of Forests of theGovernment of India. A representative of Iran will speak on sand dune fixationand efforts to combat desertification in that country. Prof. Zhu Zhenda, Directorof the National Project of Fragile Ecosystem and Rehabilitation, will speak onChina's experiences. He will be followed by Dr. Tsohiogyn Adyasuren, DirectorGeneral, Environment Science, Monitoring and International CooperationDepartment in the Ministry for Nature and Environment of Mongolia.

Samuel Franke Campaa of the Corporacin Nacional Forestal of Chile will speak,followed by two Brazilians: Paulo Roberto Fran‡a of the Environment Division inthe Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Dr. Valdemar Rodriguez, Secretary of theEnvironment of Teresina, Piau, and Manuel Anaya, Director of Investigation andrepresentative of the Department of Social Development of Mexico. The last of thedeveloping country governments to speak should be a representative ofTurkmenistan, speaking on Central Asian efforts to combat desertification. If timepermits, the Committee will hear the experiences of developed countries,beginning with Australia, Spain and the United States.